Pet Cats are a Menace
They are decimating native wildlife worldwide...
Hey friends,
Greetings from Calicut, India!
This week at Write of Passage, we were asked to pick a writer to imitate in finding your voice. I’ve chosen Markus Zusak. Because he’s AWESOME. Expect to see hints of his style in my work moving forward.
My 4th semester of university is finally over. I’ve flown back home, and I’m already on the road! First stop is the coastal town of Calicut. I’m visiting family and doing some street photography.
Here are some links I enjoyed this week:
My review of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: This book is hands down one of the best novels I’ve read. Without a doubt. I found myself weeping throughout, something I’ve not done in a long time. In this post, I focus on just a few aspects on why this book is great. I’m going to be breaking down Zusak’s writing style soon. Stay tuned…
If you’ve read the book, this podcast is a good listen.
The Ultimate Guide & Reasons To Take A Sabbatical: I’ve just come across Paul Millerd’s work, and I must say that he makes some interesting points. This podcast is also worth a listen.
Male Asian Elephants fighting: I came across this video taken in Bandipur Tiger Reserve (my favourite forest), and it shook me beyond words. Watch it and see the power of the Asian elephant.
Pet cats are a Menace
It began with the murder.
I watched in horror as a pet cat viciously attacked an elegant, harmless bronzeback tree snake. I yearned to defend the reptile, but my teacher restrained me. His hands were around my arm, so revoltingly close.
“I cannot let you interfere, Ishan”
“That cat is going to kill that snake! I have to do something!”
“So what? That’s nature. You mustn’t intervene between predator and prey. Besides, that snake could be venomous.”
I was caught in the horns of two conflicts; the slaughter of the snake and my teacher’s ignorance.
“That is a domestic cat, while that snake is wild. The same rules don’t apply. And besides, that snake is completely non-venomous. Let me go!”
The attack continued. Claws met scales, sending blood everywhere. The snake flailed about, the instinct for survival still alive in its veins.
Despair grew in me as I implored my teacher. “I’m telling you, This is wrong!
“There’s no point arguing with me”
By the time I wrestled out of his grasp, the deed was done. The snake lay in a bloody mess. Entrails spilled everywhere. Its pitch black pupils now glazed over, staring into some strange middle space. Staring but not seeing. An abyss within which I felt myself falling.
Anguish turned to fury, the likes of which I had not felt before. Nails dug into my palms. Jaw muscles clenched. I wanted to bury my fist into his face with all my adolescent might. My spirit shattered, the weight of misinformation crashing over me.
Pet cats are invasive animals. They’re originally from Eygpt, spreading around the world thanks to humans. Due to their ferocity, they have an ecological advantage that allow them to overpower native animals. They are a menace that decimate wildlife worldwide.
That incident remains etched in my memory. But with age, I’ve gained perspective.
The conflict I experienced that day was due to poor communication. I never actually told my teacher why I wanted to intervene. I didn’t explain how pet cats were a threat to wildlife, how they weren’t natural predators. I didn’t tell him about my background with snakes, how I’d been trained to identify different species.
I was ignorant to an obvious fact; my teacher was oblivious of the natural world. Despite his lofty credentials (graduated from IIT—India’s Harvard), he didn’t know what was natural and what wasn’t. Moreover, he feared the snake was venomous (it wasn’t, but how could he know?). He thought he was doing a noble thing; protecting me and letting nature take its course.
If I had calmly explained the situation to my teacher, perhaps an innocent life could have been spared.
We must work to educate more people about this issue so that many innocent lives can be saved.
Postcard
Long Exposure is just awesome! The silky streams give the image an ethereal, almost timeless look.
I took this during the monsoons at one of the many mini waterfalls in Wayanad. I’ve been passing them since I was a child. Feels good to freeze this into an photography.
Tagging
because this follows his style of nature photography. If you haven't checked out his work yet, click here!Favourite Quote
Imagining is something we all do and I'm lucky I get to do that for a living - Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief (one of my favourite books!)
Have a creative, energetic and inspiring week!
If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.
Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.
I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)
So kind of you, Ishan. Love the photograph! I feel your pain and I'm sorry that you weren't able to save the bronzeback. But your intentions are loud and clear, my friend. Long may that spirit endure.
I don't keep a cat here in rural Pennsylvania because as you rightly point out, they are vicious, remorseless, serial killers. My friend's cats slaughter some poor bird, mole, or other animal almost every night and then sleep all day long. Interesting how your well-meaning, soft-hearted, and ignorant teacher (although well-educated in the sense of having gone to a top brand school) is representative of so many Green / environmentalist / anti-Energy activists.