Wonderful world of animals

Two incidents trigerred in me a love for animals. The first was seeing a black panther. I still remember the black smooth skin glowing in the sun. It mesmerised me. I promised myself that some day I would have one as a pet.

The second was a new born deer. The young one's efforts to walk were touching. I saw the strength of nature in those attempts.

My grandpa lived an estate which I had only visited twice. My uncles used to take me hunting. We were in a jeep when my uncle spotted a black monkey. He trained his rifle on it and I closed my eyes and prayed. I heard my uncle ask the driver to "move on". I opened my eyes to see the monkey with folded hands as if it were pleading for life.

For 10 years, I lived in a small flat where we could not keep a dog though I loved dogs. When I was in std. IV, I saw a group gathered around a post. I peeped to see what the fuss was about. They were watching some peculiar insects.

I first thought it was a snake but a closer look showed that it was a worm with black smooth skin and tiny thorn-like projections all over. Its movement was so graceful, I wanted my classmates to know that it would not harm them.

I moved the worms onto a stick and turned back to show off to my audience. They looked at me as though I had captured three monsters. Someone pushed me and I dropped the stick. The others stamped the worms to death. I was most upset.

I fantasised about having reptiles and animals as pets. While my friends ran away from chameleons and lizards, I would stand still watching them. I wondered how people cosidered them ugly. Maybe god created them so, to save them. If they had been considered beautiful, I am sure the reptiles would have been extinct by now.

In Std. X, in the physics class, our teacher was talking about light. I saw a cockroach - a massive one with fancy wings and long whiskers - it was on its way to my classmate's desk, a row ahead. It seemed to be proud of its appearance and moved with dignity.

I wanted to share the beauty with my friend. I poked her and pointed, her eyes widened, the scream rang through the class. Everyone climbed over to their chairs especially the one, on whose chair it was. I knew they were going to kill the bug, I had to save it.

I popped up: "Ma'am I will handle it". One coward handed me a cockroach repellant stick, a chalk-like thing which poisons the bug. I drew a square around it to make sure that it did not move from me and die in the stampede.

I knew how to handle a cockroach for my sister, a biology student, had explained it to me. I caught its whiskers and lifted it up, there was utter silence around the room.

The cockroach slipped from my grasp and everyone screamed. I tried again and this time lifted it up and carried it out to safety.

In the first year of high school, during assembly, when everyone was praying my attention was caught by a bee. I waited till the assembly ended and then picked it up.

It had alternate shades of brown and black ... must be a worker bee, I thought. "Chee, put it down," somebody yelled from behind. I turned away and when I felt something sting me. It was the bee - it flew away leaving me with my swollen finger.

I did not mind that. At least I managed to save its life, I thought. But, the next day, I found my efforts were in vain. The bee lay dead.

Even after the stinging incident, my love for animals did not faded but I became more careful in handling them.

Now in my last year at high school I have four dogs and two cats. I tried to adopt a white mouse but "it carries germs" shouted my father.

Now I am trying to get the cunning, shiny, slippery one. I have carried it and held it once in my hand. I want my own pet python.

SUBASHINI VANANGAMUDI, XII-C

HOLY ANGELS' ANGLO-INDIAN H.S. SCHOOL, Chennai

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