Help the Animals Survive

Help the Animals Survive…
  Save them, or ready to die yourself.

The beauty of our universe is intricately interwoven with the existence of the animal species around. They create an important part in the ecosystem, thus ensuring the balance we need to live. These sources are often found plenty, and is really a gift from nature and God.

Countless blessings,
Nature’s showers,
Animals and plants,
Adornments of life.
Blessings skinned
Alive, blood thirsty
When humans saw
Money in them, Skins,
Horns, Teeth and
Hunted them all…

Yes… We humans have always been more inclined towards saving ourselves that we turned blind towards the species that need our immediate attention. Due to increasing needs of humans and the selfish desires and greed, these beautiful embellishments to nature become eradicated and thus termed as Endangered species (EN) by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Instead of being alarmed by these drastic changes and destruction, and taking steps towards protecting them, we simply turn blind towards it.

Who cares when Tigers got killed in the process of creating a high-tech apartments? Who cares that I am making my home in these animals’ home? Who cares that the animals lose their food and habitat when we cut trees for personal use? WHO CARES!

It is these attitude that brought the number of animals down, and it’s sad to know that these animals will soon be extinct, just as those dinosaurs. It will be sad to just see them in the animated movies and read them in the books… 😦

Endangered species – Endangered animals are those whose numbers are at a critically low level and whose habitats are so drastically reduced that they are in danger of extinction in near future.

Endangered species in India includes Indian peacock (yes, our national bird), Asiatic elephants, one-horned rhinoceros, black bucks, Bengal tiger, spectacled cobra, lion tailed macaque, Indian hog deer, Indian wild dog, Asiatic lioness, Indian bull-frog, Leopard, Gharial, Malabar gliding frog, Indian wild ass. Yes! The list is too long, and every one of us has duty to save them.

Bengal Tiger:

Bengal Tiger

The Bengal tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger was once the most numerous sub-species of Tigers. They are commonly found forming their territory in high altitudes, tropical and subtropical rainforests, mangroves, and grasslands of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. In 2011, though, these Royal wild cats are estimated to be lesser than 2500 individuals and are rapidly falling. (Once there were eight sub-species of tigers, and three of them has already become extinct. The remaining five species, including Bengal tiger are listed Endangered).

It’s sad that they are poached for their beautiful skin, and sharp teeth. Sometimes killed for sports, as a trophy to hang on houses. Sometimes destroyed due to human- tiger conflict. Sometimes for their medicinal value.

Power in his eyes, magnetic
Roars shake forests, majestic
Golden body, graceful moves
When his death looms over
He simply falls prey, what else
Can he do, when humans
Becomes the ‘Gods of his Death?’

Look at his eyes… There’s so much power in them, so much allure. His golden skin, lean body and lithe moves, his sharp teeth… Tigers are our proud representation; our Nation’s national symbol. These big cats are a part of our country’s history. But what makes me sad is that… These wild cats will soon become history, if not conserved. Yes, they’re endangered. Shrinking continually in numbers, mostly due to human activities.

Yes, his teeth and skin can make a pauper to a prince… And so we humans have targeted him, and been targeting since then. When we talk about nature’s blessings, we talk about the skins from the animals, the woods from the plants. Our kindness, our love towards nature has long since been infested by our greed, thus changing our perspectives.

Instead of looking at the animals as a blessing, a mercy, we look at their individual parts that can bring us fortunes… And that is the blessings we have been hunting for.

It will be a shame to show the younger generations the stickers and photos of their India’s national animal. It will be shame when zoos and sanctuaries only hold the pictures and memories of Tigers and the sound effects of the roars, instead these majestic animals.

But… The government has already waken. With the help of tiger-project the sanctuaries and homesteads of tigers are being protected, and severe actions are taken against poachers.

It’s about time we, as the part of this universe, start doing something, as well, though it’s already become too LATE!

Asian Elephant:

The elephant is Earth’s largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. Elephants are Megaherbivores, and eat about 150 kg of plants everyday. Their long trunk, and beautiful tusk is their characteristic beauty.

The Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed in southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. E. Maximus has three sub-species- The Sri Lankan Elephant from Sri Lanka. The Indian Elephant occurs in mainland Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Vietnam etc. and the Sumatran Elephant.

Since 1986, Asiatic Elephants has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50%.

It’s poached for its white tusk, and skin and teeth. The tusk is used to make ornaments, and been smuggled across the globe for large amounts. Due to deforestation, their habitats also become shrivelled, thus leading them to farmlands for food – which puts them in danger.

Shiny grey, complementing
Long, white tusks, huge but
Calm is her demeanor,
Protects her family, a faithful
Companion. Her tusk becomes
Her enemy, when humans
Removes her of her pride
And lets her die in pain.

This beautiful animals with human emotions and love – it’s distressing to learn that one day they may never walk by our streets during festivals; never could be touched, fed, and given money. It’s sad to know that one day they may just vanish, leaving only traces of childhood memories in heart.

Elephants has always been a part of most of our childhood memories. As they walk in the street, majestic, their bells ringing even before they arrive… It will be a great shame to never let our children enjoy that beauty of elephants and the pleasure they bring! To see those memories only in a moving picture, and unmoving photographs!!!

These herbivores, who lives in matriarchal family, whose Motherly love is almost as big as a Humans’, whose tears wet her eyes when her heart breaks of sadness, who protects humans of loyalty. It will be a great loss when India lose its symbols of festivals… And when it is no more.

Indian Black Buck:

The Black Buck,(Antelope cervicapra), locally Krishna Saar, native to Indian sub-continent is labelled endangered since 2003, as its range has decreased sharply. It’s an ungulate species of Antelope and are characterized by their long spiral horns, and lean double colored body,.

Black bucks generally live on open plains and open woodlands in herds of five to 50 animals with a male as their leader. They are very fast (80 kmph) and their speed and lean body help them escape the predators (but not always).

They are primarily grazers and avoid forested areas. They require water every day for survival. They are hunted for their skin and flesh. And poached occasionally, for their horns. During the last century, blackbuck range and numbers have declined sharply due to excessive hunting. Increasing numbers of livestock and humans destroy Black Buck habitat. Some black bucks are killed illegally. 

Long lean body, brown furs,
His speed his strength,
Horns his pride, though
Not as fast as human greed,
Not as sharp as hunting arrows,
This handsome, always fall
Dead, blood in greens,
Because humans don’t care.

Remember the time the protection of black bucks gained large attention when Salman Khan got arrested for hunting a black buck?

It’s depressing to learn that these once extensive living species now is in the state of destruction, and may one day die wholly in human hands.

Why should we conserve Endangered Species? We all have this question. The real answer is that these animals are important for the balance of our Earth. We would never be able to survive by ourselves, alone. We are not created to live independently. This is because all life on earth is inter-related and interconnected. When one becomes extinct, it will not take much time for the Earth to degrade, ultimately ending US.

Nature provides an extremely complex and intricate network of living things, which complements each other, and it will be a damn stupid move to kill them for temporary economic value, when in fact, the lives in Earth (we) will be no more without nature and its counterparts.

Save them, or be ready to become destroyed!!! Because, without them, we will never have a chance to survive, as well!!!
~~~

Ps. I have already read and reviewed ‘Capturing Wildlife Moments in India by Ashok Mahindra’ and loved going through it. It is a book full of animals captured in their natural territory, portraying their natural strength. For a girl like me, who loves Nat Geo Wild, and spends most of her time watching, admiring and being captivated and fascinated by animals, this book is sure a treat for me.

I am participating in the Save the Species contest for the book “Capturing Wildlife Moments in India” in association with Saevus Wildlife India, read the reviews for the book ‘Capturing Wildlife Moments in India’ here.

© Ada