DOG AND DONKEY'S (UN)FAIRY TALE

Courtesy:crazykfarm.com

Earlier this month, I had written this blog on Halloween and the black cat's plight. I received a rather thought provoking comment from Inder on that blog. He brought attention to the condition of donkeys and dogs, how they are subjected to ridicule especially in Asian countries in spite of being of such great service to mankind.

That is indeed so true.When we talk about donkeys and dogs, we get contrasting images for each of them. Let's see that in both the Indian and global context.

Dogs
On one hand, we visualize dogs as cute puppies, faithful, loyal and obedient pets, man's best friend and other such  flattering stuff.
On the other hand, in the Indian parlance (and even other countries' for that matter), the most insulting and rudest abuses are associated with the word 'dog', 'kutta'('dog' in Hindi) or 'bitch' (female dog)
Donkeys
Donkeys carry heavy burden on their backs for long distances and make faithful pets to their owners. To a poor man, he's not only a pet, but also like a partner in earning a livelihood as it helps in carrying and transporting goods.
The word 'donkey' on the other hand is also used for rudely addressing somebody be it in English or Hindi(gadha). It's equivalent to calling somebody an idiot, useless, foolish, etc.

Why such contrasts? It's not as if the words 'donkey' and 'dog' are homonyms. Then, why are these creatures targetted in a way, so starkly opposite to their real natures?

I may not have answers to these, but it makes me ponder about something else. Dogs and donkeys are definitely some of the most ill-treated animals, especially the stray ones. They are hit with stones and sticks for no fault of theirs, burning crackers are often attached to their tails just for fun, etc. Do the rude references using donkey-dog words, play a role in shaping mentalities and attitudes towards these poor creatures? Do those abusive words meant to be amusing, unconsciously make people look down upon dogs and donkeys, who then are ill-treated by those people? Or is it just a co-incidence?I wonder..

VET DETECTIVES

Courtesy:npr.org

What would you get if you combine veterinary sciences with detective skills? The answer is THE ANIMAL CSI(Crime Scene Investigation)! This month, Dr. Melinda Merck launched a first of its kind veterinary forensic science training program at the University of Florida.

The program aims to teach participants the various principles and procedures of animal crime scene investigation and preservation of evidence in cases of animal abuse or neglect. It brings about a convergence of  law enforcing (police and judiciary) and prevention of cruelty against animals(activists and veterinarians).Thus it would be mixing the right proportions of that compassionate feel towards animals with scientific practicality, while investigating animal crimes.Having this kind of a program is much welcome especially considering that most vets aren't forensic experts and vice-versa.

Animal crimes are on the rise and these include poaching, killing animals inhumanely as an act of sadistic lunacy or to carry out traditional rituals, torturing them for fun and even hoarding animals without taking care of them. All this might invoke a lot of sympathy and incite activists to protest against such malpractices. Yes, all this is absolutely essential. Animals are not going to voice their pain and suffering. It's up to humans to understand that and be their voice.But that again isn't sufficient.

Dr. Merck said,"My goal is to gather evidence to find and successfully prosecute the offender. I realize that what’s done is done and I have to work toward justice. It is very hard because of my empathy for animals, but the best thing I can do for them is be their voice." (ASPCA)

 It is also about getting such animals justice and punishing the crime. For that, the crime has to be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. Forensic veterinary science experts would be concrete players in that direction then.
Animal crimes cannot and should not be ignored because they are non-human crimes. It has been found that people who abuse animals are more likely to commit crimes against people. Hence, coming up with an ANIMAL CSI may not be just another interesting or amusing idea, but a concept that if taken seriously may actually help our society, where we humans co-exist with other living creatures. It's about time we learn to respect this co-existence and use serious means to do that if necessary!

FESTIVE PACK 5:SNAPSHOTS

In this concluding part of the festive pack, I have put together some photos of animal festivals that occur around the world. Each festival has its own special significance in the cultural tradition and economy of that country. Some of these are really unusual. Do take a look and have fun!

Courtesy:2camels.com

This is a photo of the Philip Island Penguin Parade that is held year round in Australia. Australia is home to the highest number of Little Penguins in the world. It is a popular and natural form of tourist attraction. It is truly a sight to behold when hundreds of the world's smallest penguins emerge together from the sea and 'parade' to their burrows in the beach. Revenues generated from the Project are used in research for the protection of the Little Penguins.

Courtesy:2camels.com

Here's a hopeful canine participant at the Crufts, the 120 year-old, world's largest dog show that is held every year in March at Birmingham in UK. It is organised by the Kennel Club and is known for the confrontational championships testing dogs' obedience, agility, speed,intelligence, grooming and even  musical skills! It has several species and breeds of dogs competing against each other to achieve merit positions. On an average, 28,000 dogs participate in Crufts every year and some of the most exotic breeds from around the world are showcased.

Courtesy:OCA Magazine

Above is the logo of the At Chabysh festival that is held annually in July in Tajikistan and Kyrgystan and is dedicated to the Kyrgyz horses. Horse races, games and cultural events like related to the horses are conducted at the festival. As per an ancient saying of the region, "Horses are the wings of the Kyrgyz". The horse is an integral part of the Kyrgyz culture and economy. However, the creature is on the verge of extinction. The festival attracts international attention and selects the best breeds for revival.

Courtesy:beechmountainvacation.blogspot.com

 

 This is a a poster of the Banner Elk Woolly Worm festival that is held every year at Beatyville, Kentucky in USA in October. The festival celebrates the woolly bear worm found in the region. The festival attracts locals and tourists alike with visitors even coming dressed as worms . The folklore of US and Canada believes that the proportion of brown and black on the worm's skin indicates the severity of the coming winter. Hence, the winning worm in the festival gets to predict the winter weather!

Courtesy:flickr.com

Bird festivals in different countries (like Chile, Phillipenes) and even the World Bird Festival are instrumental in drawing attention to the neighbouring eco-system. Ornithographers, bird watchers, locals and tourists visit these festivals in great numbers. Workshops, film screenings, activities and tours to various habitats are conducted to raise awareness.

FESTIVE PACK 4:OPERATION CHRISTMAS

I know, there's more than a month left for Christmas, but the preparations have already begun.
Operation Christmas Child has already started the process of packing gifts for children to be distributed as Christmas approaches. But there's a slight difference. There are no reindeer to carry these goodies. Instead there are elephants more than willing to do the job!

Elephants carrying 'Samaritan Purse' cartons (PrattTribune.com)

Santa would definitely love this! Ever since, it was started in 1990, Operation Christmas Child has been reaching out to children in distress. It is a project of the Samaritan Purse (based in US) that has been brightening up the Christmas of suffering children by using simple gift-filled shoe boxes.

These gifts come through the donations of privileged children and their families who contribute toys, school supplies, candies and personal hygiene items. Millions of children  worldwide have been touched in this way especially in war ravaged and natural disaster struck regions, enduring harsh conditions.

And there are no reindeer to drag Santa's sleigh, but there are elephants, ox, camels and even dog sled to carry forward Santa's mission and legacy. These creatures along with helicopters, airplanes and ships are used  to deliver the gifts to the children enduring harsh conditions and making their Christmas special and memorable.
Truly heartening!Cheers to the spirit of Christmas!

FESTIVE PACK 3: PUSHKAR MELA AND CAMEL FAIR

The Pushkar camel fair (northindiatour.theindiancenter.com)

Centuries ago, when there were no cars and bikes, (forget airplanes and space shuttles), people, be it the royalty or the commoners were all united by the means of transport they used. The animal means of transport varied from camels, elephants and bullocks.
The camel (along with other cattle) is once again  ruling the roost in the annual Pushkar Mela that started from yesterday in Ajmer in Rajasthan.The world famous Pushkar fair is known for its beautiful and colourful display of Rajasthani traditions and customs. Its camel fair is the largest of its kind in the world and camel related events would be going on for the first 4-5 days of the Pushkar fair.

It will truly be a sight to behold to view camel-centric activities-camel safaris, racing competitions, buying and selling of camels, camel games like musical chairs, camel rituals and even a 'beauty contest' where elaborately and colourfully decked and groomed camels would try to outdo one another at it!

"I am way beyond competition!"(courtesy:webexhibits.org)

The festival has a deeper essence. It highlights the importance of camels in the Indian economy till today that is often undermined by the Government. Camel population has shrunk in the past few years in the Pushkar fairs. The reasons for this include-shrinking of its pasture land, rise in petrol price, camels being slaughtered for their meat and not enough uses being found for the camel who are being replaced by modern means of transport.

Camels have a variety of uses that not many are aware of:

• In rural Rajasthan, camel is the source of livelihood to around 200 thousand people and their families, who use the camel and a cart for transporting carts in remote areas where cars cannot commute.
• India is the only country where the Border Security Force employs and trains camels to be part of the Camel Corps wing of the BSF to guard the frontiers.
• Specific camel breeds brought to the fair are purchased for their specific qualities:Bikaneri is known for its excellent navigating skills, Jaisalmeri is popular for its race potential and carting goods,Kutchi is known for yielding great quality milk. 
• Scientists regard camel milk to be healthier than goat/camel milk and have identified many useful properties in it.
• Crafts made out of camel hide are popular buys of the region and are important for supporting the cottage industries of Rajasthan
• Camels are known for their resilience. They don't suffer from illnesses and can carry loads of upto 450 kilos.

Camels make loyal and obedient pets to people from Gujarat and Rajasthan, especially those from the rural areas. They also form a crucial part of the people's existence as they literally carry their burdens and help in securing their livelihoods. Hence, they do full justice to the term 'ship of the desert'. Here, they are the ships of each family, ensuring a smooth journey of life for the families they belong to. Undoubtedly, they are beneficial to the rural economy and hence the nation's as well (not to mention that they guard the borders as well).

courtesy:dryicons.com

 Yet, they have not received their due. On the contrary, their numbers are threatened with them getting substituted by motor transport, greater popularity of goat/cow milk (hence, preventing their further breeding for commercial purposes) and frequent road accidents where camels get killed.Since camels don't get insured, the death of a camel can have disastrous consequences for a family that owned it. 

Given the role of the camel in the Rajasthani rural economy it is surprising that the animal is largely ignored in policy and overlooked by development planners. Recently Lokhit Pashu-palak Sansthan (LPPS) - an Indian NGO that has been working with the traditional Raika camel breeding caste to provide camel health care and secure access to grazing - held a meeting of national and international camel specialists at their headquarters in Sadri, Rajasthan. A list of recommendations to government was drawn up to ensure the continued supply of strong, healthy camels... The number of camels in Rajasthan is estimated to have fallen by 50 per cent in the last decade.(New Agriculturalist)

The Pushkar camel fair is then, one of the grandest fairs in the Indian cultural milieu and the economic milieu too, as it attracts a huge number of visitors from across the world, not just India. The camel is glorified and so are its uses in an artistic manner.And that large scale attention is necessary. It is only if the unusual uses of the camel are tapped by the people and the Government, will it translate into greater survival chances of the creature, the rural economy and the hopes and aspirations of thousands of people.

FESTIVE PACK 2:HALLOWEEN

Courtesy:azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com

Halloween was celebrated with much enthusiasm in many Western countries like US and Canada last week. A fun and haunted atmosphere is created with people donning scary costumes, sharing ghost stories, displaying jack-o-lanterns and recreating other scary myths spiritedly during Halloween festival. 
Re-creating mythical characters and stories is fun, as long as it is kept in the domain of fiction. The issue arises when fiction and reality merge into one another leading to problematic consequences. I am talking about the black cat and its plight during Halloween.

squidoo.com

The Evil Cat(wearing the witch hat)

 

 

Halloween is the time when many animal shelters stop giving black cats for adoption, fearing that they may be tortured, put to wicked uses or subjected to dangerous pranks.Such fear stems due to misinformation about the black cat among people. Many still harbour false notions and look at the black cat as unlucky and evil as illustrated in old stories and myths. 

The Humane Society of New York was one such organization that had banned the adoption of black cats during the Halloween time.There were other organizations that were equally apprehensive about the fate of the black cat during Halloween, but instead of a ban, they tightened the adoption measures, making them more strict.

“I think the first fear some agencies have is of black cat sacrifice in satanic rituals,” says Holly Staver, president of City Critters, a New York cat adoption group. “Second is the idea of the black cat as a holiday accessory.” And yet, they don’t place a ban on adopting them during Halloween because, according to Staver, City Critters is a “small, very community-engaged group” and they spend a lot of time interacting with and screening potential adopters. For shelters that don’t have that luxury, she says, “holding onto their black cats for a few days over Halloween and into November sounds wise to me."(New York Post)

Why blame a black cat for ill-luck and treat an innocent creature badly? Courtesy:catspictures.net

The irony in the tale is that while a portion of the population believes the black cat to be an embodiment of evil, there are others who consider the creature to be lucky. Hence, they are more in favour of adopting one during Halloween. 

There's no problem at all, if black cats are adopted for the good reasons. I personally find them very cute, adorable and intelligent. Even though many others view them otherwise and not adopt them. Firstly, because they are black and secondly, they are cats(and less cute than dogs) and thirdly, because they are both. Studies show that they are 50% less likely to be adopted in comparison to other pets. Halloween only adds to the superstitions, lessening their chances.

Courtesy:clipart.of.com

But what about those who genuinely like them and want to adopt them during Halloween to provide them a comfortable home? Adoption centres for their (the cats' and adoptives') benefit, should have stringent checking measures and verify the intentions of the adoptive families before giving the cat out for adoption.

But then safety of the cats should be of utmost importance. There are chances that black cats may be injured out of the spirit (misinterpreted) of Halloween and be subjected to ill-treatment through dangerous pranks. A ban during this period may be a healthier option in that case.

FESTIVE PACK 1:DIWALI

Globally, this October-November-December period is a festival time. Be it Diwali here in India, Halloween in USA, the Horse Festival in Morocco or Solstice in Egypt, most people across the world have reasons to celebrate. And animals haven't been left out of it either!

So I thought of a festive offer for the festive season.My upcoming blogs (including this one) would look at how animals are connected to these festivals-how they have been impacted or how they are an integral part of the fanfare involved. I would be calling this my "festive pack".

Courtesy:www.come2india.org

It is Diwali -the festival of lights today. It is a popular festival of the Hindus that celebrates the homecoming of Lord Rama after 14 years of forest exile. The day is honoured by lighting diyas, candles, bursting crackers and distributing sweets among relatives, friends and other well-wishers. It is that much awaited, happy day for Indians barring some. For pet and stray animals, it is the most dreaded day of the year.

The high decibel and continuous loud sounds of the crackers are a source of great discomfort for them.  Animals like cats and dogs have sharp ears that are tuned to detect the faintest possible sound. This special ability acts like a blessing in disguise for them during Diwali, when the sound of crackers is greatly magnified to their ears. It creates much panic and anxiety among them. Animals on the street may panic and run here and there in utter confusion and injure themseves. Birds aren't safe in the sky either, as they may be hit and even killed by a flying and burning rocket cracker.

Some do it deliberately too, that is, use Diwali as an excuse to frighten animals:

"In many areas people play the most inhuman game of tying firecrackers on
dogs and donkeys' tails and letting them loose, watching the fun while the
animals run around panic-stricken and ultimately burn themselves," reveals
Shakuntala Majumdar, President of Thane Society for Prevention to Cruelty Against Animals (courtesy: Karmayog)

Diwali is the festival of lights, but it is not done when the environment gets affected adversely because of it. Lighting diyas, candles and decorating rangolis beautifully  retain the essence of the festival. I believe that bursting crackers has traditionally been part of the festivities and it wouldn't make sense to put a sudden full stop to it. But at least we can have limits to it as to having a time restriction for bursting crackers, not bursting crackers with high decibel sounds and ensuring that there are no stray animals in the vicinity before using fire crackers.

Courtesy:lifesacomicstrip.blogspot.com

With certain precautions, it is possible to take care of pets during Diwali, but for strays, individuals and groups at the society level have to work hand in hand, to make it more comfortable and safer for the street animals.

However, Diwali has definitely not been a nightmare for some other animals. In the Lucknow Zoo, in Uttar Pradesh in India, animals were treated to special diets to celebrate Diwali. The diets were designed specially keeping in mind, the animal concerned. For instance, carnivores like tigers were treated to tandoori chicken and herbivores like deer and giraffes were given bananas mixed with fruit salad.In contrast to their counterparts in other parts of India, Diwali was a happy time for the Lucknow Zoo animals.

“It would be really good as animals would get a chance to get special treatment on the festival. In fact, such special diets should be given to the animals on every festival,” Geetanjali Sinha, who lives near the zoo, told IANS. (courtesy:Thaiindian News)

Anti-cracker campaigns were also carried out in the area with the threat to punish any offender under the Wildlife Protection Act. 

This entire scenario is like viewing two sides to the same coin.In both the situations, Diwali was being celebrated in an enjoyable manner, but with the difference in terms of sensitivity to the environment.Why don't we choose to then celebrate Diwali in an environment-friendly way, considering especially that we always have an option to do so?