Who is Better? The Elephant or the Tiger? 💚

Who is Better? The Solitary King or the Social Giant?

 

#intothewildwithrufus 

Completely done with his eating!

I’ve always loved connecting with wildlife for the enriching life lessons they teach us without being preachy in any way! 😊 

Yes! Just by paying attention to their life and living, we can gain invaluable insights our own life and living, thus making our own life and living all the more meaningful!

 

That’s hence, Wordsworth, in his inspiring, call-to-action poem titled, ‘The Tables Turned’, asks of his readers to abandon “barren” books and study the natural world! He believes that, nature possesses such immense wisdom, acting as a guide, a nurse, and a guardian that could teach more about humanity and morality than books or formal education can ever do!

 

Come forth into the light of things and let Nature be your teacher,

 

he exhorts us! That’s because Wordsworth firmly believed in the innate spiritual power of nature to teach us and to heal us! This he feels, can help immensely in fostering a great sense of creativity, imagination, and emotional growth in us!

 

I should gladly admit that, Wordsworth’s “words” are indeed “worth” their weight in gold and assume a lot of significance and relevance in today’s context.

 

Also, I’ve been able to experience firsthand this therapeutic power of Nature as Teacher! So every time I pay attention to a bird, a bee or a butterfly, an elephant, a tiger or a bear, I should humbly admit that, I am able to gain invaluable insights and enriching wisdom for an entire life!

 

Well, with this backdrop let’s now go straight into our blogpost!

 

If you were to ask me what my favourite animal is, the majestic tiger will always take the top spot. But the elephant is a very, very close second. What fascinates me most about these two magnificent creatures is how they represent entirely different ways of thriving in the wild! 😊 

On an aside, I would so love to reference a very insightful blogpost done by one of my best students ever – Ms. Shree, who is also the ADO of our College now, on “From a Dog Person to a Cat Person”. 

It was such a deeply insightful blogpost. I can share it later – here – with her consent! 😊 She starts her blogpost by saying that, “Cats are lovely and independent. They don’t belong to anyone”.

 

In like fashion, the tiger is the ultimate individualist! For all ye cat lovers, as ye know, the awe-inspiring tiger is really just a supersized cousin of the great grand feline family! 😊

Yes, the tiger is a solitary hunter who “relies” more on self-reliance! The elephant, on the other hand, is profoundly gregarious. They are the ultimate socialites of the jungle, relying on deep family bonds, communication, and a sense of community to survive! 

 

This beautiful, social nature can be seen in the simple, everyday life of any elephant herd. Quite recently, I had the blessed chance of witnessing a sequence of an elephant family having their quiet family time in the tall grass.

Completely done with his eating!

 

As you can see here, in this first snapshot, the little one is completely done with his eating. You can almost see for yourself the exact microsecond the drowsiness hits him! The baby’s trunk (I was told by our accompanying naturalist, that the baby elephant is just two weeks old), goes weary, and he starts to sink into the grass! 

Contemplating: To Sleep or Not to Sleep!!!?

 

In the second photo, the baby looks like, it’s contemplating the good ol’ Hamletian double bind - To sleep, or not to sleep? 😊

 

Added, the temptation of the soft, green grass bed is just too much to resist.

The temptation of the green grass bed is too good to resist!

 

Now the dilemma or the double bind is over! In the third photo, the lullaby has had its effect! The nap-mode takes over!

Sleep Mode Activated Full-Time! :-)

 

And... in the fourth snap, we have a lovely snorer of sorts! 😊

 

The baby is, as you can see here, now fast asleep and lost in his dreams!

 

But the most beautiful part of this scene isn’t just the sleeping baby - it’s the elders around him! – hope you noticed how they both stand tall, ears alert, and trunks ready!

 

This peaceful scene indeed taught me more than I could ever imagine!

 

Both the elephants, here, believes in sharing the burden of raising their young ones. Both mom and dad (and often aunts, sisters, and grandmothers) stand together as a united front, keeping a silent, loving watch over their little ones.

 

However, that’s not the case with a tiger mother, who – although she is fiercely protective of her cubs -  she bears that burden entirely alone. She is a single guardian in a vast forest!

 

It is a powerful reminder that while the the deep, communal bonds of the elephant commands our respect, the fierce individualism of the tiger captures our hearts!

 

One lovely lesson I garnered from this snapshot I had taken, is that, whether you are fiercely independent like a tiger or thrive in a close-knit group like an elephant – cheer up!

 

You’re on the right track!

 

There are moments in life where you need to be in a close-knit group like an elephant’s, to need your dose of encouragement, love and support! But that’s a minimal 1 or 2% of our lives.

 

At the same time, there are times in life, when intentional solitude helps us sky-high – sometimes even to a whopping 99%!

 

While humans are inherently social creatures (like the elephant), leaning entirely on the “herd” can sometimes cause us to lose our individual identity! On the other hand, embracing the spirit of the tiger in us, offers us invaluable, powerful lessons for our own lives.

 

At this juncture, allow me dear reader, to bring in Soren Kierkegaard, the famed Danish philosopher, who famously wrote that, “The crowd is untruth!”.

 

To Kierkegaard, when we surrender our individuality to a group, we lose our personal accountability, our moral courage, and ultimately, our authentic selves. The crowd provides comfort, but it demands conformity in return!

 

Looking at this lovely scene through Kierkegaard’s lens, the contrast between the tiger and the elephant takes on a much deeper, existential meaning then!

 

A tiger does not view being alone as a weakness or a source of loneliness; solitude is its natural state of power. In our modern, hyper-connected world, we are constantly surrounded by noise, opinions, and the constant demands of our “herds” of all hues!

 

That’s why channelling the tiger in us helps us lots! It means we learn to value our solitude. Spending time alone allows us to recharge, process our thoughts without external influence, and discover who we really are!

 

When a tiger hunts, it cannot rely on the herd! It must obviously trust in its own instincts, and its own strength. In our lives too, there are moments when the support of our “herd” may not be quite enough to carry us through a challenge! That’s where we go ahead confidently with the gut feeling within!

 

Added, a tiger knows exactly what its territory is, and it defends those borders fiercely. Very often, we might struggle with saying “no” or letting others encroach on our time, energy, and peace of mind. The highly independent tiger reminds us that it is healthy - and very important for us - to establish strong personal boundaries and protect our emotional territory all the time!

 

So now for the takeaway – 

Ultimately, then, the most fulfilling human life requires us to strike a balance – to embrace both of our favourite animals. We need the elephant within us to build our relationships, nurture our friendships, and create a safety net for those we love. 

But... at the same time, we absolutely need the tiger within us to maintain our individuality, stand on our own two feet, and walk our own unique path with confidence.

 

With Donne - and let me requote him – 

 

We in us find the elephant and the tiger!

 

So yes! give space for the elephant in you to help you grow, but remember to allow the tiger in you to make you bloom and to bear fruit!  

 

You may want to tune in for some boomer-time with this blogger, for some of the concepts discussed by Heidegger and Kierkegaard on ‘crowd’ism and ‘individual’ism, on the Queen Mary’s College Vlog HERE.  

 

PS: All photos © this blogger’s. However, please feel free to use it, even without acknowledgement! 😊

Reclaiming Childhood Wonder by Cultivating a Sense of Curiosity & Humour! ❤️

Living Life with a “Wow!”

#intothewildwithrufus

Watching monkeys in action especially when we are in the forests, is real, unbridled joy!

Sometimes it’s like watching a childhood version of ourselves as well, especially when you see a monkey trick and you exclaim, “Wait... I used to do that too”. 😊

In fact, the sight of these little monkeys defying gravity, and giving us that innocent look, speaks volumes to their expressive nature!

Now coming back to the first set of photos - 

It was indeed a huge tree, and each of these Bonnet Macaque monkeys were busy trying out their gravity-defying stunts, by trying their hands at climbing the tree in such fast pace! 

In the next set of photos, you can see a beautiful bevy of the bonnet macaques lounging in a hot tin roof for their afternoon. They were indeed indulging themselves in their routinated intensive grooming activity I guess!

However, the real cherry on top of the cake was the baby of the family who was entirely unsupervised!

While the adults were busy picking bugs out of each other’s fur, the baby of the family was quietly crawling away towards the edge of the roof!

Well, to be honest, I was so reminded of my own childhood days, 😊 when, like this little monkey, we as the kids in the family always knew exactly when the adults were distracted, to quietly sneak away for a game of cricket or a game of chess with my neighbourhood pals!

Again, I’ve always noticed this trait in children! it’s always the children in the family who have that extra load of curiosity writ large on them!

However, quite sadly, as they grow up, they lose sight of this innate sense of curiosity within them!

One reason I’ve always told my students this in class – always!

On the two things they should always cultivate in life –

1) A sense of curiosity 2) A sense of humour.

Many problems in life can be solved if you have a sense of curiosity and a sense of humour on you. I call it the ‘How’ and the ‘Wow’ factor!

For example, a student comes to me for a discussion! My first impression when I meet them would be, ‘Wow! I’m going to have a rewarding talk with my student!’

Then I ask them, ‘How’ do you do?  ‘How’ is everything?

That makes me really tune my ears with all eagerness to what they have to say!

When a colleague comes to me with an issue, I approach it like, ‘Woww! I’ve got something to solve, today!’

The ‘Woww’ at the beginning of a day, at the beginning of a conversation, or at the beginning of a lecture, would sure help us tune full-throttle to the subject with high-octane intentionality!

Intentionality? Yes! Please look up Brentano and Husserl for a lovely explanation on this term!

To conclude,

Why-o-why do the children lose sight of this sense of curiosity as they grow up?

Wordsworth has an unrivalled poetic answer to this age-old question, in his ‘Immortality Ode’.

Says he –

Shades of the prison-house begin to close

Upon the growing Boy,

But he beholds the light, and whence it flows,

He sees it in his joy;

The Youth, who daily farther from the east

Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,

And by the vision splendid

Is on his way attended;

At length the Man perceives it die away,

And fade into the light of common day.

 

Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own;

Yearnings she hath in her own natural kind,

And, even with something of a Mother's mind,

And no unworthy aim,

The homely Nurse doth all she can

To make her Foster-child, her Inmate Man,

Forget the glories he hath known,

And that imperial palace whence he came.

Indeed, childhood is the time for anyone to explore and to innovate!

At the same time, sustaining this sense of curiosity into our adulthood, helps us to also sustain this ‘child-like’ nature in us for longgg!

So let’s start our day, every day, with the ‘How’ and the ‘Wow!’

Shall we? 😊

What Elephants Teach Us on Mindfulness 💚

A Gentle Giant’s Lesson to Humankind on Mindfulness

#intothewildwithrufus #birding #wilding

There are memorable moments in nature that make you stop, catch your breath, and completely re-evaluate the way you see the world.

Today was one such memorable day, when we saw first-hand, a cute and lovely elephant offering us all a memorable lesson in mindfulness.

We were moving through the quiet, dense forest in our safari jeep, ardently looking out for possible sightings, when, to our surprise we saw a magnificent elephant emerging gracefully from the shadows of the thicket on to the road in front of us.

But wait! it isn’t just the sight of this gentle giant that is so moving; it is where and how it chose to cross the road.

As I’ve captured in the photograph, the elephant didn’t just emerge at a random, blind curve. It stepped onto the road precisely at the place where the speed breaker was, right next to the warning sign, crossing with a calm, deliberate grace.

This sight so moved me to bits today!

A wild animal understanding the safest place to cross a human highway is indeed something that is quite awe-inspiring, by all means! 

And elephants are said to be some of the most incredibly intelligent creatures with deep, generational memories and survival instincts. While this majestic animal might not have read the traffic sign, I personally feel that, it certainly understands the rhythm of its environment. It could have observed where the loud, fast-moving, loud-honking vehicles are forced to slow down, and it has then recognised the safest place to step out of the sanctuary of the trees!

Interestingly, there is yet another poignant reality here! Probably the speed breaker was almost certainly built in that exact spot because this is an ancient elephant corridor! In all probability yes! And so, hats off to the forest dept for so thoughtfully erecting this speed breaker at the right place!

Long before this “road”way was laid, and the signs were erected, this “path”way originally belonged to the forest, and to all the animals dwelling therein.

And on that vein, this elephant’s graceful crossing asks something very simple yet vital of us! Respect!

Whenever we see signs warning of a speed bump or animal crossing in these forested areas, it is not just a suggestion for our vehicles to slow down…

It is also a fervent plea to be a “mindful guest” in someone else’s home!

PS: You may want to watch a YouTube shorts that I had posted almost year ago, on a herd of deer crossing one such forest road, and people gracefully making way for them, HERE

The Streak-throated Woodpecker (Female)

The Streak-throated Woodpecker (Female)

The Streak-throated Woodpecker (Female)

The Streak-throated Woodpecker (Male)

The Streak-throated Woodpecker (Female)

#intothewildwithrufus

The presence of the Streak-throated Woodpecker is a wonderful indicator of a healthy, pesticide-free environment!

Why Our Trash is Their Tragedy! 💚

A Tale of Two Birds and A Diet of Debris

#intothewildwithrufus #birding #pollution

Today started as a peaceful walk through the forest, and the woods were alive to the sounds of the birds, the cicadas, the crickets and what not! 😊

And we were quite lost in our bird watching spree, when the natural tranquillity of the serene forest was abruptly interrupted by an unnatural flash of blue!

As we inched closer, we realised it was a discarded little strip from a plastic bag.

What happened next, however, turned a simple piece of litter into a heartbreaking scene. We watched in dismay as a Jungle Myna and a beautifully crested Brahminy Starling - approached the debris, and tried to explore it.

The sad thing here is that, they weren’t just curious! they were actively pecking, tearing, and attempting to eat away the plastic. As you can see in the photos from today’s walk, the birds struggled with the unnatural material, treating it just like their daily foraging for food.

This sight proved a stark environmental crisis of alarming proportions. Seeing this happen right in front of us, in an environment where you hope nature remains largely untouched, was a powerful wake-up call.

To humans, a blue plastic bag is clearly trash. And we deal with it as trash! However, to a foraging bird, it’s a different story altogether. Birds are naturally curious and often sample things in their environment.

And when birds ingest this poisonous plastic, the consequences are severe and often fatal. The material stays in their digestive tract. Over time, the plastic accumulates, filling their small stomachs and giving them a false sense of fullness. Tragically, many birds simply starve to death with a stomach entirely full of trash, as they stop foraging for actual nutrients.

That single, discarded piece of blue plastic we spotted today could have easily been a death sentence for the Myna or the Starling.

Our waste doesn’t just disappear when it blows away; it ends up in the habitats of our precious feathered friends, and, unfortunately, in their diets as well!

Let this be a wake-up call and a gentle reminder for all of us!

Never leave trash in nature!

And just in case you happen to see litter on a trail, safely pick it up, even if it isn’t yours.

As much as possible, try to stop using single-use plastics!

As eminent critic Scupin Richards points out, 

Nature is resilient! But… it shouldn’t have to digest our mistakes!!! 

Today's lovely Birding Delights 💚

 #intothewildwithrufus #birding