Domesticating the Wild

While watching the video footage on television channels , of the Maharashtra state Minister of Agriculture, Balasaheb Thorat entering and fondling a wild animal, several thoughts and memories came to my mind.

While the media is busy finding fault with the minister with good intentions and blames him for violating the Central Zoo Authority rules, I choose to venture beyond and probe the behaviour of tiger cub.

The docile retraction of the domesticated feline inmate seemed to be a result of confined captivity. Instead of roaring and plunging at the intruders, the poor little thing preferred to be cuddled and fondled for its national audience. A huge disappointment for viewers, expecting a ferocious attack, demanding its rightful share of rugged, wild environs.

Just what exactly would have been at stake for this once-called-wild cat? Was it afraid of losing its new-found and most-loved possession, its cage? Once habituated to a cage in the zoo, where food is delivered at the appointed hour, an animal fears the challenges of the wild and becomes incapable of hunting for its own food, a fact one finds adeptly explained in Yann Martel’s book, Life of Pi.

Was the animal petrified by the entry of the most dangerous of animals, a human being? That too, a politician – a state minister! After poaching on the common man, all their life, this breed takes pride in poaching on wild animals in national forests as their primary leisurely activity.

Human beings have been responsible for causing the destruction of forests and poaching its tigers, did the animal in captivity fear the worst? Was it not a good time to spring at the powerful authority and register its protest for holding it in captivity and appeal to the general public “Mujhe aur mere jungle ko bachaao!”?

With the promise of a national audience by way of media cameras, several causes that deserved public attention could have been highlighted. Why then did it have to chose to sulk under the glare of the camera like a participant of the reality show, “Sach Ka Saamna”? Inspite of being blessed with the inability to speak, the animal had nothing to fear. Was it not the Minister who ought to have feared the truth serum, if at all?

The incident reminded one of a visit to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai, some years ago with my wife’s cousin and her little ones. While we were watching a leopard perched majestically, atop a low tree at the centre of a huge cage, a youngster standing besides us called out to him "Rajaaaah”. The animal immediately recognized his jungle call and seemed delighted to hear his voice. He came prancing excitedly like a child, and got himself fondled by the caller through the net mesh of the enclosure, until what seemed like eternity. “I have fed him since he was born, but I had to leave the city for my village” the charming visitor explained to us. He invited us to pet him while he held him by his nose and we felt somewhat elated by that experience! After thanking him for this unusual opportunity to fondle the wild cat, we left feeling enriched.

There have been numerous stories about animals not forgetting people who have tended to them in their childhood or period of ill-health. Similar stories can be found on the internet. One such incident about a lion embracing a female attendant who had nursed him back to health can be seen here.

We, human beings: evolved, civilized, educated, sophisticated, advanced, liberated, blessed with superior abilities, ends up easily forgetting the hand that feeds and nurtures. There’s certainly a lot for us to learn from the lesser ones amongst us -these animals!