{"id":5224,"date":"2016-07-26T10:43:06","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T05:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.indiawilds.com\/diary\/?p=5224"},"modified":"2020-12-01T11:58:52","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T06:28:52","slug":"learnings-from-wild-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indiawilds.com\/diary\/learnings-from-wild-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"Learnings from Wild Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n

Learnings from\u00a0Wild Animals<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

As a filmmaker and photographer, I observe the wild animals for a long time often waiting to capture some unique behaviour. Spending time with them\u00a0 also leads me into analysing them. Many of my subjects, both non-human as well as humans leave some lasting impressions in me. There are many character traits of these wild animals which I find is worth emulating.<\/p>\n

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Stretch before you get up:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

I don\u2019t remember many people stretching themselves after waking up. Most of the athletes and sportsmen are taught to stretch and warm up before their events. However, we have seen fast bowlers in cricket bowling without adequate warm up and tearing their muscles. I know of colleagues who have pulled their muscle by just showing up near the swimming pool without warming up and then diving into it for a fast lap. As opposed to use I have seen many species in the wild, stretch themselves after waking up. Every time I see a tiger or leopard, they yawn, stretch and then move on in search of prey.<\/p>\n

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A wild Tigress stretches herself near a water hole in Bandhavgarh National Park, India<\/p><\/div>\n

I have even photographed vulture stretching.<\/p>\n

\"vulture\"<\/p>\n

You can see your pet dog and cat stretching as well. Our yoga gurus have picked up asanas after watching wildlife. Wild animals do that instinctively. Perhaps we humans have lost our instinct for well being and have to be taught these via yoga teachers.\u00a0 The basic tenets of well being never change.<\/p>\n

You can also see the video of leopard stretching at 1m:40 seconds in this film\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/n-Yc5VNUN-o<\/a><\/p>\n

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Know your strength:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Many years ago just after dawn, I was on an elephant back tracking a tiger. The tiger suddenly found a pangolin and rushed to catch it. The pangolin rolled itself into a knot and hid its head in its belly. The tiger despite trying its best couldn\u2019t reach the head. The scales of the pangolin are hard and even the tiger can\u2019t break it. The tiger can kill a pangolin only if it can catch its head. After 15 minutes or so the tiger gave up and moved ahead.<\/p>\n

The pangolin knew its strength and its weakness. The pangolin can\u2019t outrun a tiger. Its strength is its tough armour plate like scales. It also knows that the weakest point is the head. So the pangolin hides its head by tying itself into a knot. Lesson: Hide your Achilles heel within your strong points.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t Follow other\u2019s footsteps: Chart out your own path<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

I was standing behind a tree for five hours without moving and had merged with my surroundings. So the birds in the wetland didn\u2019t take notice of me. They were engaged in their own activities.<\/p>\n

There were some Indian moore hens who were territorial and were prone to fighting. Every now and then one of them starts chasing the other. When they chase, they run on the water surface. Their light weight, speed and surface tension of the water all combined to ensure that these birds can run on water surface.<\/p>\n

\"Moorhen

Moorhen running on the water surface<\/p><\/div>\n

When they run, they create ripples on the water surface where they land their feet. I found invariably the Indian Moorehen which is chasing failed to keep up to the chase. The reason is the one who chases follows the exact path taken by the one who is ahead.<\/p>\n

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Second Moorhen following the first<\/p><\/div>\n

After chasing for some distance the follower places its feet on the exact same spot where the other one had placed its feet before. And then it immediately sinks. The one running ahead has broken the surface tension at the points where it places its feet. So when the follower puts its feet at the same spot, it sinks and the chase is over.<\/p>\n

\"Indian

Indian Moorhen chasing each other. When the attacker places its feet on the spot earlier disturbed by the fleeing moorhen, it falls down due to the lack of surface tension. Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh<\/p><\/div>\n

Every day in life, competitors be it business or individuals, try to outrun their competition. They think they can just be faster and outrun the leader. The leader has the advantage of reaching the place first. A soldier may say that the leader (or retreating enemy) may have mined the path. So don\u2019t follow the exact path. The leader would have created a positioning in the minds of its customers and it is not always easy to just remove the leader from that position. So take another route. It may be a steeper but shorter route.
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