Wildbuzz: Pirates of the Sukhna waters
The black kite, often seen scavenging, showcases agility in hunting, while colonial fears of snakes reflect a complex cultural dynamic in British India.
In popular perception, the black kite or the “cheel” is associated with scavenging from garbage dumps. This common raptor is, however, an ace flyer whose abilities to manoeuvre in tight spots is vividly on display when all of a sudden it swoops on a dead rat lying in the street by deftly evading the bustling traffic and the overhead mesh of electricity wires. Kites are agile and stealthy when they snatch food literally from the hands of picnickers or school children in the recess.
The omnivorous kite does take live prey, too. At the Sukhna lake, kites are observed flying over water and snatching dead or live fish. Wildlife photographer Parveen Nain, who spends hours at the Sukhna observing bird behaviour, captured a vivid moment of “piracy” in raptor behaviour with his long lens on Monday. Piracy is common in raptors — when one bird of prey attempts to steal the fruits of another one’s labour. The “kill” may change hands a few times between specimens of the same species or across different species roving in the same hunting grounds.
At the Sukhna, three kites got into a dogfight over a fish. The attempted piracy ended with none getting the tasty morsel. The victim probably lived to tell its fishy tale of an escape from the proverbial claws of death!
“With a powerful flap of its wings, a kite dived with its talons outstretched and snatched the fish from the placid Sukhna waters in a swift, graceful motion. As it ascended into the blue skies on a triumphant note, two other kites drawn by the commotion of the hunt swooped in from either side. The two kites in hot pursuit were intent on pirating the fish for themselves. Just as it seemed that one of them might succeed in wrenching the fish from the fleeing kite’s talons, the fish wriggled free from the harried hunter’s grasp. The three kites were left gaping in midair, and hungry, too, as the fish plummeted into the lake, breaking the water with a triumphant splash,” Nain told this writer.
Cobra vs the manly Englishman
The cobra hounding the fair memsahib figures in many a “spin, tale & verse” of British Raj lore. Admittedly, it was natural for the British to fear India’s abundance of venomous snakes as till the end of the 19th century, there was no cure for snakebite. But the other aspect of the phobia, remorseless violence and bounty hunting directed against Indian snakes was more Orientalist in its motives. It was rooted in Christian beliefs and English literary masterpieces depicting the serpent as Satan incarnate.
On the other hand, in the diversity of Indian cultures, snakes were worshipped and tolerated. The contradictory value systems gave rise to a Raj construct of the white man as a civilising and taming force, and India as an exotic land of devilish snakes, snake worshipers and charmers.
A remarkable watercolour painted by Lt Thomas Wingate in June 1837 and based on a real-life incident, portrayed cobras virtually turning into an anathema to emerging British ascendancy. Asst Prof Rahul Bhaumik (University of Calcutta) has authored in-depth critiques of colonial attitudes towards serpents. I requested him to lend perspective to Wingate’s watercolour.
“This painting of a frightened officer fiercely attempting to kill a cobra with his sword essentially depicts how colonisers reacted in panic when confronted by a cobra, as if it were surely a malicious one poised for combat. The painting not only indicated what the most deleterious Indian reptile would look like in action, but it also reflected an orientalist gaze that perfectly captured the vigour of a manly Englishman determined to repel the snake from causing mischief,” Bhaumik told this writer.
“A sense of fear and anxiety about confronting venomous snakes and being bitten by them was perfectly illustrated in this painting — a colonial obsession frequently projected in a range of literature concerning the Oriental jungle and lifestyle during the heyday of British rule. Above all, it illustrates how colonisers perceived their ability to exert control over the natural world, particularly regarding the containment of deadly snakes. This endeavour became a civilising mission reflecting the expanding European interest in the colony, as they sought not only to manage the wildlife but also to impose their authority and civilisation over an unfamiliar landscape,” added Bhaumik.