Treesouls

I sit down under a Tree in the dense forest of thought,
The sounds of leaves in silent speech enchant my mind and heart,
The brook is respectful and bubbles softly in quiet friendship,
Dainty blossoms wink with naughty glance,
And the Philosopher tall and I are engaged in deeper talk.

It tells me of a story that long ago began,
Winds, earth, and fire all in ancient dance,
It talks of wisdom in unknown prose,
The roots in earths soul are hid,
And the handsome trunk is witness to solid truth.

The branches are veined with dark austerity,
Souls emerge and evolve and in gentle movements stir,
The Tree is a guardian to these wanderers.

I learn of life from each leaf that falls,
Destiny, fate, birth and death all in a glance,
The Giant relives stories and tales of yore,
In leafy speech of unequalled eloquence It tells all,
Perplexed and bewitched with such fluent grace,
I bow with reverence to this Preacher Green,
And to my simple mind such wisdom brings.

How the creatures of the forest adore,
And in the loving bark do rest,
The sun, and clouds in care do give,
Their pride and joy to leaves that bring,
Hope and dreams to beings all,
As the Philosopher in green of rustling voice does talk,
And I am a pilgrim on a path unclear.

The rain in pitter-patter falls,
And swaying leaves in joy do drink the dew,
In quiet ways I listen and ponder and close my eyes,
And visions of pastel mists with wings do fly,
Is the image in my inward mind a visage real?
All is still, and the rustling leaves are hushed by escaping dreams,
And as I open my eyes I truly see,
The Tree in dim rays of sun does smile,
And in all its glory a wave of affection it bestows,
The spirit of the Tree now in me breathes,
And gentle thoughts like inspiring swaying leaves,
The true nature of life is what I seek to know,
And how my mind in knowing rivers flow.

Twilight in starry plummets fall,
The colors of dark and light do merge,
And ghosts of sleep in yawning mists do rise,
The Tree of grandeur heights is quiet,
And to my distant abode I retreat,
The path of homage to natures Giant;

I am at peace in Temple Green.

The latest tiger census report says it all. Only 1,411 tigers left in the indian subcontintent according to the latest tiger census report by the Govt of India.

All the more tragic is the fact that India has lost more than 50% of its tiger population in the last five years, a grim testimony to the rampant poaching, lack of conservation, the feeble will of the government in getting proactive about an issue that needs urgent redressal. From 3,642 to 1,411, the tiger’s stock has plummetted like never before. And when one considers the fact that Geographical Information Systems (GIS), camera traps and DNA sampling was used for census gathering unlike that pugmark method which does’nt pass logical and scientific muster, it can only be said that the cupboard looks pathetically bare.

The only saving grace has been a 20% increase in the tiger population in Tamilnadu. It is pertinent to note that the above figures does not include the Sunderbands area where census is still going on..

The statistics cut a sorry picture. Statewise numbers show Andhra Pradesh with 95 tigers (as against 192 in 2001-02), Chhattisgarh 26 (227), Madhya Pradesh 300 (710), Maharashtra 103 (238), Orissa 45 (173), Rajasthan 32 (58). And Sariska? None. The north east has not fared better.Assam has only 70 tigers against 354 in the previous census.
Arunachal has 14 tigers against 61 last year, Mizoram only 6 (28) and North West Bengal 10 against 349 earlier.

Not even a day has passed since the report has been released and the Orissa Govt has rejected the national tiger census figures for the state. The state avers that the Simplipal National Park alone has more than 100 tigers.Well, the charade continues….

The Chinese Giant Salamader (Andrias davidianus) is an amphibian that has seen it all happen. Pre dating even the Tyrannosaurus rex, the largest living amphibian known to man is finding it quite difficult to escape extinction. Commonly found in aquatic habitats in the United States, China and Japan, it is quite uncommon nowadays to spot them, a sad testimony to man’s mindless destruction of eco habitat.

One is every three amphibian species is under threat. 80% of the Chinese Giant Salamander’s has been destroyed since the early 60’s. It’s sad, but true..

Nocturnal with poor eyesight, the salamander banks on sensory nodes on its head and body to detect minute water pressure changes that allows them to hunt their manna. Known for hunting as a group, they find themselves almost on the edge of extinction. It is heartening that a recent project EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) promises to lend more support to the amphibian plight. Check out their voice for conservation that fights for a better future for these endangered species.

With most eco conservation efforts are presently focussed on other species, the neglected amphibians are having a tough ask, their legendary resilience no match for habitat degradation, human consumption and the impact of global warming on their environs.

If we dont act now, the final curtain will be drawn on the last act of these incredible creatures who boast of a lineage that evolved 170 million years ago.

Sir Edmund Hillary, the modest beekeeper who conquered Mt Everest on 29 May 1953 is no more today. 1919 – 2008 – An era has come to an end. Knighted for his achievement on the big brother of all mountains (approximately 8,882 meters), the likeable Aucklander has done his bit and more for the sprit of adventure and the cause of conservation.

In his own words

“The whole world around us lay spread out like a giant relief map, I am a lucky man. I have had a dream and it has come true, and that is not a thing that happens often to men.”

Yes he had a dream and he made it happen. He had bigger dreams too – environmental conservation. Synonymous with Everest to the average layman, not many people know that he was a vocal advocate and strident driver of anti pollution and eco-conservation efforts not just in his homeland but also in Nepal, so much so the Nepalese Government conferred honorary citizenship in 2003.

He did yeoman service to the conservation cause educating people on the need for preserving nature’s choicest treasures. The Everest region suffered on a major scale from the rubbish and waste left behind by the numerous trekkers and climbers. Cutting of trees for fuel angered him so much that he suggested closing down Everest for five years to give it enough breathing space.

He was president of the New Zealand Peace Corps and his high profile helped him leverage media to aid the conservation efforts. The humanist in him drove him to start the Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Trust, an endeavor responsible for close to 30 schools, more than a dozen clinics, two hospitals, a couple of airfields, and numerous foot bridges, water pipelines and other facilities, all aimed at providing a better quality of life for the resilient Sherpas without whom an Everest expedition would be a mirage in reality.

For someone who said about climbing mountains “It’s the intense effort, the giving of everything you’ve got.”, he had nothing more to give as he left no stones unturned to ensure his conservation campaigns shook the delusional cobwebs from people’s mind and inspired a whole generation in Nepal and elsewhere to put their hands up for the well being of the planet.

In simple words, Sir Edmund Hillary’s life represents the ascent of man.May his tribe and ilk increase.

False dawn. Light hues married to waking shadows. The early birds and jungle fowls kept their tryst. Heralding the march of time and the message of daylight. Almost second nature. The light lit itself for a minute or two before the darkness melted in. Confusion reigns. It happens every day in the mighty jungle. Time in pause before the real dawn breaks free.

Filtered rays from a nascent sun seeks succor among the green tendrils that betray no emotion as they play the perfect parasite on an aged orchid. The langur monkeys seem to shred itself of sleep induced lethargy as they awaken. The tired eyes of the sentinel langur watchmen reflect no emotion. Just cold concentration. The slight rustle of the dried leaves was not just a faded dream. Striped contours pad below in tired preamble. All hell breaks loose. The watchman shrieks in throated calls. Jungle fowls cackle as they crash into the thickets. The langurs climb higher in haste, a cacophony in tremulous haste.

The king of the jungle is on the move. Feline grace merged into the lightened shadows, tired pugs shorn of purpose. The night hunt was an abject failure. Maybe the deer had wings on their feet. Maybe the lone sambar in the thickets had a premonition of danger that allowed it time to pre-empt the final spring. Causes many, excuses none. The tiger is searching for a cool landscape to rest. Recharge. And start the hunt in the late afternoon. This time it won’t fail. Nay. It cannot afford to fail. Hunger pangs need to be sated. As soon as possible.

Some lantana bushes pricked the glossy skin. Shrugging off painful scratches, the majestic animal picked up pace. Memory cells jogged. Close to the fire lines on the north, maybe a couple of miles skirting damp game paths lay some inviting grasslands affording perfect cover and patented shade. That would be an ideal place to rest. Powerful paws etched perfect pugmarks in wake as the tiger picked pace.

It was time to rest. Rest. Welcome Rest. Rest of its reverie never did complete. A frightening painful roar echoed in its depths. Wrenching pain hit its gut and hammered its lungs. A crude man made wench snapped shut on its forepaw. The tiger bellowed and roared in pulsating pain. Man made traps don’t break free as easily. The animal’s legendary strength pulled the trap from its cleverly attached fixtures. The tiger lashed out, rolled furiously, dug chunks of earth and roared in agony, yet it would not give way.

The jungle became deathly still, all animals hidden in fear. A strong wind in haunted howl rose in the early morning heralding a flash storm common to these parts. Yet, the tiger’s roars continued. Hideous in pain. Thunderous in the rain. Thrashing through the outgrowths, the tiger hobbled, racked in agony throes that echoed with the distant thunder. Blood flowed on the damp earth merging into the little rivulets. Ebbed in strength, the king of the jungle laid himself in the hollows of a banyan tree in limp defeat. The rain bore and tore through the canopy of the thick forest. Finally spent after a little while, the skies cleared, yet pock mocked in anger with ashen clouds that seethed in anger.

What happens next needs no words to be wasted. Still I might. The poachers make their entry. An impassive bullet speaks no language of mercy on the trapped tiger except that it puts it out of its misery. Patient hands clean the majestic creature’s mortal hide and other parts that come in handy for misplaced mythical use.

Well, history has a habit of repeating itself in this jungle’s geography. And when it does, a Sariska happens. It keeps happening everywhere.

The tiger didn’t live to tell its story. I do. In the fond hope that it brings an awakening inside. In the deep trust that it kick starts people to seek accountability for the nameless tiger. In the blind faith that it makes the Government cringe in shame that the most important entity in the food pyramid of nature is so easily put away.

I still dream that the tiger will still rule the jungles of India. I simply believe. Do you?

We need to back the Indian tiger in its desperate fight for survival. Only a few thousands remain, shorn of support and threatened by man’s selfish pursuits. You and I can do our wee bit to help the magnificent animal walk with unalloyed pride. Let’s make a start by spreading awareness about tiger conservation. Let’s help restore its natural habitat by backing afforestation and eco conservation measures. It is still not too late…

Central Park, New York. Stanley Park, Vancouver. Hyde Park, London. KBR Park, Hyderabad. Hyderabad??

The reader may be a little nonplussed here. What is this park in Hyderabad and how does it figure with the three best urban parks in the world!

[Read more…] about KBR National Park – An Oasis of green