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blue---rose · 4 years

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Four Years and Counting

Title: Four Years and Counting Rating: M Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura

Warnings: Adult Content

Summary: He spent a lifetime doing it to others... so he knew when he was being ignored. And right now, she was doing just that.

'Happy Anniversary, Tsuma.'

(8/27/20 Update): Slight re-write and also beta-read

He mumbled something to her, his voice low despite the intimate seclusion they found themselves in. She wasn't listening to reason and he began to doubt himself; maybe he wasn't using his words properly. Maybe his comment had been murmured too low, and she'd missed it and didn't catch it at all. But he had spent a lifetime ignoring others... so he knew when he was being ignored himself. And right now, she was doing just that.

They were veiled in the canopy of a giant tree... one of many that made up the forest surrounding Minzutia Village.

This particular one was hidden deep in the lush umbrage, with stocky branches spanning meters in some areas, and far away from the main footpaths and trails. Thick enough that you became invisible to unsuspecting people below... if they bothered to look up that high at all. Sasuke performed chakra sweeps multiple times, but the only company thus far had been a bear and her cubs passing the broad root below.

The idea had been to visit the forest where they'd shared their very first kiss.

Traveling home ahead of schedule afforded them a rare opportunity for leisure and found them returning by a different route. The selected path was more scenic, a trail breaking away from the mountains before winding through a valley of wildflowers.

It really was an awe-inspiring scene that should have been captured in a painting. Rainbow colored petals trembled in the breeze as a sea of emerald dyed stems held strong in the dirt. A lovely sight, even though the blooms weren't native to the land.

He remembered the stories that were first told to them years ago when they first passed by. Rumors regarding the flower's existence generally circled around a fabled Warlord from the East. The townsfolk spoke the tale of how he'd planted a large cluster of them in an empty field, all for the affections of a village maiden. The blooms were from his home and marked the spot for their secret rendezvous.

The original seeded crop spread beyond its marked placement in the field and soon stretched as far as the eye could see. It was an invasive species by definition but it only replaced the straw-colored grass that had been there before.

The story was probably nothing more than a fairytale told to little girls and tourists. However, its beauty could not be contested. And Sasuke was fortunate enough to now have a clear mind and appreciate such wonders with a valued partner by his side.

Sakura's hand rose to her tinted lips, an angelic grin peeking through her slender fingers. Her reaction was pure when taking in the lovely sight. Its beauty was undeniably real... even the second time around.

Trekking to the neighboring village, they stopped to find lodging, checking in and leaving a few belongings. Barely an hour later they were off again, setting off back towards the valley in the fading light. Her hand clutched his bicep tight as he led her down a steep incline and detoured off the old, wearied footpath. A few giggles escaped her as they approached the treeline. Sasuke linked his fingers with hers, ignoring the prancing deer that scattered away as they drew near.

It all made her so very happy, and the fact he remembered the location brought a smile to her face. They couldn't find the exact tree, but neither of them cared and together they'd picked a colossal sized one that towered over an open gorge.

The timbers' massive height offered spectacular views of the valley off to the west and the clear sky above. It was more than enough for them and provided a mellow space to bask in.

And they did. At least in the beginning.

What they were involved in now… well…

This wasn't in the original plan when he'd come up with the idea to share a light snack of rice balls and tea.

Everything started off innocently enough. Both leaf shinobi nibbled on the treats they'd brought, enjoying each other's company. Sasuke reclined against the trunk, one leg stretched in front while the other bent at the knee. Completely relaxed, despite being several stories high in the foliage — as if they'd always belonged there.

Sakura sat perched near his feet on the wide branch. Her legs curled beneath her as she kept her eyes to the sky, taking in the natural wonders around them with a child-like sincerity.

And with a mindset much clearer than in years past, Sasuke thought it was near impossible to blame her. Simple pleasures could be so fleeting, for individuals like them.

Swallowing a piece of morsel Sasuke watched a familiar constellation fade into view while admiring the beautiful pink, purple and orange colors that swirled in the sky above their heads. Stars began to twinkle through the sunset when a slight movement in his peripheral vision caused him to tilt his head.

Just in time to lock eyes with her.

Sakura turned away, cutting off the hooded look and biting the corner of her smile. She returned to observing the shimmer of stars, ignoring his raised brow.

He was curious, wondering just what she could be up to, although it didn't take long before a few more were cast his way. Sasuke could feel the warmth as each one traced his profile under the painted, twinkling sky.

Drawing closer, the charged atmosphere simmered to new heights when Sakura decided to move. The confident nymph invaded his personal space but he didn't hold her at fault. In fact, he stayed put and allowed her to press against his side.

Heated glances turned into knowing touches as her hand reached for his own.

The other cupped his wrist and forearm, trailing roughened fingertips back and forth — pushing the black sleeve of his thermal higher with each pass. He followed the motion from the corner of his eyes, feeling the tip of her cool nose nuzzle into his neck.

She was one of the only beings in existence who'd ever get the chance to be that close, to such a vulnerable place.

Face softening at the tender enthusiasm, the warrior felt the first stirring of warmth spreading low. Soft pink trees rubbed his chin when she cuddled closer. Sakura's breath ghosted across his neck and his heart ticked strongly against her wandering hand.

Soon, those touches grew bolder and became melting kisses. Sultry ones that shattered his brain and dissolved his sensibilities. And aware of her petite stature compared to his own, Sasuke craned his neck to meet the first kiss, the pair slipping their eyes closed.

And Sakura was so happy that he'd do anything to continue that feeling for her. Pressed together as intimately as they were, he was drawn to her and savored the closeness... although somewhat confused. How or why did the flames spark so quickly between them? But even that faded away.

The innocent kiss they had first shared years ago was nothing like the delectable one that entwined them now.

Perceptive little thing that she was, she must have felt something in the air.

Maybe it was an expression on his face. Or the crease in his brow that had her climbing into his lap. His eyes lowered the same as his knee; movements sluggish under her brazen notice as she settled in his embrace. The thick cloak she wore was discarded behind her in the midst of their kisses. Sasuke couldn't remember whether he'd helped her out of the heavy cape or not, closing his eyes when the heated lip lock deepened.

Sakura's gloves were next after she huffed in disappointment, wanting to cradle his face without any barriers. They slipped off easily, his thumb hooking into the soft leather of its twin once she removed the first one.

Relaxing against him, her first, leaning grind above his lap made them break away with moans. The slight rutting movement stoked the flames higher in their budding passion. But it wasn't enough, and she reached to bring them closer, smooth lips parting over his own as their bodies twisted together. And the sly nip she gave to his bottom lip was forgiven when her tongue caressed the roof of his mouth.

Sasuke's bated breath was a soundtrack to her tugging on his clothing. Swallowing against the caress, her kisses moved to press against his throat. Each kiss wetter than the first and his body alerted his mind to where this was heading.

That this was tumbling into something more than just a hot makeout session.

And his beautiful accomplice had no reservations about stripping them bare while suspended high in the air — with dusk witnessing their display of romance. The sound of her name slipped past his lips, but she ignored him completely.

Which was how they ended there.

This… this night was supposed to be special, he thought. This whole week was, despite it being on an official mission. It was nothing more than light work. Really a gift — masked as an order from the nosey, but good-natured Hokage. It also happened to be their anniversary of four years. Naruto hadn't known, but his little plan of a mini-vacation for his two best friends just happened to coincide with the date.

And there was a comfortable inn, back in the village where they had already checked-in and should be heading back, right about now. Where they were supposed to spend the night and with a well made cushy bed…

However, she had other plans.

It rekindled a particular need just under the surface. A practiced fixation he always seemed to get. To slow them down... and take their time. Nevertheless, she was making it utterly impossible. And what little strength he had left was fading fast.

Sakura's bangs and the long strands of hair that framed his face rustled with a slight gust of wind. The cool bit of air couldn't break the humid connection and she licked her lips, running a thumb across the back of his — their hands linked.

He was tempted to say something more but couldn't tear his eyes away. She seized the unspoken words away, along with any pride because he was beholden to return every kiss of hers until the end of his days.

They were lured to each other, gazes strong and pointed, and absolute lightning underneath the dark blue sky. Hesitation was replaced with vibrant greed as the air stirred between them. It was heightened, every harsh breath increasing the fire in their bellies. All three syllables of her name rolled off his tongue when they broke apart.

"Sakura-"

"I'm ready Sasuke-kun, I promise. See?"

In the approaching dimness, she guided his hand to the shadows between them.

Their breathing patterns changed, one speeding up in fragile anticipation, the other slowing down in a pulsating attempt to gain control.

Interweaved digits lowered together. Down her parted tunic, skimming over the clingy fabric of her shorts. Still, it was by his will alone that his long fingers slipped beneath. Her much smaller ones held onto his wrist, feeling the tendons move under the pads of her fingers when he ventured further. He welcomed the smooth silkiness as he touched her bare folds, aching slow as he nudged a finger inside her heated depths. She was so wet for him and felt like heaven against his adventurous hand. A pulse from his nether regions answered the moan that came from her throat.

Night languidly crept upon their oasis as he worked another finger inside of her. Even through the glistening excitement, she was still so tight against the seeking digits. Sasuke's kisses became devouring as he tried to prepare her, thick fingers gentle but adamant in their quest to pull her down into a hazy abyss.

One he frequently visited himself, whenever they were like this.

It reminded him that his original approach involved the heated bath in their suite. But even with the change of location, this encounter would be no less special, no different.

Sasuke made to remove his fingers but her own curled tighter around his wrist to pressure him into giving her more. Sakura's hips moved as she moaned, tilting her face towards the sky. Mixed eyes peered at her silhouette, watching the sexiest lip bite he'd ever seen as her other hand curled around his neck. There was no hiding the blush that spread across her face, clear in the dimming natural light. A demure shade that colored her cheeks with every triumphant rock of her derrière.

Rarely, and only in the protection of moments like this, did Sasuke experience the dull ache of missing his other limb. He wanted nothing more than to continue to play below, while simultaneously running his fingers through her grown-out locks, clinging to hold her close. Maybe then he'd be able to halt her from breaking away from their heated lip lock when he wasn't finished tasting her.

Sakura was out of breath, yet urged him on with a rocking motion, feeling the deliberate bulge hardening more under her backside.

Sasuke smiled except Sakura missed it completely, her beautiful lashes framing her closing eyes as her body tensed and shivered. It was such a little thing, barely a smirk on his lips as he nuzzled the tip of her ear in wordless affection. Moving down, he ran his tongue across her damp skin, scorching heat blazing an invisible trail across her neck, tasting the patch of freckles he'd long since discovered throughout the intimate times they spent together.

He felt every gulp of air she took as her hands began to fumble with his belt and the hidden latch in his pants. His hand reluctantly leaves her warmth, tracing eager, slick fingers to curl into the waistband of her shorts to aid with the newest progression. Quickly understanding where this was headed, he gave in with languorous, movements of his own and lent a helping hand.

Sakura abandoned her quest in stripping him, instead bending and twisting to remove her clothes as his lone hand lent assistance. The soft rustling of fabric reached his ears as more of her was bared to him.

"If you drop my panties, I'll be really upset, Sasuke-kun."

She'd undressed from the waist down and placed her shorts safely beside her pack, sitting near his outstretched feet before also putting away the flimsy, violet fabric he'd managed to confiscate when helping her with the other article of clothing. He may only have one hand... but he was quicker than a master thief when prompted. So much so, she often questioned his chosen profession in life.

But the only thing Sakura could think to steal herself was his undivided attention. She settled on his lap again, returning to her paused task of undressing him. The guards wrapped around her knees protected her from the rough bark as she rested across his strong thighs and wrestled with the dark clothing.

The silver metal in her headband caught the last glimmer of light as Sakura fumbled. Pulling and tugging she unzipped the coarse material and pulled his pants open as wide as they would go.

He conceded to her seeking digits, her small but raspy palm pulling his tunic and shirt beneath, up and over the clenching muscles of his abdomen exposing him to the appearing crescent moon above.

Sasuke's neck heated under her watchful hunger, ribs expanding as she took in the hard lines of her life mate. There was some shared embarrassment on his choice of going commando, but he faltered with the need to touch the soft skin so close to his own. His hand rose to cup her cheek, eyes as unveiled as his flesh and he could only hope that she saw the raw emotions bared to her in that gaze.

There would never be the right words to express how much she meant to him. How their little family and the life they created together would always bring him peace. He'd become so accustomed to her sheltered affection, something that could soothe away any anxiety. He was constantly humbled by her chosen role as wife and mother.

His heart thundered as her hands trailed down, and his moan rasped past his ears with the first curling touch. Back hunched, he seized her lips again with his hot mouth. His hand tangled in her luminous mane, muscles clenching when he felt the bangles on her wrist strike his skin on every downward stroke. There was no point in asking or dictating how she handled him in her sure grip. Sasuke had no say in the matter so he sought to sip from her lips instead, careful of teeth with his burning kisses.

There were reasons why this should have been a bad recommendation, but none came to mind as easy as they had before. Their tasks were complete and they'd been nothing but professional and productive in the quest. They were technically on their way home. And the emerging feeling that maybe this was ok had taken root in his brain.

And... just, what was he mulling over, anyways?

Sasuke's hips jumped when Sakura pinched the tip, her fingers slippery with his own lust. Her practiced thumb made him jerk in her grasp yet it was her voice that sighed out his name.

They were known to always be in tune with each other and he could feel her desire in waves as she moved closer, aligning him to where he needed to be most in this world.

He was frustratingly hard, and another patch of skin flushed on his abdomen. Broad thickness jumped against her slit, eager to revisit that saturated heat he knew so well.

Sakura stood high on her knees, her calves flexing with her shifting weight and his hand reached down to support with the task. The spongy tip was enclosed by her damp folds with the insistent pressing, and their moans echoed around them softly. His kisses became consuming and he refused to release her mouth until he was at least halfway inside.

Sakura took as much of him in one pass as she could, fingers sticking to his shoulder. He still had on most of his clothes but it wasn't so bad when her hand found a good grasp. She felt the tantalizing stretch down to her core and she grappled for a pleasing angle. He wanted to navigate the depth but she adjusted with a tremor, her other hand canvassing over his dark trail. She couldn't have him as she wanted, fully on his back... but this was just fine and she pushed him to recline against the trunk a little more when she bottomed out.

The tight fit pulled a hiss through his teeth, her soft backside grinding against the rugged material of his pants. His tomoes' lazy circulation captured her expressions when his blood limit sparked to life. It cast a crimson-like haze over her, granting him improved vision in the low light. And she was a sight to see. With the soft halo of her hair spilled around her headband, Sakura practically glowed in the moonlight.

Sasuke took hold of as much of her curves as he could in a feverish grapple. Landing somewhere near her hip they were finally able to reach a fair rhythm while his fingers molded to her rear.

A crisp gust of wind tickled the fine hairs on Sakura's forearm, but the beads of sweat on her brow stubbornly clung to the outer arch. There was an afterthought of shrugging off the rest of her top but that meant giving up the stride that made her husband jockey his hips into her own.

Selfish... mindless moments could not be taken for granted and she hurried them along, purring with every pulsing drag. The brisk rhythm was getting to them both and she knew the end was drawing near.

Sakura genuinely appreciated his wanting something a tad softer, but she couldn't go another night without having him in her arms. It had only been a few weeks, but her inner cried out that it felt like a lifetime since they'd been together like this, and she missed her Anata with a pulsing quiver between her thighs. It wasn't shameful because they were married and had a family together, and he was hers... and she was his. And was this not the pleasant side of commitment and matrimony?

She could barely see anything past the contour of their bodies, but she trusted Sasuke as he helped guide their movements far above the ground. His perceptive leer drifted from their connection below to her eyes, and she was ushered faster to her limit.

Increasing the force of his thrusts, he climbed right behind her. The insistent swaying was trapping them both and her sweet voice coached them along. There never was much to say in times like this but she felt determined to tell him how close she was now. He would take it personally, make it his prideful mission to see her over that threshold. Even if she wanted to pull him over before her. He persisted with assertive jabs.

"Sasuke!"

The suffix was missing, and she didn't bother to cry out her other endearment either. Her mind was frozen in the whims of her completion, caught up in a complex swirl of trembles and lights. A few delicate presses of her fingers got her there in record time. Though even at the peak of her high, she wanted to experience his own, too. So she selfishly picked up her tempo and ignored the heightened sensations as her eyes slanted, catching his flashing orbs.

His mouth watered to taste her skin again but was distracted by the heavy bounce and quaking grip circling him. His head snapped back against the bark and he winced when the throbbing down below signaled just how close he was. He'd survived the rippling waves of her orgasm but had reached his own limit, his hand clinging to the back of her top.

Whatever unassuming pace they'd hoped to reestablish was lost in his forceful hold.

Sasuke's legs repositioned for better leverage using his heels, pushing towards something greater. Hard and rigid in her suckling cove, his lips parted slightly as he chased his own finale. His emotions were slipping through and he embraced the freedom of letting go. Knowing the foundation of their love would always allow him to be his most vulnerable around her.

And he could tease himself and hold off but the approaching crest had his nudging head striking her deep inside.

He came undone in three quick thrusts, his roguish good looks twisting in pleasure before he pulled her against him. His moans slurred against her neck as he continued to come.

She held onto his hair, arching her back as much as he would allow, her other hand trying to steady them. She braced herself against the teeth jittering springs, leaning back to clutch his leg.

Languid pulsing, furrowed deep with each upward move... Sasuke bit his lip as his groans tapered off. Face still hidden against her skin, his hearing returned properly to the sound of crickets and a few distant owls. Slumping in the aftermath, he gently rearranged them so her face was against his throat now. Deactivating the Sharingan swallowed them in darkness but his arm cradled her with ease, their hearts drumming. He would command them again to assist when they departed. In the meantime, there were a few minutes to spare before they had to move.

Sakura used the time to kiss I love you's against a hint of stubble below his jaw, giggling when his palm came down in a sudden vise against her backside. It restricted her sneaky movements while he was still clasped inside, conscious of every touch.

Leave it up to her, and they wouldn't leave the tree until the first morning light. His palm moved to cup her hip, giving a small teasing pinch but decided against anything further when she gave him a wet kiss on his neck.

She would look at that as an open invitation.

They must have looked absolutely wrecked. He thought there was no way they could walk through the front doors to the inn when they returned. And... was it still considered breaking and entering if you snuck through the window? The room was paid for, after all…

With a smirk, Sasuke's lips found the diamond seal behind her bangs with a small kiss, feeling her relax fully in his protective embrace.

Happy Anniversary, Tsuma.

✧･ﾟ* : *ﾟ･✧

💙💙💙 (づ ͡° ³ ͡°)づ . Thank you for reading :) And a huge thanks to my beta CherryBerry12.

A03

FF.net

#sasusaku #sakusasu #ssfanfiction #ssfic #could not get the sekibeing drawing out of my head #poor sasuke wanted to slow things down but...

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dzamie · 5 years

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I watched the live action Jungle Book! I’d say it was disappointing, but I set appropriate expectations going in. So, imma get into it:

So, the good parts first, in no particular order:

I really like Kaa’s hypnosis effect. The Disney animated movie’s swirling colors always looked really, really goofy to me, but the live-action’s waves of light and dark were very well done and legit alluring.

There are a lot of little jokes here and there that I feel were written in case they wanted to use them in a commercial. “You have never been a more endangered species than you are at this moment” is actually pretty darn funny.

The bodies moved well. King Louie was really the only animal I thought was straining realism too far; the positioning of limbs and torsos and stuff was pretty spot-on. Tails were a bit wonky, but you have to be looking for something like that, as someone with a slight tail fetish might.

This is definitely unintentional, but Mowgli makes an “oof” sound whenever something bowls into him or he leaps roughly against something. It sounds like the Roblox hurt noise. Tone-breaking, but HILARIOUS.

Having Mowgli seem to fear the bonfire was a nice touch.

As was having the final fight seem to take place at the watering hole, this time during wet season. Far from dry, the exact opposite of the Water Truce occurs - everything is in conflict.

Now, the less pleasant bits.

I mentioned the Water Truce callback was neat? Yeah. What a shame they took multiple minutes to repeat over and over that the Water Truce was that there was a truce around the watering hole. I’m glad they used all that time to explain why it was that Shere Khan wouldn’t attack anyone so he could conveniently see the man-cub. Also to set up the schtick where Mowgli has been Inventing Things because he is a Man.

Elephants are now a religion. I don’t like it, especially because it’s used to set up Mowgli rescuing a baby elephant from a hole, so that Baloo and Bagheera can see that Man Is More Powerful Than God.

The wildebeest herd exists only for shakycam purposes. There really isn’t much reason for Mowgli to not go directly into the river and escape Shere Khan on a log that way.

Oh how they ruined Kaa. I do rather like how she has a more cloying, sweet personality (it’s not better or worse than the animation’s rather goofy fellow, just different), but they whole-ass saw a snake character and thought “hey wouldn’t it be cool if she never wove around him or approached him from different angles? Let’s make sure to never show her for more than 8 seconds at a time, too; we MUST cut between her and Mowgli. There’s simply no way to shoot a scene where they’re both in the shot, talking.”

I hope you like snakeless ScarJo voiceover, because that’s literally half of Kaa’s appearance, from first line to last. It’s great that the man who hurt Shere Khan with fire just happened to be Mowgli’s dad, because I guess it’s not enough that Shere Khan wants to kill all humans in the jungle; he must have a Deep Personal Connection with the man-cub.

I can sort of understand coming out of the hypnotic vision to see Mowgli entirely in her coils, from a “this is Mowgli’s perspective” point of view, but wow it’s really unsatisfying. Look, the animated version had Mowgli slide into pre-coiled snek body, but at least we saw them interact. Kaa is pretty much a static prop here. What a waste of a serpentine character.

For someone who is afraid of heights and doesn’t know Mowgli, Baloo sure is eager to climb a big, tall tree and risk his own life against a giant, hypnotic snake.

Minor note: with all the focus on seeing Kaa from Mowgli’s point of view, Disney sure chickens the fuck out when it’s time to be snake chow. C’mon, you stupid mouse, show us what Kaa looks like inside.

It’s kinda weird that Bagheera and Baloo are so familiar with each other, considering that Mowgli has been in close contact with Bagheera all his life and neither met nor heard of the bear.

Shere Khan is almost comically evil to the wolves. Makes it hard to take his “I’m actually justified in my desire to kill you” thing seriously.

I feel like Disney hasn’t grown out of its “haha imagine SONGS in a CHILDREN’S MOVIE. What a stupid fucking idea” phase. Baloo and Mowgli sing off-tempo and off-key, and King Louie does a weird half-speaking thing that lets you know they want to do a song, but haven’t the slightest clue how to transition into one, and they still want to pretend to be a gritty serious realistic movie with no singing because that’s too silly.

King Louie Is Twenty Five Goddamn Feet Tall Because We Watched King Kong The Other Day

They set Louie up to be a mob boss, calm and composed for like a minute or two, and that goes out the window in no time flat. They try to bring back that structured “I help you you help me bada bing bada boom" thing back in the chase scene, but literally nobody cares what the chaser says in the chase scene. If they did, it wouldn’t be a chase scene.

“No, they don’t fear me, they fear you.” Except clearly they fear you because your MO this entire time has been “let’s kill and threaten animals and see if Mowgli comes back faster.”

Baloo, the laziest bear you ever did see who heard the wolf pledge exactly one (1) time and immediately dismissed it as propaganda, can recite it from heart because Shere Khan needs to be directly confronted with The Power Of Friendship

Can’t be a climax without fire. It’s a good thing that Mowgli can always find a safe path through this raging inferno that’s been burning steadily through the forest for the last few minutes or more.

Mowgli’s entire strategy hinges on many things that could go wrong at any moment:

a) the vines don’t catch on fire as he’s running through the burning forest

b) the vines and branch don’t catch on fire after he suspends them in the air in the middle of a huge forest fire

c) the dead tree, notably made of dead wood, which some may know to be extremely flammable, is not on fire nor does it catch on fire as he’s climbing it

d) Shere Khan follows him onto the branch

e) Shere Khan leaps at him on the fragile branch that Shere Khan seems to notice is weak

f) the vines and branch don’t catch on fire while he’s climbing them in the middle of a huge forest fire

g) he finds a way back out of the woods literally filled with fire

h) Shere Khan even follows him all the way in rather than going “nah the little bitch is gonna burn. Let him.”

i) the animals forgive him for setting the trees ablaze

They let ScarJo sing Trust In Me during the credits. Minor suggestion: don’t.

I choose to interpret Mowgli not seeing what happened with Kaa and Baloo to mean Kaa is still alive, and the monkeys trying to dig Louie out of the ruins to mean that he’s dead. This is entirely because of favoritism.

Compared to the animated version, this movie is much more based around Shere Khan, compared to around Mowgli and the jungle. Rather than “Mowgli won’t be safe here; send him to the Man Village so Shere Khan won’t kill him,” it’s “Mowgli won’t be safe here, but Shere Khan is going to threaten and probably kill us until Mowgli returns anyway, which he surely will because Shere Khan said so.”

They tried to do a grey-morality sort of thing by justifying Shere Khan’s fear of fire and hatred towards Men. But it kind of backfires because Shere Khan keeps being incredibly evil for no particular purpose aside from making his death be a good thing for everyone, and the one crime Mowgli commits (big fire) would not have happened if Shere Khan hadn’t announced his plan to kill the man-cub.

I really miss the allegories to different kinds of philosophies towards society from the animated version. The live-action replaces them with examples of different abusive relationships (Baloo is a manipulative fast-talker, Louie is supposed to be a mob boss, Kaa’s comfort is genuine but overshadowed by a desire to do harm), which is... nice, but not really my cup of tea.

Holy shit there is SO MUCH SHAKYCAM. You can barely see some of the scenes from all the shaking around. “Did we inspire adrenaline in you? Don’t you wanna go fast?” Yes, of course, but what am I doing this about? “...SHAKYCAM!! LOUD NOISES!!” It’s overstayed its welcome.

Realistic CGI animals are actually terrible at emoting.

This felt like yet another action film. Every opportunity they had, they threw in another fight scene or chase scene. You could take most of them out, cut off about 15 minutes from the movie, and still not have removed anything important.

All in all, I’m glad I now have 22 seconds of Kaa saying things. They really shouldn’t have given ScarJo so much coverage in the commercials, though. She’s in the movie for about 4 minutes, and she’s a visible snake for much less. I don’t think I’d pay to see this, and really this just gives me more reason to not watch other Disney live-action remakes.

Shakycam should have died eight years ago. Bring back shot composition.

#text #long post #The Jungle Book #reviews

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toontcwn · 6 years

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Me: brings up the wikipedia on Bagheera so I can learn more for my interpretation of him

Wikipedia:

Born in captivity in the menagerie of the Raja of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, Bagheera begins to plan for his freedom after his mother dies. Once he is mature and strong enough, he breaks the lock on his cage and escapes into the jungle, where his ferocity and cunning nature win him the respect of all its other inhabitants, except for the very incredibly conceited Shere Khan The Tiger. Bagheera reveals all this to Mowgli later. None but Mowgli ever learn that Bagheera once wore a collar and chain, explaining the cat's special insight concerning men. Bagheera's brief description of his imprisonment and escape is this, “I had never seen the jungle. They fed me behind bars from an iron pan till one night I felt that I was Bagheera - the Panther - and no man's plaything, and I broke the silly lock with one blow of my paw and came away; and because I had learned the ways of men, I became more terrible in the jungle than Shere Khan.” Because he had learned the ways of men, he was also more loving to the abandoned human child who came to be under his care and protection.

When Father Wolf and Mother Wolf of the Seeonee (Seoni) wolf pack adopt the human "cub" Mowgli and the pack demands that the new cub should be spoken for, Bagheera buys Mowgli's life with a freshly killed bull and helps to raise him as one of the pack. Because his life has been bought by a bull, Mowgli is forbidden to eat cattle (coincidentally, just as the Hindu villagers of the region are also forbidden). Bagheera will frequently remind Mowgli of this debt by swearing an oath referencing his own previous captivity. As Bagheera swears, "By the broken lock that freed me," so Mowgli answers back "By the bull that bought me."

At one point, during one of Mowgli's many lessons in the Laws of the Jungle under the tutelage of Baloo the Bear, Bagheera says “I am more likely to give help than to ask it," as Mowgli learns the many sacred words needed to call on the assistance of all kinds of species of animals living in the jungle. Bagheera, having freed himself from the captivity of humans, is a proud animal aware of his own abilities and ferocity among the other animals of the jungle, though he acknowledges Mowgli's growing power over each of them as the boy grows older. Bagheera shows Mowgli that none of the animals may stare into his eyes, even those who love him.

Bagheera shares in many of Mowgli's adventures as he grows, but eventually the time comes when the man-cub becomes a man and has to return to human society. Bagheera frees Mowgli of his debt to the wolf pack by killing another bull, and Mowgli returns to his adopted human mother Messua.

Bagheera is one of Mowgli's mentors and best friends. He, Baloo and Kaa sing for Mowgli "The Outsong" of the jungle. He also calls out to Mowgli in farewell, "Remember, Bagheera loved thee... Remember, Bagheera loved thee."

Me:

#'OOC; Bonafide Duck Mom #‘Bagheera; Musings’#Long Post

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sidon-reader-support · 7 years

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Sidon with a s/o who is bigger than he is? (Just had a funny thought about it XD )

(This is a really good idea but this could go so many ways that I couldn’t decide which to do so I just compiled a list of all the different scenarios that could happen~ Enjoy!~)

S/o Is Bigger?:

Warnings: Fluff

S/o Is A Gerudo

- The tallest person, that I know of for certain, is the Gerudo woman, Deltan, who was crying in town because she got rejected by someone she admired since she was 8 foot tall which means that they can grow to get very very tall

- And I’m certain from all past experience with Ganon being the beast of a man that he is in previous games that the males can grow even tall

- So with my headcanon that Sidon is about 10 feet tall at least, I’m certain that a Gerudo could definitely reach that height or a little taller in that case

- Therefore a Gerudo S/o would be one of the simplest ideas for a partner that could be taller than Sidon, something that would be very surprising to the Zora considering how he is the tallest person in his Kingdom aside from King Dorephan

- Sidon would be on a political visit to Gerudo Village to have an important discussion with Chief Riju, accompanied by Muzu and two Zora Guards

- Though the guards would have to wait outside the village considering how the Gerudo Village is women only and they are already making big exceptions in order for this meeting to take place

- Both would have an enchantment placed upon them that keep their scales from getting dried out in the hot sun for a couple of hours and he would see you selling Gerudo jewelry in the market

- He would approach you more interested in what it is that you are selling at first because it would be the first time that he has ever been this far away from his domain and he is so curious to see how other towns and villages operate

- You would greet him from your place on the floor and likely engage in some playful banter as neither one of you has seen much of the other species so you want to get to know each other more

- Much to the discretion of Muzu, who has to remind the Zora that they are on a tight schedule to their enchantment’s limited time

- You would stand up from your place and stun both men by your large stature and offer to personally lead the two to the Chief’s palace

- Sidon would be so taken aback that it would take him a moment to register that you had even said anything, he is just so fascinated and a little intimidated to find somebody that he actually has to look up in order to meet eyes with

- It is such a foreign but pleasantly surprising feeling that makes him a little giddy especially since it is not someone from his kingdom

- Eventually he would manage a polite response, though he would worry about you leaving your stand unattended, to which you would wave off his concerns and then happily guide him to the palace pointing out some of the stands and people

- Sidon is so impressed by your extensive knowledge of the village and all of its people that by the end of the quick tour he asks if perhaps you can give him a more in depth tour the next time that he comes to visit

- You say it’s a promise and laugh as Sidon has to be told by Muzu to get moving towards the stairs before he moves away from you

- When the meeting is over Sidon looks around for you but he can’t stay long due to the enchantment starting to wear off so he can only manage a wave in your direction, one that you return with a bright smile that makes the Zora eager to return

S/o Is A Lynel

- I’m not completely certain if Lynel are actually sentient, or if they are capable of speaking english, or if females actually also exist in the canon universe and it’s not just males

- But with the power of my wishful thinking and personal headcanons I’m gonna say that most of the above are true and they just reallllllly don’t like other people

- So in super treacherous locations spread throughout the land of Hylia there are very small groups of Lynel with one male that guards the area and 3-4 females as well as a few kids (much like a pride. You know… because they are part lion..?~)

- They interact with each other much like any pride through their language of grunting and growling, the females taking care of the cubs (Foals? Coals?) and doing most of the hunting while the male guards the area and keeps away any and all trespassers

- Sidon meeting a Lynel would be a very very very rare occurrence since they are frequent users of shock arrows which, you know, could kill him instantly

- Anyways meeting with a male would be easy considering that they are the ones that tend to stay out in the open

- But meeting a female would be a lot harder since they are slightly smaller, stealthier, and don’t roam around Hylia as freely as their male counterparts do (Both are definitely much taller than Sidon regardless)

- So the best way I can imagine that Sidon would ever meet a Lynel (male or female) was if he heard that one was lingering in the forest and when he went out to investigate armed with his bow and arrows he finds you lying in a dense part of the woods fatally wounded

- Curiosity would quickly overtake his alertness though he would remain cautious as he approached you wondering what could’ve possibly caused such brutal harm to such a gigantic and powerful creature

- A growl of forewarning would emit from you when he got to close, your eyes locked on his weapons steeling yourself for a fight but both of you know that you are not in any state to actually do any sort of fighting which sort of puts the Zora at ease

- Lynels are capable of great power and destruction but you are, for the lack of a better word, helpless and it is apparent in the way you look at the Zora’s weapons with fearful acceptance like you are embracing this fate that has fallen upon you

- Sidon would lower his guard and holster the weapon because he knows that you can’t and won’t do anything to him, you’re too weak and tired from the blood loss

- He would leave but the next day he would come back to find you looking worse but this time along with his bow and quiver he has brought some bandages and healing salve

- Like a cornered animal you would snap at him like you did yesterday, growling but it is so pitifully weak that Sidon does not feel intimidated however he would remove his weapons before getting any closer as a way to gain your trust

- Many visits to you later with more medicine and food and you would come to trust him and learn how to talk some English instead of just grunting at him

- Once you return to near full health you would elect rather to stay close to the Kingdom than leave the small strange person who took care of you so you linger in the forest awaiting his next visit

Sidon Shrunk

- By the power of twisted magic from a Wizzrobe or some strange potion Sidon would be shrunk down from his usual towering stature

- So now both of you are stuck with a six inch tall Zora that you must take care of since he certainly isn’t in any condition to go anywhere by himself

- Which means that Sidon would be out of commission and unable to attend to any of his usual duties because he is confined to the palace

- He certainly doesn’t mind you accompanying him everywhere but he does not like the helpless feeling of being so small and insignificant

- Not to mention that if anything were to go wrong he would not be able to protect you from anything

- It’s a little humiliating being so useless that he has to rely on you for everything since the Prince is so used to being capable of doing everything himself

- But in this form he has to ask you to do it all, like: making you stop what you’re doing to lift him up to something he can’t reach, carrying him everywhere he needs to go, and even doing all of his paperwork (though he is sitting on the desk guiding you through every step)

- He can’t even go out and swim to relieve the stress that gets pent up because of his negative feelings because his usual spots have currents that are too strong for his much smaller body

- You know that it’s embarrassing for the Prince to feel so helpless so you do your best to cheer him up and show him the fun things about him being so small

- For one, you can finally be the one to carry Sidon around like he is a precious package and though it does take some time for the Zora to get used to he does come to enjoy being able to sit and even stand in the palms of your hands

- He also becomes a big fan of your now large arms that can cuddle him like he’s a small teddy bear, it’s a fun change of pace from the usual, though he will confess that he prefers being able to hold you much more

- The large swimming pool of a tub in the bathroom also provides the Zora what would normally be an ocean of water to swim in although it is much calmer than ocean waters

- Everything is just such an interesting and bizarre experience but he is glad that you are there to help him out although you do tease him a little now that you are the tall one

S/o Is Another Zora

- Another super simple one but just difficult enough considering how Sidon is the tallest one in the Kingdom and for their to be another taller one they would likely have grown up alongside him from a very young age

- Males seem to make up the majority of the tall Zoras but I don’t doubt that a female could also be tall, however my headcanon is that Sidon’s height is mostly the result of his Royal Zora genetics since King Dorephan is so massive

- So for a female to reach him or be even taller they would have to be a Royal Zora and you can see how that would be a problem for his s/o to also be a Royal Zora in a kingdom where there is only one family

- Meaning this scenario is a little male, trans-female, basically more male body specific (sorry if that upsets anyone)

- Back to growing up, the two of you would’ve definitely grown up alongside each other and spent a lot of time together when you were little

- Exploring the different waters nearby the Domain, finding cool things and adding them to your collection of little trinkets, and even racing against each other

- Something you always beat Sidon at because you were the faster of the two and that always upset Sidon deep down since he is the Prince and wants to be the best

- You never rub any of your victories in his face though, in fact; you would always encouraged the Prince to get better and someday he would beat you

- One of you would never be seen without the other is how close you are with him until the day his sister was proclaimed dead and Sidon became less and less free to hang out with you until eventually it just stopped

- However you couldn’t let go of your friend that easy so you decide that the best way for you to get close to him again is to work in the palace

- But with your skills you don’t think being a servant would be at all suitable so you instead decide to become a member of the Royal Guard fighting to protect your friend

- Though this pushes the two of you away even more since Sidon gets held up by Royal duties and you are now going through rigorous training

- Many decades pass before you two cross paths again, now young adults in the eyes of Zora society, and it is Sidon who spots you patrolling the palace one day and he is amazed to see how you have grown especially your height

- The Prince would excuse himself from whatever he was doing in order to greet you, surprising you as you thought after all this time that he might have forgotten about you

- Turns out that he was actually watching over all of your progress and knows that you have made quite a name for yourself and he tells you how impressed he is

- Sidon has to return to his duties so the meeting is cut quite short but he promises to meet you later once you are off duty to challenge you to a race

- “Perhaps, I can show you the progress that I have made, old friend. This time I might even beat you.”

#this one turned out looooong #the gerudo one is my favorite #headcanons #sidon headcanons #botw headcanons #sidon #prince sidon #botw #breath of the wild #S/o Is Bigger

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dmcracy · 6 years

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Solo Campaign p.3 - Revelations

Drýđ (her name is based on Beowulf) was too young for the dreadful things life (me) prepared for her. Once, she was living in the town of Grazings with her husband in a cozy little house. They were happy for a while. And then everything she knew turned to dust. One night, she had a terrible nightmare. A giant bear was attacking them in the woods and she tried to run away as fast as possible with their newborn crying and screaming for her husband. But in that dream he never came, she just heard his voice echoing in the forest mixed with the roars of the bear. She screamed and screamed but help never arrived. And it was in that moment of utmost fear in that terrible dream when she, for the first time, felt her unsustainable rage. The bear was catching up with her so she knelt and hid her child in the roots of the tree and made her final stand. The monster was running at her in a shapeless blur but she knew it was her or her child. So she screamed with the force only a defending mother can muster and attacked the phantom. She started clawing and biting the monster as fast as possible and, surprisingly, it was so easy. Too easy. The monster did not resist. So she pummeled the beast and suddenly woke up. Cold sweat dripping from her body she exhaled realizing it was just a dream and tried to lay down once again. But something warm and wet was beside her. And when she turned her gaze she was petrified. At first, she could not even recognize the thing that was lying beside her. His twisted, broken body was almost unrecognizable. She put her hand to cover her mouth and tears started to run down her cheeks. After few heartbeasts she jumped from the bed and started to walk through the room frantically crying and pulling her hair. Suddenly she stopped and turned to the bed. That dream. Was that her? Did SHE do this? She gasped and unable to cry just stood there in her nightgown with opened mouth overwhelmed by horror and unable to scream. And darkness took place where her heart once was. Pouring to her through her opened mouth like you fill the bottle with water. An oozy black pitch like substance covered her insides. And something primordial switched inside her and then she ran.

Now its time to show how bad DM I can be. I consulted Myrta about these events because I made no notes from those times. Yes, not a one single word for me to remember, because I was playing Drýđ, a little grass snake friend Myrta had from the first forest and lots of other NPCs, monsters, villains and I try to explain the story as vividly as possible. And nothing from her campaign so far was prepared. It was a pure improvisation and I - a great improviser - got lost in my own storytelling and never wrote a note. In my eyes her campaign was just for fun and nothing serious and I know how bad that sounds. Only later I discovered my fatal flaw and forced myself to the habit of notemaking (thanks to this guy). And writing this little blog helped me tremendously as well. At least I like to think it helped and I improved.

Anyway back to the story. They crushed the gnolls, saved the village and moved to the other side of the mountain, because Myrta wanted to see what was there. Mountains had its share of secrets and dangers as well (they fought a yeti while traveling) but eventually, they survived and found a new unexplored area for my players - Langbarttal (land of long beards). This is one of my favourite places in my world. A place where dwarves ride on the backs of wooly mammoths covered by wooden ramparts, dragons roam the surrounding mountains and where one of the most ancient cities of Neru, Lanbardin, is hidden. I think Myrta liked the place too because after giving a finger to my adventure I prepared for her she wanted to stay here for almost a year (like half of a session in real time). And what was she doing for that time? She was growing mushrooms and reproducing new species. I liked the idea of the off time activities and a lot of things happened during that time (One of them was finding out that the best way to engage players in campaign is build upon their interests and interests of their characters). Drýđ got a new amulet which suppressed the lycanthropy (but did not reduce the urge to shapeshift, which will, eventually backlash later) and a new weapon. Myrta got a new friends - a teacher called Tarka and her adoptive son named after her, Terkar. She also created a bunch of new mushroom species for my world so I guess I got a present too. The girls also bonded even more and one day they talked about Drýđ, her past. This was the moment where Myrta found out about her sad and dark past - her husband and how she run away from home, her cub/baby that got killed by a group of hunters and that she liked to be shapeshifted into a bear for so long, because she felt more and more distant from her pain and past to the point where she completely disconnected from her human nature. And than she asked Myrta to go back to her home and find out what happened. Drýđ also told a story about an evil driud who she thought was responsible for her curse. I liked that scene when they talked because after that they had a pillow fight and Drýđ was obviously hitting on her, but Myrta did not respond to her advances (yes, I create these moments of tension for amusement of me and my players just to watch it splat like an egg on concrete).

But Lanbardin gave Myrta one more thing. The thing she did not shed from that moment since she arrived. Because she fought a little boggle in a locked room. And it almost killed her. Because when Myrta did not know what to do, she froze. Yes, Drýđ, eventually, kicked the door and killed the little bugger, but that fear held onto Myrta and grew even stronger. And this will complicate things in the future.

#d&d story #D&D shenanigans #d&d 5e #d&d dm #d&d world #how to be a great gm

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evolutionsvoid · 7 years

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Thunderbirds live in wooded areas and grassland environments. Due to their impressive size, they prefer more open habitats that will let their bulky bodies pass through with ease. Though not suitable for thick forests and jungles, they still require trees to be present in their environment, but just in lower densities. Despite their giant bodies and imposing appearance, thunderbirds are herbivorous. They are browsers that feed on a variety of fruits, grasses, roots and leaves. Their large claws and powerful beak allow them feed upon even the most stubborn plants. Roots are easily dug up with their claws, while their arms stretch upward to snag branches and pull them to mouth level. Tough rinds and shells are zero match to their strong beak, which can practically bite through solid rock. This incredibly strong beak is what led to them gaining the name "Thunderbird." Within the range of this species grows a large tree species known as the "hydralith" This big, stout tree can easily be spotted by its thick branches and rock-like bark. One of its more famous features is the large nuts that develop on its limbs. These fruits grow larger than a person's head and are protected by a practically impenetrable shell. With these giant fruits growing on its thick branches, one can easily see why the tree has earned the name "hydralith." These nuts are quite infamous for their durability and thick shell, and the stories attached to them are practically endless. Needless to say, many people have tried to make these nuts edible, but the sheer amount of work it takes to crack one open is never worth it. People find more use for them by shooting them out of catapults. This is different for the Thunderbird, however! Their powerful beaks are capable of cracking these thick shells and feeding on the fruits within. It takes a good, focused bite to crack one open, but the thunderbirds always prevail. What results, though, is a loud crack that can be quite startling when on the quiet plains. Many have mistaken the sound as thunder, so the name of them naturally formed from that.

With the thunderbirds being one of the only species able to crack these nuts efficiently, they are an integral part to the hydralith's live cycle. The fruit within the nut contains dozens of smaller seeds, which can survive the journey through the digestive tract. The seeds are then scattered by the roaming thunderbirds, planted in the ground with a nice healthy dose of feces! From there the seed can attempt to sprout, and hopefully, live long enough to become a big, sturdy tree like its parents! Interestingly enough, the seeds seem to require this trip through the thunderbird's gut. All attempts to plant hydraliths by hand have resulted in failure, so some think that something occurs during the eating process that triggers them to sprout. If this is the case, then these two species are more bound to one another than we originally thought! It should be obvious to anyone who looks at a thunderbird that this species has very few predators. No self-preserving carnivore wants to mess with such a large, well armed beast. While some think that a predator for such a creature should be much bigger and meaner, it is often the smaller, faster beasts that have a better chance besting one. Thunderbirds are slow, and their large size means a bigger target. Nimble foes can attack from the sides, and even hop on the back in an attempt to down the large avian. Thunderbirds, though, have ways to protect themselves. Unlike their flying counterparts, their feathers are much denser and stiffer, lacking the softness that most other feathers have. Their rigidity acts as a simple, shallow armor, making it harder for predators to bite through. It even makes them hard to grab onto, as the feathers keep claws from sinking into flesh, but are not solid enough to support one's weight. Climbing onto a thunderbird is like trying to scramble up a set of stairs made of extremely thin wood. Quite the struggle! Their thick muscles also aid in shrugging off attacks, allowing them to take large amounts of damage before they actually effect their movements. These defensive measures are all aimed towards giving the thunderbird time to mount a counterattack, which can be quite devastating. Their tough claws and powerful beak make for deadly weapons, and any enemy caught by either of them will not last more than a few seconds. I have heard my fair share of tales that speak of their power! One instance was when a thunderbird stumbled between a mother bear and her cubs, and was promptly attacked for the intrusion. The mother bear roared in anger and charged at the avian, all before its head was knocked off by a powerful swipe of its claws. Numerous hunters have lost rookie hunting dogs that have stupidly chased down a thunderbird. Regardless if the young pup is caught by the claws or by its beak, their owner will be carrying its body back in two pieces. Needless to say, not many mess with thunderbirds. Like other birds, thunderbirds are egg layers, laying up to four eggs at a time. These eggs are placed into nests made of twisted grasses and branches, which are mainly used to keep them in one place. The female will stand guard over these eggs, hiding them beneath her bulk. This is a time for fasting with the female, who will not move until the eggs have hatched. Once they do, the young will follow the mother until they reach the right age. These young chicks will always travel beneath their mother, who will be extra hostile to any being who gets too close to her. Thunderbirds let out loud, booming calls to communicate to one another, which adds to their moniker. It is recommended that anyone who lives near thunderbird territory purchase ear plugs for nightly use. While thunderbirds are impressive creatures, they can be quite the nuisance at times. Farmers that grow fruits and vegetables may have their crops destroyed when a thunderbird wanders in for some food. Towns and villages can experience the same if they have a well stocked marketplace. Even homes that are positioned next to hydraliths may experience an unwelcome guest, as they move in during the fruiting season. Thus it is always important that landowners build proper fences to keep these birds out. Though they are big and strong, thunderbirds can be kind of lazy. They do not like to exert too much energy getting over an obstacle, so if they are faced with a tall sturdy wall, they will just turn around and head elsewhere. Many landowners that live in this territory often build their fences and walls well before actually constructing their homes. For those who live near hydraliths, it is recommended that they gather any fallen nuts and throw them far away from their homes. It also doubles as a hefty workout! Thunderbirds are also a problem for dryads, which may come as a shock to some. Everyone assumes that since we are "ones with nature" that we are friends to all animals. Well the problem comes from the fact that they eat plants and we are plants. Humans and other meat species complain about bears and wolves, imagine our fear when one of these things busts into our village! We do our best to deter them just like the other villages, but the sheer amount of vegetation that grows in our towns can be too enticing at times. Not to mention that they find us as tasty morsels as well. The head cap or head flower of a dryad is a thunderbird's favorite part, and their strong beaks do well in acting like organic guillotines. Nomadic dryads make sure to never let their guard down in thunderbird territory, and usually never stop to camp in those locations. Some villages even use thunderbirds as ways of executing fellow dryads, tying to them poles set in the grasslands and leaving them as tasty snack sticks for any thunderbird that comes by. I can't imagine a more horrifying way to go! Well, there is burning to death, but I would say getting decapitated by a thunderbird comes in close second. Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian --------------------------------------- I am aware that thunderbirds are giant, flying birds that sometimes occasionally shoot lightening, but I really couldn't make something out of that (which sounds weird, saying out loud). Instead, lets have a parrot fuse with a giant ground sloth! It may seem cheap putting the name thunderbird on something that isn't strictly a thunderbird, but we do stuff weird around here! And also I was originally going to call this species "Psittatherium" but you can imagine how well that flows off the tongue.

#thunderbird #bird #avian #monster #creature #parrot #ground sloth #mythology #art #drawing

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ericfruits · 7 years

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The giant panda is on a bit of a roll

PANDAS are famously shy. Rather than counting them directly, surveyors must infer their presence from dung and semi-chewed bamboo stalks scattered on the forest floor. But they are also hard to find because there are not many left. A mix of hunting and habitat destruction has ravaged the species. By the late 1970s, their numbers had fallen to around 1,000 individuals.

Such precarity is why zoos spend so much effort trying to persuade captive pandas to reproduce. But it is a tricky task. On September 11th Edinburgh Zoo announced that Tian Tian, its resident panda, had failed to carry a pregnancy to term, the fifth time that attempts to produce a cub have failed. In America, keepers at the Smithsonian National Zoo, in Washington, DC, are waiting anxiously, hoping that a bear called Mei Xiang will have better luck.

Yet things are looking up for this most charismatic of megafauna. China’s most recent survey, completed in 2014, estimated that 1,864 pandas are now living in the wild. In March it announced plans for a new national park, more than 27,000 square kilometres in size, that is meant to link dozens of existing nature reserves on which two thirds of the animals live. Last year the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which maintains the “Red List” of species at risk of extinction, promoted the panda from “endangered” to merely “vulnerable”.

The reason for the rebound is the seriousness with which China now protects the animals. Pandas eat bamboo almost exclusively, and they need room to forage, mate and hide. Yet even as its cities and farms have grown, China has added reserves. Today it has 67, up from four in the 1960s. Logging in these areas was outlawed in 1998. Poaching attracts at least a ten-year prison sentence; the maximum penalty is death. There have been changes, too, for people who live in hardscrabble mountain communities near the bears. Stoves powered by bio-gas from pig manure reduce the demand for wood. Beekeeping enables villagers to sell honey, not pelts.

If the future looks brighter, it is still not certain. Conservationists worry that China’s westward development will renew the temptations to slash through panda habitat with roads and other infrastructure. Global warming could affect the bamboo supply, or make pandas’ mountain retreats more attractive to farmers; one study suggests they would make fine vineyards. Conservationists worry that a return to “endangered” status remains a possibility.

But China is a motivated guardian. “Panda diplomacy” has been a feature of Chinese foreign policy since at least the Tang Dynasty; in 1984, Deng Xiaoping lent Los Angeles two pandas as Olympic gifts. Today, state-run media cover pandas lent to foreign zoos with tabloid zeal, celebrating birthdays and pregnancies. Environmental purists may bemoan the fact that a species’ attractiveness to humans is what determines whether it is considered to be worth saving. But it is hard to complain about the results.

This article appeared in the Science and technology section of the print edition under the headline "Bullish on bears"

http://ift.tt/2f76bnB

#IFTTT #Feedly

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kristablogs · 4 years

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How a 19-year-old lion fathered 35 cubs in 18 months

Lion tamer at work. Though no evidence is available, the mustachioed man is unlikely to have survived this scene. (Library of Congress, 1873/)

Popular Science’s WILD LIVES is a monthly video series that dives like an Emperor penguin into the life and times of history’s noteworthy animals. With every episode debut on Youtube, we’ll be publishing a story about the featured beasts, plus a lot more fascinating facts about the natural world. Click here to subscribe.

Feature Creature: Frasier the Sensuous Lion

Have you ever wondered about the number of lions at your zoo? You probably don’t think about lion reproduction too much. Well, consider this:

If one female lion in captivity has a litter of cubs and they all survive and breed—for reference: zoo lions can start breeding before their third birthday—and then those offspring all survive and breed, and then the next generation the same, and so on, it would take about 37 years until that one family tree of descendants from that one lioness needed to eat the entire population of Los Angeles every day just to survive.

Dr. Craig Packer, Professor and Head of the Lion Center at the University of Minnesota, originally came up with this thought experiment. He used it as a way to answer a question on if lions have any difficulty breeding in captivity or the wild. Clearly, no panda bear-type pornos are needed to stimulate mating here. This lion factoid came up during a conversation about a lion that actually did take over L.A. That prolific Panthera leo was named Frasier. In the video above, we tell his story.

Let us now praise other famous animals

Below, a collection of fast facts about famous critters.

Question: why does this Peruvian military helicopter emblem have a tiger on it—its tail around a missile—when there are no tigers anywhere in South America? (Tom McNamara/)

Magicians Siegfried and <a href="https://ift.tt/2yKi50i" target=_blank>Roy</a> got their start in 1957 in Germany when Roy, who apparently took care of a cheetah at a local zoo, borrowed the animal and used it as part of the duo’s show. Nearly half a century later, their act came to an end when Roy was attacked by a tiger named Montecore onstage at the Mirage hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

In 2015, Cecil the Lion was killed by American dentist Walter Palmer. The <a href="https://ift.tt/2YVVIPJ" target=_blank>13-year-old lion</a> was a popular attraction at Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, known for his striking black mane and comfort with tourist vehicles. His fate drew intense news coverage, a flurry of celebrity tweets, and an impassioned monologue from Jimmy Kimmel. <a href="https://ift.tt/2YVVIPJ" target=_blank>Read more. >></a>

In a recent book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2E4SQ8P" target=_blank>No Beast So Fierce: The Terrifying True Story of the Champawat Tiger, the Deadliest Animal in History</a>, author Dane Hucklebridge details the surprisingly methodical and incredibly blood machinations of a single Bengal tigress. Between 1900 to 1907, the Champawat man-eater stalked humans living in the villages of southern Nepal and, because tigers know no borders, eventually northern India. Along her route, she killed 435 people, making her perhaps the most murderous non-human animal in recorded history. <a href="https://ift.tt/2D4Kuk7" target=_blank>Read more. >></a>

El Jefe the Jaguar is the last known of his species to be seen in the United States. The Panthera onca was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTC8XdViC5s" target=_blank>spotted in the Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson, Arizona</a>, between 2011 and 2017.

In 2014, I accompanied a scientific expedition to a previously unexplored part of the Peruvian Amazon. When I boarded a military helicopter to get there, I noticed the design on the door pictured above. Why a tiger? There are no tigers anywhere in Amazonia. Well, first, there are no tigers or lions in Detroit, but that doesn’t stop the city from having those animals as their mascots. A member of the expedition clued me in, though, saying that across South America the Amazon Jaguar is often called “tigre” or tiger. And, let’s be honest, the tail around the missile is a nice touch.

Popular Science’s Encyclopedia of Big Cat Facts

The math of tiger stripes:

How’d the tiger get its stripes? MATH! (Pond5/)

Math might be able to predict the tiger’s stripes. Or, more accurately, mathematical rules likely work with biological processes to determine patterns on animals—the leopard’s spots, the horse’s dapples, and, yes, those beautiful black stripes that contour and bend around the tiger’s orange fur.

Famed World War Two codebreaker and British mathematician Alan Turing first theorized in the 1950s that spontaneous patterns emerge when “chemicals [react] together and [defuse] through tissue,” writes Ian Stewart in his 2017 book, The Beauty of Numbers in Nature. These chemicals are also known by another name: morphogens, a term Turning coined. We should think of them as shape creators.

Over half a century later, scientists found support for these theoretical models in the real world. A 2015 study published in Cell Systems used them to take Turing’s theories a step further to explain pattern orientation. Think about it, if math can predict an animal’s spots and stripes, why couldn’t it also tell us why a tiger’s stripes are vertical and an okapi’s stripes are horizontal? The most abstract level of mathematics can play out in the day-to-day lives of the biological world. Read more about the study, this way. >>

The Saber-toothed cat

Los Angeles looked a lot different 10,000 years ago. Teratornis birds, saber-toothed cats, and an extinct species of horse all roamed around the La Brea Tar Pools. Fall in and you’ll be preserved forever! (Field Museum/Charles R. Knight, 1921./)

How long did it take for Smilodon fatalis—the saber-toothed cat—to grow their 7-inch long mouth swords? Well, the extinct feline’s fearsome canine teeth grew at an incredibly quick 6 mm per month, almost twice as fast as human fingernails.

(Oh, and that picture is by way of famed early 20th Century natural history painter Charles R. Knight, who was legally blind. Some of his paintings are hidden like Easter eggs on random walls at The Field Museum in Chicago and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.)

How climate is changing animals

Snow Leopard, Panthera unica. (Joel Sartore/Getty Images/)

This spotted and thick-coated Snow Leopard thrives in a Goldilocks zone between 9,800 to 17,800 feet in altitude across the Tibetan Plateau, a frigid, rocky region that offers wild goats and sheep as prey. But rising temperatures are pushing the zone higher, forcing leopards and their quarry up the slopes, fragmenting their habitats into isolated summits. Rising temps also pull in competing predators like common leopards, which previously avoided the chilly heights in favor of forested hunting grounds at lower elevations. Humans are moving in as well to graze their domesticated goats and sheep, which sometimes requires killing cats who get too curious about the flocks. Read more about animals reacting to climate change, this way. >>

Calls of the Wild

East African Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus jubatus. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. (Tom McNamara/)

If you had to guess, what sound does a cheetah make? Lions roar. Tigers bellow and growl. And cheetahs…chirp? Yup. They also purr, hiss, bark, and even meow. It turns out, their chirp can mean a lot of things. Females, who are more solitary compared to males, chirp to attract mates. Yet both sexes also chirp when they’re distressed. Males do it if they get split up from their pack—and they chirp in celebration when the crew gets back together again. Same goes for mothers and their cubs. According to the National Zoo, “cheetahs may even be able to identify each other by the sound of their chirps.”

Denzil Mackrory · Cheetah Chirp

And, finally, rabbit holes I went down while researching this video

What’s the lion equivalent of a rabbit hole? “Daniel in the Lions' Den” is a 1614–1616 painting by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. (National Gallery of Art/)

Did you know in the 1970s. actor Tippi Hedren (probably most famous for her role in the Hitchcock classic, The Birds), her husband Noel Marshall, and their whole family lived with 150 untrained wild animals? And filmed it? Roar, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi3fz5Dbn6k" target=_blank>released in 1981</a>, became known as “the most dangerous movie ever made”—mostly because 70 members of the cast and crew were injured in its creation. Someone even got their scalp sliced clean off. New Yorker <a href="https://ift.tt/2RW2X6o" target=_blank>remembers the film</a> here. The movie is somehow worse than you’re imagining.

This headline from <a href="https://ift.tt/2hV7IhF" target=_blank>The Washington Post in 2017</a> says it all: “The strange and deadly saga of 15 circus cats’ final week in America.” Also, this <a href="https://ift.tt/2FZXjx3" target=_blank>history of the Indian circus from Quartz India</a> is fascinating.

Ever wonder what it’d be like to be a lion tamer? OK. Probably not. But one-third of Errol Morris’ 1997 documentary <a href="https://ift.tt/3lqtu9l" target=_blank>Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control</a> will make you glad you found out about lion tamer Dave Hoover. The other two-thirds of the movie are pretty weird in a good way, too.

After watching the PopSci <a href="https://youtu.be/eK_zmYWHxxo" target=_blank>video short about Frasier the Sensuous Lion</a>, you might start having questions about if it’s ethical to keep wild animals in captivity or not. This <a href="https://ift.tt/3gymgfQ" target=_blank>2007 Radiolab episode</a> about zoos is a must-listen, especially the first segment.

PopSci found out if <a href="https://ift.tt/2EBUq54" target=_blank>a lion could live on veggie burgers</a>. Also, did you know that <a href="https://ift.tt/31AkExU" target=_blank>mountain lions are so scared of humans that the sound of talk radio sends them running</a>?

And, if you can stomach it, you can meet the deadliest cat in the world via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl8o9PsJPAQ" target=_blank>a PBS Nature clip</a>. It’s intense. Seriously. Turn back now. OK, you’ve been warned.

Subscribe to WILD LIVES on YouTube for more wild stories about animals like Frasier the Sensuous Lion.

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scootoaster · 4 years

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How a 19-year-old lion fathered 35 cubs in 18 months

Lion tamer at work. Though no evidence is available, the mustachioed man is unlikely to have survived this scene. (Library of Congress, 1873/)

Feature Creature: Frasier the Sensuous Lion

Have you ever wondered about the number of lions at your zoo? You probably don’t think about lion reproduction too much. Well, consider this:

Let us now praise other famous animals

Below, a collection of fast facts about famous critters.

Question: why does this Peruvian military helicopter emblem have a tiger on it—its tail around a missile—when there are no tigers anywhere in South America? (Tom McNamara/)

Popular Science’s Encyclopedia of Big Cat Facts

The math of tiger stripes:

How’d the tiger get its stripes? MATH! (Pond5/)

The Saber-toothed cat

How climate is changing animals

Snow Leopard, Panthera unica. (Joel Sartore/Getty Images/)

Calls of the Wild

East African Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus jubatus. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. (Tom McNamara/)

Denzil Mackrory · Cheetah Chirp

And, finally, rabbit holes I went down while researching this video

Subscribe to WILD LIVES on YouTube for more wild stories about animals like Frasier the Sensuous Lion.

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blogmitchcarmody · 5 years

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Free image/jpeg, Resolution: 551×682, File size: 144Kb, Winnie The Pooh Characters Eeyore

Surviving A Pandemic in the 100 Acre Wood

A long time ago in the exact geographic center of the North American continent a very extraordinary thing happened. One simple innocent moment in time, one split second decision that changed the world forever and has blessed us all for generations to come.

An English soldier stationed in Manitoba Canada was traveling to London at the advent of WWI. While in the train station in Winnipeg he spied a trapper trying to sell a small brown bear cub in a cage. The bear looked hungry and helpless, so he bought it and it traveled with him across the country and soon became a mascot for his troop of soldiers. When reaching London his troop was dispatched to the front lines in France. The soldier had named the bear Winnie after the city of Winnipeg and donated him to the London zoo in 1919.

London writer A.A. Milne author of children’s books often visited the zoo with his young son Christopher to see Winnie. Young Christopher was even allowed into the cage with the docile and friendly bear. Christopher adored the bear and named him Winnie the Pooh. The name Pooh was taken from the main character in one of his Dad’s book, Poo the swan. The name of a “good friend”. Winnie the good friend bear.

Later Christopher acquired stuffed animals over a course of several years and ” The 100 Acre Wood” was truly born; several years later his fathered penned Winnie the Pooh.

I find it amazing that one of the worlds most beloved, and enduring characters in fictional writing is based on a true story. Mr. Milne today would be in jail for child endangerment, as well as pending charges on cruelty to animals while facing extradition to Canada for illegal abduction and transportation of an endangered species. He may have eventually written a book from his jail cell, but it clearly would not have been the same.

The very real story soon became a lovely children’s book, eventually picked up by Disney where it spread faster than herpes at Woodstock; soon hitting every corner of the civilized world. Winnie became a worldwide celebrity overnight.

Why is that? Because good news travels fast. Subliminal good news travels faster than a virus. Metaphor is understood subliminally whether we are cognitive or not of its applications for our life. The characters, the stories, the nuggets of wisdom Milne created in his children’s-book classic has never been more important, and more needed than ever before. Not just for our children, but for our village, each one of us has our own village, our own 100 Acre Wood, our own refuge, our own tapestry of relationships and the matrix of support for our mutual survival.

Without realizing it Milne created fictional characters that reflect the 5 basic archetypal phenotypes of our global village. Personality is created by the morphism of genetic predisposition, epigenetic expression and neural plasticity from persistent environmental cues. We have a basic personality type that is our dominant or built in default mechanism from genetic predisposition combined from our parents from the pairing of 23 chromosomes each, combined which defines our physicality and our tics. Less than .1% of our total DNA defines our uniqueness. We are 99.9 % all the same DNA, but that small percent in conjunction with our environment creates our dominant personality for survival.

We inherit most of our personality traits that we can doing nothing about, but it does change/fluctuate with our environment and our awareness. Universally we have 5 distinct personality types known as the big 5. The Five Factor Model of personality traits suggests that individual differences in levels personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) are present from a young age.

In working with those who grieve for over 30 years I have seen how important it is to be aware of one’s dominant personality when inheriting a grief journey, one does not expect or anticipate. When we are caught by surprise we default to our strong suit, our dominant character of survival. When a bilingual person is angered, in great pain or fear they always scream out in their native tongue, it’s their ingrained default. In grief we default to the depth of our experience in loss. We may be clueless and toolless, but some survival mechanism kicks in that we were born with. Which one that is, will be one of, or a combination of the big five to stay alive.

A person can take any personality test, but they all boil down to the big five. One does not need to look any further than reading Winnie the Pooh and looking closely at the 5 main characters to see how they reflect the big five. Find which character you are in the 100 Acre wood and you will have found your strong suit, your default to survive. Take a close self-assessment/personal inventory of yourself and you will find you are at times many of the characters, but one really bespeaks of how you engage socially; that is your personality you need and use for survival.

In processing grief, facing trauma or daunting social engagement we draw our character strengths automatically, its in our nature. We also have mirror neurons that allow us to feel emotions that others are exhibiting simply by witnessing the non-verbal cues they express in their communications, which is also in our nature. We are all villagers of the same global village, are hard wired for empathy, compassion and cooperation. It is fear that interferes with that innate understanding

We as humans are born with only two innate fears: the fear of loud noises & the fear of falling, all other fears are manufactured by our experiences. If you are bitten by a snake as a child, you will fear snakes. We fear darkness because we may fall. When there is no light there will be fear. We fear sudden loud noises; it is our fight or flight response when taken by surprise. When we are taken by surprise or caught in the dark there will be fear. Both are innate.

Light dispels fear in darkness, education dispels fear of falling (being taken by surprise). Create the light and seek knowledge, that is wisdom.

When we know who we are as a person; we are armed by our own assets. We are born as one complete human being, body (animal), mind (intellect), spirit (avatar of animation) and soul, the arbiter for the journey to not only survive but to thrive. Animals can survive but only humans can conceive of choices to thrive. The footprint we leave behind created by the choices we make. Our bodies may die but our choices do not. Acknowledge and empower the strong suit you were born with, recognize what is in your nature. Listen to your body, listen to your intellect, listen to your higher power, make your best decision from the input from all three -in all things. The Latin phrase “nosce te ipsum” means: Know Yourself. Know yourself, be yourself, be your best asset.

Part 2 -Assessment:

How do you relate to people whether at home, work, or play? How do you engage with people most of the time? How do you represent yourself; how do you survive? This is important to knowledge to have when we are in survival mode. How we can survive and mitigate the spread of Covid-19 pandemic? We must arm ourselves. We are at war with a microscopic alien that is intent on weeding out as much of the world’s very old, its infirm, its weak, the homeless and the destitute. A science fiction novel has become reality.

We need to empower ourselves to fight this alien attack. P.O.W.ER. is an acronym for the 5 major characters from Milne’s classic Winnie the Pooh: Piglet, Owl, Winnie, Eeyore and Rabbit. We are composed of traits from all these colorful and diverse characters built in to one dynamic individual; a personal operating system that we are born with. We are a plethora of human qualities and characteristics that personifies how we act and how we are perceived by others. It provides us our basic personality with its assets and its flaws. It fluctuates with our environment, education and experiences as we try to maintain equilibrium in an unbalanced and ever-changing world. In theory we are an amalgamation of all the characters, but in practice we draw to the strong suit that we are born with. This is especially true when engaging with others from a place of fear and trauma or extreme courage.

So, who are you in the hundred Acre Wood?

Piglet

Piglet is an extrovert and one who craves/needs to hug and to be hugged. He/she find the pandemic social restrictions are very frustrating and personal space social distancing almost painful.

Piglet is a person who is open to experience; one who is passionate, inventive, and curious, with an appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, and variety of experiences. This person is imaginative, highly independent and depicts a personal preference for a variety of activities over a strict routine with a proclivity for novelty. Piglet can be perceived as unpredictability or having a lack of focus. Moreover, they may seek out intense, euphoric experiences, such as skydiving, living abroad, gambling, et cetera.

Piglets have a general appreciation for beauty and willing to try new things. They tend to be, (when compared to others) more creative and more aware of their feelings. They think more abstractly and are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs. They can be politically active and a champion for racial intolerance and equality. Piglets may start many projects at once; change jobs/frequently or start new careers. Some people may perceive them to have a low attention span, scattered and searching, but regardless they are all about heart. Piglets love to hug, piglets lighten up a room with their energy; they are magnanimous by nature

Owl

Owl is an introvert. Owl is researching, reading daily, downloading and graphing statistics on the disease; Owl purchased sanitizer and TP for a month the day after the Corona virus was announced in Wuhan China. Quarantine has already been in place for years.

Owl is a person with a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement against measures or other’s expectations. Owls are in control of how they regulate and direct their impulses and emotions. Owls are quiet, studious and take much pride in academic achievement; often writers and/or teachers. Owls maintain a low profile and stay under the radar.

Owls are highly organized and dependable, establish and maintain routines. Owls prefer planned rather than spontaneous behavior and may be perceived as stubborn and resistant to change; Owls may be obsessive in certain personal routines. Although perceived slow to change, they are wise and think before they speak. They are extremely adaptive once they have processed facts to their conclusion. Owls are steady as she goes and very resourceful in chaos and possess many survival skills. Owls love alone time; still waters run deep; Owls are always good counsel.

Winnie

Winnie is an omnivert exhibiting both introvert/extravert characteristics that thrives on routine. During the crisis Winnie is still visiting friends, going to work the exact same time etc. but is extremely frustrated not going to his/her daily stool at Starbucks at 8:45 am on the way to work.

Winnie loves social harmony and highly values getting along with others. They are generally considerate, kind, generous, trusting and trustworthy, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with other. Winnies have an altruistic and affable nature and have an optimistic view of human nature and people in general.

Winnie’s nature of agreeableness positively correlates with the quality of relationships with one’s team members or in any social engagement. Winnies also possess transformational leadership skill; they shine by example. They tend to have many friends and make few enemies. Winnie is compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic. Winnies stay steadfast and hold firm in their convictions; they are comfortable in their own skin. Winnies have a trusting and helpful nature, and what may be naive or submissive is in fact the power of their own vulnerability and probably the most resilient in the face of trauma. Winnies want/need to make a positive difference and usually do.

Eeyore is an introvert and he/she expected the virus would come and that he/she thinks they will most assuredly become a casualty. Eeyore thinks he/she has probably has already got the virus and has spread it everywhere and will quarantine easily but frustrated having no one complain to about getting “ it “ but would give you extra TP if you needed it.

Eeyores tend to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression. Often, they are emotionally reactive and vulnerable to stress and may complain a lot. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions can persist for long periods of time and they may appear to be in a bad mood or have mood swings.

Eeyores want to stay in the background, they have a desire to help and be of service but often too shy to step forward. Often come to work early and leave late. Always sees projects and tasks to their end and fruition. Dots his I’s and crosses her T’s; always keeping deadlines. Eeyores love to be designated for a task as opposed to volunteering. Eeyores tend to be calm, collected and relaxed in most situations. Eeyores do not like to take a leadership role or speak in public but excel as a major support person in the background. Eeyore is a steadfast friend and that person who would literally give you the shirt off his/her back or give you a ride home. Eeyores may be complex but are dedicated and trustworthy; people love Eeyore.

Rabbit

Rabbits are obvious extroverts who are championing the war on Covid-19 wherever they can. They are Organizing food/water/ masks for the needy, creating websites and ad hoc support groups, volunteering for public health militias, manning tents and putting up posters. Most are already in jobs that require their presence during the crisis. Rabbits are invaluable during a pandemic.

Rabbits are characterized by high energy with a breadth of activities and have a profound ability to easily engage with the external world easily. Rabbits enjoy interacting with people, and are often perceived as High Energy or Type A. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals. They possess high group visibility; very talkative they like to assert themselves and may provide their opinion unsolicited. They like to take leadership roles.

Rabbits are extraverted, outgoing and energetic and often over-achievers. Filled with positive energy and emotions, they have a tendency for surgency, immediacy and assertiveness. They are highly sociable and seek stimulation in the company of others. Rabbits are talkative by nature and can be perceived as attention-seeking and domineering. Some may consider rabbits to be to be pushy, intolerant and labeled control freaks but regardless they are always there when you need them; they are invaluable in an organization or group for it to be effective. Rabbits are multi-taskers at heart and are great organizers

Summary

It is very likely you will know someone who has been exposed the virus in your family, friends, neighbors and workmates. It is also very likely someone may die from the virus in your community. Whether navigating the waters of uncertain times or navigating your personal trauma/grief journey, draw to your strong suit.

It is highly unlikely that you will be one character alone but rather two or three characters will be prominent and two or three will be less prominent. Which character you resonate with most is likely the most prominent character of your personality.

What is important is to take inventory of ourselves to promote our self-worth and gain confidence in what we can provide and honesty in what we cannot. We must strive to take advantage of our natural strengths and work on our shortcomings.

During this global pandemic crisis:

Be yourself. Be honest. Be your best. Be kind. Express gratitude. Show respect. Wash your hands often.

Be your Winnie, use your Piglet, depend on your Owl, express your Eeyore, energize your Rabbit and remember what Christopher Robin said to Pooh:

“You are Braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem and Smarter than you think”

To take test, go to: Free download for the P.O.W.E.R. Personality quiz at www.heartlightstudios.com

Surviving A Pandemic in the 100 Acre Wood Surviving A Pandemic in the 100 Acre Wood A long time ago in the exact geographic center of the North American continent a very extraordinary thing happened.

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7r0773r · 6 years

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Dancing Bears: True Stories of People Nostalgic for Life Under Tyranny by Witold Szablowski, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

“Before the war, a Gypsy was a nobody. It’s entirely thanks to the Communists that after the war we were given rights, jobs, and apartments, that our people learned to read and write, and that the Bulgarians started to give us a bit of respect.” (p. 13)

***

“They’re going to their life of freedom in cages,” someone remarked, but this subtle piece of spite didn’t spoil the atmosphere of triumph and success. (p. 27)

***

“And then he adds something that I find way out of line--he says he knows what’s best for the bear. He says his corn and bread are better than our nuts and apples, and that a Gypsy’s chain and gadulka are better than our thirty acres.

“But what bugs me most is when he says he loves the bear, and that we’re trying to take away a member of his family.

“ ‘Man,’ I think to myself, ‘you’re hurting that animal. You’re degrading it. You’re forcing it to behave in a way that’s totally contrary to its nature. You’re making a laughing stock out of a proud wild animal! You’re making a fool of it!’

“But what would a Gypsy understand even if I said all that to him?

“They’d been hearing for years that they’d have to hand over the bears, and they were used to the idea. But they thought it would just end in talk again. They didn’t understand that we weren’t going to let them off. We were building a nature reserve. We had the support of important people--politicians, actors, and journalists. And as soon as they sat down at the same table as us--with food, rakia, and gifts--they were in the losing position, because everyone else was on our side, and they were just Gypsies carrying on traditions from a world that no longer exists.” (pp. 38-39)

***

For days on end, Vela kept touching her nose, looking for the ring. Although it had caused her pain throughout her life, she couldn’t cope with its removal, as if she’d grown so used to being a slave that she regarded her sudden freedom as a threat and feared it more than the pain.

The same thing happened with Mima, one of the bears taken from the Stanev family.

But there are also bears who feel fine in a few minutes and never wonder where the piece of metal that always caused them pain his gone.

That’s what happened with Misho and Svetla. They reacted to the removal of the ring as if losing it were the most ordinary thing in the world. They immediately got on with fighting for their place within the group, and later with love affairs. The lack of the ring never bothered them in the least. (pp. 58-59)

***

“Nobody has tried anything like this before. Nobody has managed to restore nature to animals that have lived with people for whole generations. I do have some concerns. I can’t be sure we’re not opening Pandora’s box. We could be unblocking other things in their minds--who knows where that will take us? Wild bears would find a way to get out of here in two days flat. They wouldn’t have the least problem, not even with the electric fence. They have far greater self-confidence and they’re more creative. Perhaps one day our bears will go for the electric fence too, destroy it and be off into the forest. That would be a success for us, but on the other hand it would also be our failure. Why? Because our bears wouldn’t survive as much as a week at liberty. I’ll be happy to tell you about it, but right now it’s feeding time. They guys have brought the bread. Come on, you can help us to scatter it.” (pp. 66-67)

***

“But you can’t just let a bear go and expect it to cope with everything for itself. Freedom is a terribly complicated business. You have to give it to them gradually, in small doses. And the fact that they’re hibernating means our bears are making progress on the road to freedom. They’re no longer living from one day to the next. They’ve learned to prepare for tougher times.” (p. 72)

***

And when the citizens add up all those large sums, they come to the unpleasant conclusion that far more care is taken of the bears than of them. While the animals are being taught resourcefulness, conflict solving, and hibernation, while pools are being built for them and playgrounds adapted to their needs, the people of Belitsa are being left to fend for themselves. Although they’ve been learning freedom for longer than the bears, they don’t have a team of experts to help them with the transformation.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t born a bear,” the former mayor of Belitsa, Hasan Ilan, once said bitterly, as he compared the park’s budget with the town’s. (p. 80)

***

“In the wild, a bear cub spends the first two years of its life with its mother, who teaches it everything. Scientists in Alaska have recorded entire bear lessons, during which the mothers take their cubs to the riverbank and show them how to position their paws in order to catch fish.

“But what could our mother bears teach their offspring? Maybe just that when a truck comes along, there’s going to be food. Or that if you can’t manage to dig yourself a pit to hibernate in, a hairy-faced human will come along and build you a kennel out of planks.

“Unfortunately, our bears not only hav the smell but also the mentality of captives. For twenty or thirty years they were used to having somebody do the thinking for them, providing them with an occupation, telling them what they had to do, what they were going to eat and where to sleep. It wasn’t the ideal life for a bear, but it was the only one they knew.” (pp. 86-87)

***

to this day,

almost all the bears still

dance.

When they see a human being, they stand up on their hind legs and start rocking from side to side. As if they were begging, as in the past, for bread, candy, a sip of beer, a caress, or to be free of pain. Pain that nobody has been inflicting on them for years. (p. 90)

***

When spring comes, Misho wakes from his lethargy and goes to find Svetla. He circles her like a shy teenager. Now he goes closer, now he moves away again. He roars, rubs against a tree, and goes up to her again. Svetla patiently watches the performance.

Until they come together.

Their attempt to continue the species doesn’t last long. Once it’s over, Svetla plunges into a state of bliss for several weeks. Only after a month or two does she realize something hasn’t gone right. Then both she and Misho start to dance, each in a different corner of the park for dancing bears at Belitsa, the park that’s like something out of a tourist brochure. (pp. 98-99)

***

“Everyone goes to Poland for their shopping, because in Ukraine, even though we’ve got the best earth in Europe, it lies fallow. You tell me, Witold, where’s the sense in that? Ukraine could be Europe’s granary. You could eat our black earth with a spoon--there’s no soil like it anywhere in the world. But what happens? It just lies fallow. People are only interested in opportunities to earn money abroad. Or to get something for nothing, just as they got used to doing under the Commies. My old man doesn’t meet any of the EU standards. He’s never seen face cream in his life. Whatever cash I send him, he drinks away. I keep telling him: ‘We were given two and a half acres when they closed down the collective farm. you could take just a little bit of it and sow some carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. You could raise hens. Why not have something of your own?’”

“And wha does he say to that?”

“He says he won’t do it! Because he doesn’t feel like it. Unfortunately, the whole Ukrainian nation is just like our marriage. Either they work hard, but abroad, like me. Or they sit in their village and whack a stick against a tree in the hope that a pear might fall. I pray for the EU to come to us too. For the Dutch and the Germans to come here, and the Poles too, and plough that land for us. The collective farm will start up again, but this time it’ll be privately owned.” (pp. 135-36)

***

“When I went to the bazaar in Kabul with my air force pals,” says Viktor, “one of the stallholders said to us in Russian, ‘Good cabbage, very shitty!’ Someone had taught him to prattle that nonsense. It’s the same thing with the Russian youth. Someone has told them they have to defend the Bronze Soldier. So that’s what they’re doing.” (p. 154)

***

“What does Memed think about the Serbs in Kosovo?”

“He can tell the difference between criminals and regular people. Wars are not fought between races. They’re fought between criminals from one side and the other. He understands that. After the declaration of independence, he could see that I was out of sorts. ‘Tatiana,’ he said, ‘we’re just pawns on the chessboard. The Americans are playing against the Russkies. It’s sheer chance that you’re a black pawn and I’m a white one.’” (p. 200)

***

“Until 2004 there wasn’t a single Serb left in our village. They’d all run off with the army. They were afraid we’d take revenge on them. But now time has passed and not all of them have made a life for themselves in Serbia. Now Belgrade is protesting against our independence, but they don’t treat the Serbs from Kosovo well there. So they’re starting to come back. In the past four years twelve families have returned--almost fifty people. The UN gives us money. We’re building houses for them. We’re helping them to get set up. But it’s not enough, because they don’t have jobs. So we had the idea of giving them chickens. They’ll be starting up miniature farms, selling eggs and meat. They’ll have something to eat. We’ve bought a small hut for one of them, and he’ll have a greengrocer’s store there. Tomorrow we’re going to fetch the first hundred chickens. Maybe this will allow us to attract a few more Serbs.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“So the government in Belgrade won’t go saying they’re badly treated here. Besides, there’s money provided for it. Why not take advantage of that?”

“Aren’t the Albanians protesting?”

“I have a neighbor. A great Albanian patriot. Ask him about the Serbs, he’d say he’d shoot the lot. But when they started to come back, it reminded him that he used to have a good friend called Goran, who was a Serb. And now he runs after me to ask if I can get his pal Goran to come back. Because he’d like to see him again before he dies.” (pp. 205-06)

***

“I used to work at a clothing factory. In the personnel department too. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the factory collapsed with it. And everything was looted--even the glass was stolen out of the window frames. In Stalin’s day something like that wouldn’t have been possible. The culprits would have been punished. So these days when I hear the stories they tell about him, I say, ‘People, you’ve lost your minds. Remember the Soviet Union. Everyone had work. The children had a free education. From Tbilisi to Vladivostok.’ If it weren’t for Communism, I, for example, would still be living in the countryside. I would never have thought of occupying a managerial position, because only men had those jobs before then. No system has ever given women as much.

“Since its collapse, everything is worse. In the past, the doctors couldn’t refuse to help a poor person. Now the health service is private, and even if you break a leg you have to pay. It’s the same with education. A retired person used to have the phone for free, and paid less for electricity. But now? You get a pension of twenty dollars, and the prices are like in the West.

“And life gets worse and worse for women. In the USSR men had a good life. There were no wars. And if a man hit you, you could go and complain to the party committee. The committee informed the party cell at the factory, and the abuser could get into big trouble.

“These days the men has no work and they’re frustrated. And when one of them hits you, you’ve no one to defend you.” (pp. 212-13)

***

“What do I think about Stalin? Here, in Gori, it’s customary for parents or grandparents to take their kids to the museum and tell them about him. I brought my toddler here too. And I told him, just like it says in those American guides to success, ‘He was much worse off than you are. His father drank, his cottage was falling down, and the other kids were good-for-nothings. But he was hardworking, thanks to which years later he ruled the entire country. If you study, you can achieve a lot too.’” (p. 218)

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chefgrillfood · 7 years

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The forests of Russia’s Far East evoke a strange feeling, one that most Europeans have not been forced to consider for centuries. It is the sensation of being watched; of unseen menace lurking between the trees. Ultimately, it is the realisation that you are among predators, and being contemplated as either a rival or prey. A loud roar echoes around as we tread through a valley of volcanic rock formed between a dense canopy of Mongolian oak and Korean pine. My guide, Pavel Fomenko, hands me a flare with the instruction to use it should a bear approach.We creep forward, crunching over fallen leaves while our other guide, the hunting inspector for Primorsky Krai province, Alexander Korneev, peels off into the undergrowth. Ravens shriek about the treetops. If the birds are up, Fomenko warns, it means something has disturbed them. We arrive at a clearing scattered with clumps of fur. A few metres away lie the remains of a black bear, buzzing with flies. This is what we have been searching for: the recently dispatched supper of an Amur tiger. They call this boreal wilderness the taiga in Russian, forests sprawling hundreds of miles from the North Korean border up towards the Arctic. They are home to a vast collection of flora and fauna and, above all, predators. An estimated 95 per cent of the world’s population of Amur (or Siberian) tigers live here. Up to 10ft long, larger, heavier and stronger than their Asian cousins, they are the undisputed rulers of the forest; their orange, black and white pelts enable them to move like ghosts between the trees. Alexander Korneev, hunting inspector for Primorsky Krai province Credit: Olya Ivanova We have been tracking this particular tiger, Vladik, since my arrival in the Russian port city of Vladivostok three days earlier. A young male around four years old and weighing more than 22st, he first drew attention to himself in October 2016 after wandering into Vladivostok’s concrete suburbs and provoking a storm of publicity. Eventually he was caught and taken to a tiger rehabilitation centre, before being released this May in the Bikin National Park, wearing a GPS collar. Since then, however, Vladik has been steadily heading south, back towards Vladivostok, covering around 450 miles and killing 10 large animals en route, including bear, deer and wild boar. Fomenko, who is WWF Russia’s head of rare species conservation, fears that if Vladik continues this trajectory he will end up once again too close to a town and have to be recaptured and sent to a zoo. ‘Vladik is a lovely tiger with all the rights and ability to live in the wild,’ he says. ‘I worry about him and all of Russia’s Amur tigers. All of the time.’ The Amur tiger is that rarity, an endangered species whose population is increasing. In the 1930s, numbers fell as low as 20 animals, threatened to the point of extinction by poaching and logging. In 1995, there were 330 to 371 adult tigers. In 2015, after a survey of 60,000 square miles of the tigers’ habitat, the number had risen to 540 in the wild (including some 100 cubs). The success story (albeit one cautiously told) of Amur tigers is at the forefront of the WWF’s mission to increase the world’s tiger population in the wild to more than 6,000 by 2022, the next Chinese year of the tiger (up from the 3,900 counted in 2016).That figure would mark a huge step forward in achieving global security for tigers, whose populations were decimated by 97 per cent in the past century. Much of the progress in Russia is down to men like Fomenko and Korneev, who have spent decades on the front line fighting poachers seeking tiger skins and body parts to supply the voracious Asian market. Like rhinos, tigers are valued for bogus medicinal properties. The taiga, Russia’s forests, are home to the Amur tigers Credit: Olya Ivanova One of many prevailing myths is that if you poke a tiger whisker into a decaying tooth it will stop it aching. The stakes are high. A poacher can pay fines of up to one million roubles (£13,000), while those caught killing a tiger also face 15 years in prison. As a result, poachers are willing to fight to the death. Fomenko can recall at least three occasions on which armed poachers have tried to kill him. A few years ago, Korneev, whose brigade catches around 120 culprits a year, was seriously injured after being run over by a poacher on a snowmobile. When he first started as a hunting inspector 13 years ago, Korneev tells me, even to find a tiger paw print was big news. ‘Now I see the actual animal three times a year,’ he grins. The most recent sighting was four days previously when he spotted a tiger stalking a family of wild boar over a ridge. It paused, contemplating him with unblinking amber eyes before bristling and slowly beginning to advance. To ward it off Korneev fired his hunting rifle into the air. As the report cracked through the stillness, the tiger melted into the forest. The first time Pavel Fomenko met a tiger, it ate his dog. He tells me the story during lunch one day when we are sitting by a fire in the forest eating cheese and bread, and drinking smoke-infused tea boiled on the open flames. He was barely 20 at the time, out hunting with his dog, Amba, when it suddenly started barking at something rustling in the bushes. ‘I was inexperienced and didn’t realise what was happening, and suddenly this tiger pounced in front of me.’ Fomenko’s weather-beaten face takes on a rueful expression, ‘I loved that dog.’ A great bear of a man prone to long philosophical soliloquies in-between explaining his scientific studies of the tiger, the 54-year-old is a hero in the Tolstoyan mould. Not least in his connection to the land. A watchtower used to keep track of illegal poaching and logging Credit: Olya Ivanova Fomenko spends weeks at a time in the wilderness away from his wife Yulia and two sons, and regards his time there as spiritually cleansing. He grew up in a coal-mining town in south Siberia where, like his father and grandfather before him, he worked in the pits. He recalls operating a digger and looking up at a distant forest on the horizon: ‘All the time I knew I was doing something wrong.’ Fomenko decided, instead, to study ecology at Irkutsk Agrarian University. After graduating, he moved to Primorsky Krai to continue his studies as a biologist and work as a wildlife game manager. Like some 90,000 others in the province he is a proud hunter and would supplement his income by shooting sable (a small mammal similar to a pine marten, prized for its fur). He still hunts today and says, ‘Many people do not understand hunters are the true friends of nature.’ Amur tiger Fomenko revels in such contradictions and insists numerous times while we’re together that he doesn’t even like tigers. ‘For me, the tiger is an umbrella. I can protect everything using money intended only for tigers and can conserve the forest where they live. So thank God we have our tigers.’ Fomenko joined the WWF in 1994. The Soviet Union had been dissolved three years earlier and with it state funding for nature protection disappeared almost overnight. Chinese prospectors quickly moved in. ‘Everything was targeted, from timber to frogs and, of course, tigers,’ Fomenko says. ‘And so people started to kill.’ But in recent years the tiger protectors have found themselves a powerful ally: the Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has come to regard the Amur tiger as a potent symbol of national pride. The Russian government has agreed to restrict logging in Amur tiger habitat and a presidential order in 2011 banned logging of Korean pine (although, over the past five years enough illegal wood from other species was logged to fill 400 miles of railways carriages). Pavel Fomenko, WWF Russia’s head of rare species conservation Credit: Olya Ivanova At the same time, it has has also increased penalties for poaching and possession of tiger parts. Putin nowadays rarely wastes a photo opportunity with a tiger, and a few years ago state media reported he had personally immobilised one with a tranquilliser dart as it charged towards a nearby camera crew – although no footage of the deed exists. Fomenko only raises an eyebrow when I ask him what he thinks. My visit comes a few weeks before the first snowfall of the year in Primorsky Krai. The silver birches, bent almost double under the weight of last year’s drifts, stand testament to the severity of winter here, when temperatures of -30C are not uncommon. In late autumn, the mercury hovers around freezing in the day and well below at night. On one such cold afternoon I meet Alexander Primenko who lives in a small clearing in the forest. The 65-year-old has stayed here alone for the past seven years and is part of a network of so-called ‘watchmen’, established to stay in the forest throughout winter to keep a lookout for poachers. Three tigers roam the forest close to his home and that morning we’d set camera traps nearby – tying them to trees on known routes. We manage to capture an image of one of the beasts. We also come across a paw print in the mud, the size of two fists and unmistakably belonging to a tiger. Being a watchman is a dangerous occupation. The left side of Primenko’s face carries a livid scar from a bear attack five years ago and his nostril is torn in half, whistling during the several shots of home-brewed liquor he drinks in my presence. ‘It was only a scratch,’ he says. He grew up in a village 120 miles from here, which is now all but abandoned. After his wife died of cancer a decade ago, he decided to move into the forest and live self-sufficiently as a watchman helping to save the tiger. He keeps chickens and bees, has a small generator for electricity and a wood-fired stove. In total, he has lost 14 dogs to tigers over the years and points out the empty kennels where a tiger recently broke in and ate three. A camera trap to follow the tigers’progress is set by Alexy, Alexander Korneev’s son Credit: Olya Ivanova ‘I see it like paying rent to them,’ he says. ‘The only feeling I have for the tiger is one of total respect. When you hear the roar, the noise is loud enough to split your head from your ears.’ A four-hour drive away I meet another watchman, Alexei Mitusov, 57, who also lives alone but with a stack of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie books to see him through the winter. ‘The tigers are always present, even when you don’t see them,’ he says. ‘To me, the tiger is the owner of the forest and I am his guest.’ As well as tackling poachers and loggers, Fomenko has placed great emphasis on conserving tigers’ habitat and prey. Over the past decade, three major national parks and other protected areas have been established, encompassing a land mass spanning almost 4,000 square miles and around 20 per cent of the tigers’ range. He also works closely with the 90 or so privately leased hunting estates in Primorsky Krai, 10 of which have now been transformed into what Pavel calls ‘model estates’, where tigers, and the animals they feed on, are thriving. Increasing their food in the forests means fewer tigers are wandering into villages. But, still, 40 conflicts are recorded each year, resulting in mauling and occasionally death. At present, roughly one person is killed by a tiger every two years. The most recent came this October when a 43-year-old man was mauled to death gathering pine nuts in Khabarovsk region, which neighbours Primorsky Krai. If caught, Fomenko says, the maneater will most likely end up in permanent captivity. Tiger ‘prison’, he calls it. With the vast majority of Russia’s Amur tigers that come into contact with humans, though, capturing and rehabilitating them before releasing them elsewhere in the wild is key to the national strategy. Not far from Vladivostok is a specialist centre for tigers that have come into conflict with humans. The team fight to keep the habitat safe for the animals to live within Credit: Olya Ivanova Established in 2012 with support from the government and various wildlife groups, so far 10 animals have been released from here back into the wild (including Vladik). The work is overseen by Ekaterina Blidchenko, a 30-year-old zoologist from Moscow. When I visit, there are two cubs, Saihan and Lazovka, who were bought here the previous winter. Blidchenko explains that the tigers are kept in sealed pens away from humans and slowly taught how to fend for themselves with live prey released once every five days. She shows me a recent CCTV recording of the tigers taking down a deer. One of the cubs lies in wait while the other chases the deer towards it. At the moment of impact the tiger leaps from its hiding place and catches the deer head on, grabbing its body and mauling its head. The deer is dead in a few seconds. It is both shocking and deeply impressive. ‘I love all predators,’ she says. ‘Sometimes they are prejudged by the people who live close to them but I don’t think this is fair. The tiger is part of our legend and fairy tales. If you start to look deeper, you see they are afraid themselves – more frequently than we can imagine.’ For days, we wait for news of Vladik’s latest movements. He’s passed through numerous villages and crossed the Trans-Siberian railway. If he moves any closer to Vladivostok he will have to be caught. One morning towards the end of our trip, Fomenko receives a phone call. Vladik has turned south-west, away from the city, over a vast plateau leading towards the mountains of the Chinese border. A broad smile cracks across Fomenko’s face. Vladik is safe – for now. http://ift.tt/2kgOt3l

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indiasendangered-blog · 8 years

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When Snares Set for Wild Boars Spell Trouble for Karnataka’s Tigers

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The deaths of tigers and other wildlife have brought to the forefront a situation where the ‘management’ of one animal leads to the accidental deaths of another.

A hundred and twenty-one snares were dismantled in a single day by the Karnataka forest department in a massive combing operation around the Nagarhole National Park boundary on January 31. Where once there were only four or five snares, now the forests are brimming with these quick fix killing contraptions – or so it seems. This rise in snares was noticed after the Karnataka government’s order last year that legally allowed culling of wild boars that were entering farms and damaging crops. The order, initially restricted to Ramnagara district, is now statewide.

Opinions differ on whether it was the order that was misinterpreted by the locals to increase the use of snares under the guise of legally protecting their farms from wild boars – or that the noticeable deaths of apex predators like the tiger brought back the focus on these silent killers that were omnipresent but overlooked by the guardians of the forest overtime.

Using snares to catch any wild animal always was and is still illegal in Karnataka. The latest order allows shooting after seeking permission but not snaring. Unfortunately, it is also a practice that is as much a part of traditional wisdom to protect one’s crops as any other method like fencing. Snares have been put around farms, coffee estates and wildlife corridors for defending produce or for other ulterior motives for ages.

G. Veeresh, who has been actively collecting evidence of snares and snare-related wildlife deaths in the Chikmagalur forest range, says, “The order is giving them free will to hunt and though it is illegal to put snares, they are doing it in the name of protecting farms from wild boars.”

Image of a snared wild leopard taken by G. Veeresh.

The wildlife activist adds, “Farmers and organised hunters will put snares because it’s easy and a silent killer. Those who have weapons will go on hunt but snares are easy. Villagers know that this is illegal but they are still doing it for the meat and skin. Even local tribes are involved in snaring. They use Bajaj scooter cables that are flexible and easily trap the animals. They keep a daily watch of which animal has been snared.”

It is not only wild boars that are caught this way. There are deer, blackbucks, hares, muntjacs and the occasional tiger.

Joseph Hoover, wildlife expert and former member of the state wildlife board, elaborates, “When a wild boar enters any farm or estate, especially in areas like Kodagu, Chikmagalur, it is a common thing to put snares to stop them. Even for deer. But it is not that they want to protect their farm. Basically they want the meat. Nagarhole, Bhadra, Dandeli, Anshi dandeli (Kali), BRT tiger reserve everywhere we have snares.”

It seems the use of snares that began as a sly measure by locals to defend land and capture a boar or two for the meat, has now blown out of proportion owing to the order that treats the boar as “vermin”– or animals that create nuisance. But wild boars are not the only animals under threat. Protected animals such as the tigers, leopards and bears too are becoming the victims of the callousness.

Accidental deaths

The tiger, leopard and sloth bear are all listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the highest level of protection given to wild animals in the country. This prohibits their killing and deems it as a punishable offence. The wild boar is listed in Schedule III of the Wildlife Act, which still makes it illegal to hunt though the punishment is less severe. However, under special circumstances if an animal is found to threaten human life or damage property, as in this case, the government might declare it as vermin for a specific period and thus allow its hunting. The order is a first for Karnataka but in 2015, under severe criticism from conservationists, the centre approved culling of nilgai and wild boar in Bihar and rhesus monkey in Himachal Pradesh by declaring them vermin in similar fashion.

Image of a snared Wild boar by G. Veeresh

Since the implementation of the order, Karnataka has officially lost two tigers, three leopards and two sloth bears among its big mammals because of the snares. This includes a one and a half year old tiger cub that injured its forelimbs after being caught in a snare in Ponnampet forest of Kodagu district on January 18th. Another tigress was found dead at Srimangala near Ponnampet when she too found herself accidentally stepping into the snares left to catch wild boar.

Two leopards were snared and found dead last year in the same location in and around Thangebailu, says Veeresh. The snares were in a banana cultivator’s farm in a land adjacent to the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and a known wildlife corridor. He adds that as recently as on 8th February, a sambhar deer and a barking deer were killed in the Chikmagalur range after they got caught in the snares put up by farmers to catch wild boars.

Order to kill

The revised order specifies that the person who has a wild boar raiding problem in his farm has to take prior permission. There is no provision of using snares. The boar must be shot by a person who has obtained a license from the forest department to kill the animal. He cannot kill a mother boar or her babies, and the injured boar or its carcass must be handed over to the forest department for post-mortem analysis and cannot be consumed for its meat. According to a state forest official, till date no such permissions have been taken.

Hoover says, “They are not supposed to put a snare at all for protection of land. If they shoot a wild boar, the forest officer should be told within 24 hours, the carcass has to be burnt or buried. It’s funny, because we don’t even have enough forest officers to protect the forest, how will he go and check each wild boar killing? So now everyone is trigger happy.” He also fears that the farmers or coffee plantation owners could easily take advantage of the situation, shoot a wild boar somewhere else and claim that it was raiding their crops. The government treating the boar as vermin only makes it easier.

There is another outlook though with regard to the tiger deaths. Ullas Karanth, conservationist and director of the Wildlife Conservation Society admits that the order does not seem to have a scientific basis because of the lack of survey before or after its implementation. But he firmly believes that the passing of this order and the snare deaths are unconnected issues.

“The Karnataka order permits shooting, not snaring, and immediate subsequent reporting and also destruction of the carcass. When wild meat is on illegal sale at high prices (Rs 200-300 per kg), as evidenced in the recent Chikmagalur urban poachers case, it is questionable who will follow this order, or whether it has any impact at all,” says Karanth. “We need good independent scientific surveys to assess the situation before this order was issued and after it was issued.”

He reasons increase in number of tigers death itself in Karnataka is because of the increasing population of the animal and its limited habitats.

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The state with the most big cats

Karnataka has been a conservation success story with respect to tigers. An estimated 406 tigers live in the state with 221 recorded in Nagarhole and the adjoining Bandipur forests. Tiger density here is higher than anywhere else. However, the upswing in the population also comes with the higher mortality risks. With the big cat population reaching its saturation point in core areas, the spill over to the buffer zone is obvious.

“Tigers, leopards and other animals dying in snares is nothing new – with increased number of tigers and leopards, such ‘by-catch’ of these species has also increased,” says Karanth. He insists that the foresters can and should search and remove snared inside and on the boundaries of the forests. “The good ones have been doing this for decades,” he says. “Nowadays, it is often done as a media show once in a while, with some NGOs too trying to get publicity out of it.”

Snare combing operation. Image courtesy The Hindu

After the tiger deaths, the forest department began a massive snare combing operation around the border areas of Nagarhole. Combing forests to look for looped wires that could blend in with the hundreds of wines and shrubs is like finding needle in a haystack quite literally. For the 121 snares dismantled in a single day, the department had to deploy 300 of its staff members, split into five-member teams moving around 17 km of the forest boundary from Anechowkur to Nanchi Gate.

More than 400 snares were removed during the week-long operation– a staggering number of hidden death threats for any wild animal. Whether the combing operation itself was a media stunt, an action to prevent backlash or a genuine attempt to protect the wildlife is debatable, but it is that the problem is far from resolved. Snares are still being set up, and the government order has only led locals to believe that they can kill a boar or a tiger without serious consequences.

Forests at risk

Hoover points to the other equally risky factors that come into play this time of the year– water crisis and wildfires. 80% of water holes in Bandipur have already dried up and the water shortage makes animals like deer come out of the protected zones and approach human habitations to quench their thirst. Where herbivores tread, the carnivores will follow and this increases the risk of being caught in snares.

The other problem is the dried forest cover which becomes more vulnerable to forest fires, as witnessed in the recent wildfire in Bandipur that led to the loss of a forest officer’s life. The department that is already 30 % understaffed has to deploy foresters and guards to prevent these man-made or natural fires. “When the crisis is so big, we are losing our people to go and work on the periphery of the forest to remove snares,” Hoover says.

Karanth feels it is impossible for the forest department to go into each private land and remove snares. This initiative must come from the land owners. He advises that regular patrolling and snare removals can be done by forest staff inside all reserved forests/protected areas. Publicity campaigns targeting landowners to control snaring can be launched. NGOs can go and remove snares on private lands, with permission of owners. Veeresh who has seen how farmers keep bringing back the snares even after they are removed feels, punishing them is the best solution. If the forest department punishes the landowners rather than only removing the snares, it sets an example and can make them more responsible.

Damage control

The problem of wild pigs raiding fields is not exclusive to India. In Europe, Africa and the US there have been dedicated efforts to stop the damage using various methods however general consensus is that hunting or snaring is not a solution.

Wild boars have a thick skull and hide which makes them a difficult target for hunting. They are also very quick learners and may change their routes if they sense a trap has been laid for them. Another argument is snaring might not be effective enough to take down the numbers that are actually needed to control the population. Farmers in the US, after two decades of legalised hunting have surprisingly also come to realise that the measure is counter-intuitive. Hunting, it is believed, becomes an incentive for the boars to reproduce more and grow in numbers.

On the other hand, there are some traditional, innovative and much safer methods already employed in India that use the animal’s basic behaviours and traits to keep it from doing damage to crops. One such practice involves the use of human hair. In a 2015 study it was found that spreading human hair (collected from barber shops) around crops controlled the damage up to 40-50% in farms as the pigs did not like the minute hairs sticking to their nostrils. Spraying fields with a domestic pig’s dung solvent also proved to ward off wild pigs, as it led them to think they were entering marked territory. Burning dried dung cake, erecting colourful saree boundaries, planting thorny bushes are other proven traditional methods for warding off these persistent crop raiders without spilling blood.

The deaths of tigers and other wildlife have brought to the forefront what experts always feared – a situation where management of one animal leads to the accidental deaths of another. The chosen method of selective slaughter is also questionable, when there is no scientific evidence to back the decision. The culling order has only given way to a self created chaos that could have been averted with a little planning and judicious approach.

This article by Atula Gupta was originally published in The Wire