E-Paper
Teaching the spirit of sharing!
ANIMALS CAN be the best teachers when it comes to inculcating a feeling of co-existence among the human beings. Ordinarily, the smaller animals shudder to venture near the larger ones. However, one can see a different scene at the Kanpur Zoological Gardens (zoo) where the big animals share their meals with the smaller ones. But, for seeing such acts of generosity, one has to be patient.The orangutan sharing its meal with birds is a common sight at the zoo. As soon as food is served, birds flock to the enclosure to have a bite.
ANIMALS CAN be the best teachers when it comes to inculcating a feeling of co-existence among the human beings.
Ordinarily, the smaller animals shudder to venture near the larger ones. However, one can see a different scene at the Kanpur Zoological Gardens (zoo) where the big animals share their meals with the smaller ones. But, for seeing such acts of generosity, one has to be patient.
The orangutan sharing its meal with birds is a common sight at the zoo. As soon as food is served, birds flock to the enclosure to have a bite. Though some hesitate going near the big animal, those on friendly terms with the ‘beast’ have a share.
Moreover, the orangutan also does not raise any objection or turn violent to the winged intervention during its meal time. Some of the daring bird-friends even enjoy a bite from the loaf the animal holds in its hand.
Similarly, one can see monkeys feeding other birds. The simians sit atop the trees near the enclosures and deliberately drop food in the birds’ enclosure.
However, the zoo authorities are averse to this act of munificence. According to them, the saliva-laden food that the monkeys drop can spread ailments since the primates are carriers of various infections.
Reports have revealed that many a deer has fallen victim to tuberculosis after consuming food served by the monkeys that they often steal from the TB and the Chest Hospital, situated near to the zoo. As such, the keepers keep a close watch so that the simians do not offer any eatables to other zoo inmates.
On the other hand, the crocodiles never miss an opportunity to sink their razor-sharp teeth into an unwary deer and eat it whenever their ilk comes to the water hole for a sip. But if fed well, the crocs are not a bother and the deer can easily quench their thirst.
