Wildbuzz | Innocence, curiosity, love

At an event to showcase the biodiversity of darkness in the guise of a moth lure screen at the Sukhna Lake Nature Trail, 6-year-old Variaam Singh astonished all as he tracked fireflies and rattled off guileless observations

Children, in all their innocence, can be cruel to creatures, pulling off wings of honeybees and giggling at their torture. Equally, some children can exude an unpretentious empathy and connect seamlessly.

At the Sukhna Lake Nature Trail, moths alight on Variaam’s patka, below eyes, fingers et al; and his favourite one, a Hieroglyphic moth. (Navjot Singh)

At a recent event to showcase the biodiversity of darkness in the guise of a moth lure screen at the Sukhna Lake Nature Trail, Variaam Singh (6) astonished all. The event took time to start, and while edgy adults busied themselves in small talk, Variaam tracked fireflies and rattled off guileless observations.

Finally, the light lure was switched on and as moths flew to the screen, Variaam parked himself underneath it. Unlike some adults who ignorantly perceive moths as venomous and prickly, the child was fearless and curious. Moths seemed to sense Variaam’s trust and alighted on all parts of his body and stayed put like overstaying guests!

With a twinkle in his eyes, Variaam recounted an imaginary conversation: “The moths told me, ‘Welcome to our home,’ and I said, thank you. I told them, ‘You are very beautiful and I love you very much’. The moths replied with the same words. I was very happy that moths liked me so much.” Variaam stayed with moths till 10.30 pm, and only a worried phone call from his mum got him to gently disengage and leave with his wildlife photographer father.

Back home in Sector 45, Chandigarh, Variaam does not let his granny slay the housewife’s sworn enemies. He traps house flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, snails and other creatures in jars, slips food inside as if he were hosting them lunch, and frees them outside.

A tiny hunter’s first triumph

Parenting presents an extreme challenge to red-wattled lapwings, especially while nesting in urban settings. Eggs are laid on the ground and are vulnerable to odious predators such as stray dogs and cats. The chicks scurry along the ground and hide desperately to evade constant threats, making good use of the camouflage afforded by a downy look.

Sometimes, lapwings lay eggs on roofs, and chicks find themselves in an odd spot with the anxious parents creating a cacophony to distract the covetous gaze of a hawk. Alighting on trees to escape predators is not an option for lapwings as they lack the toes required for gripping branches, especially the critical hind toe which is absent or underdeveloped.

Evading hunters and guiding chicks to hunt goes on simultaneously for the harried lapwing parents. Wildlife photographer Parveen Nain witnessed a tiny chick nail a prey in the garden of the physics department, Panjab University. Nain took photographs and added a pithy, thoughtful description of the ‘kindergarten lesson’ staged in the shadows of the haloed hall of physics.

“A chick took its first independent steps into the world. Every movement was driven by instinct, every glance a search for its next meal. The chick’s sharp eyes spotted a wriggling earthworm emerging from the soil. The worm was longer than what the chick had expected, but giving up was never an option for the little one. With determination, the chick grabbed the prey. The earthworm resisted, twisting and stretching in desperation. Yet, the chick patiently adjusted the grip of its bill on the earthworm, learning with every defiant tug. After a few attempts, the chick secured its prized food. That day, the chick didn’t just catch a worm. It earned its first victory, while a parent proudly witnessed another milestone in the journey from dependence to independence,” Nain told this writer.

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