Animal Antics

TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 1 Apr 2024

Dr. Ravi P. Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service

We see a lot of Antics by various animals and even by birds.  A photo of an unusual animal may appear on your laptop screen and you wonder how did it appear voluntarily — without our wish. It may appear by itself or even in company of other animals.

What does this animal do — how does it attract our attention?

It may appear to be flying or sitting by itself without making any movement. In the latter case, it may be a non veg animal waiting for some small species — an insect or a moth to eat — to devour.  It does not want to regularly display its inclination of waiting for some insect or a small bird for this purpose.

We often feel sympathy for several animals thinking they are harmless or that they are cute and beautiful without realising that they can be dangerous for other creatures or even for humans. We can often see them pouncing on smaller animals or insects as their food intake. Even when they bite a human, they do so for the blood they suck. We may blame them but what can they do — nature has given them certain actions or habits of attacking and blood sucking human beings.

Even birds act in a dangerous or harmful way . Some species of birds that are big and fast as they fly, are dangerous for smaller birds. I remember  the story that my father used to narrate — some birds were trained to catch and claw smaller birds and bring their catch to their masters — people who had bought them and fed them and given them water or some liquid to drink. Some of these birds were beautiful to look at and nobody would realise the danger they created for other birds — smaller and slower than they. The bigger birds would bring their catch to their human masters who would cook them for eating.

What would happen if they did not catch any smaller bird for their masters? They were at risk with their own lives — they had to catch some thing or be at risk with their own life. It is like soldiers fighting for their masters  —  kill the enemy soldiers or be killed yourself.

Life is like this — kill or destroy your enemy otherwise you are at risk with your own life.

Sometimes we see animals or rather monkeys committing strange actions. They are trained to do some funny antics. If you are in a forest area, there are many trees and people go there to relax and enjoy themselves. If you are sitting under a tree and wearing glasses (spectacles) reading a book or magazine, a strange action by a monkey may take place. A monkey sitting on a branch of a tree above you, may pounce on you and take away your glasses. Why?

You look at the monkey and request it by some actions and sounds to return your glasses. It does not respond. But if you throw a banana towards the monkey, your glasses are returned. This is the means adopted by some intelligent monkey to get a free banana.

Many strange events or activities take place in life . The above action by a monkey is an intelligent example of this unusual situation.

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Dr Ravi P Bhatia is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment, an educationist, Gandhian scholar and peace researcher. Retired professor, Delhi University. His new book, A Garland of Ideas—Gandhian, Religious, Educational, Environmental was published recently in Delhi. ravipbhatia@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 1 Apr 2024.

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