Sunday, December 9, 2007

A Sunday Showdown


Story from Times Of India & Bangalore Mirror


Scene: Cubbon Park, MG Road, Bangalore, Sunday, 25th November, 2007.
A green tree snake slithering on a tree branch, trying to look for food on a damp afternoon in the city. It eventually found out its victim, a baby parrot, peacefully lying in its shelter, unaware of the incoming danger. The snake seemed to be ready for the kill, a nice meal which would serve the purpose of meeting his needs for the day.

Enter the Parent Parrots & there was a twist in the tale. The mother started guarding the nest, while the father took his aim at the snake's tail, in a desperate bid to teach him a lesson. The snake, completely unprepared for such a violent resistance, retreated back a little, but, didn't altogether abandon his mission. He kept crawling towards the nest. The mother parrot had seen enough, and she too, joined in the attack, pecking away on the tail of the hapless snake with a venomous intent. The combined efforts of the parents proved a little too much for their opponent who was clearly looking to get away with a easy catch, underestimating the power of the birds. He started his retreat back into his den, but, the parrots followed & kept on nagging & striking him near the caudal region.

Visitors to the park watched, awed by the scene they were experiencing, too overwhelmed to take any action. Eventually the Forest Officials came & rescued the snake, which would otherwise have been gravely injured & treated it.

P.S. The strategy & the on-the-spot courage & plan of the parrots amazed me, they knew that if they tried to take on the snake one-on-one facing him, they would make a meal out of themselves, so instead, they took the back door & came up triumphant, saving their baby & winning the hearts of the stunned onlookers.


Original Story from Times Of India:

A hunt for a snake created panic among visitors at Cubbon Park on Saturday noon. An 8-foot-long rat snake climbed a Gulmohar tree in front of the Bangalore Press Club in search of a meal.

Calls of alarm from a bunch of parakeets trying to protect their newborns and unhatched eggs on the tree attracted onlookers. Soon, a brigade of photographers converged on the spot.

After an SOS was made to a snake rescue team, reptile conservationist Mohan reached the spot and rescued the snake.

It was released at Bannerghatta National Park.

Conservationists, however, say, this amounts to "interference with nature”. Hundreds of reptiles co-exist with other creatures in Cubbon Park.

"It's unfair to relocate them," an urban ecologist said.

"This is the breeding season (September to January) of Rose-Ringed Parakeets, which are common in Cubbon Park, along with 100-plus bird species. They nest in tree holes carved by the Lesser Golden-Backed Woodpecker.
The snakes generally feed on the eggs and newborns during this season," said an ornithologist.

5 comments:

★●Shadow Stalker●★ said...

Lolz, you're online everytime I "buzz" you!!

Nor said...

great capture here, and all the rest of the pixes posted. You know I envy you. I love taking pixes too, but unfortunately I haven't purchased a good digital camera yet. Maybe next year.

Thank you btw for dropping a comment on my blog. Cheers!

Alan said...

Parakeets conjure up warm climets - out of reach - of which I long for this time of the year in the frozen north, though it is mild at the moment for this time of the year: +/- to give you an exact weather up-date.
Nature, yes, I really don't like nature, the brutality of it all- the strong preying on the weak. I can't seem ever to get my head around it, like I shiver at the thoughts of us humans eating meat, but I usually keep quiet about it, and do what I have to do, and leave everyone to do what they must.
Food for thought was you post. Now I'll riggle away and find some protection in the undergrowth.
;-) ;-)

★●Shadow Stalker●★ said...

@ Ronnie,
Hehe, thanks, well, you can always take up photography as a serious hobby. The prices of cameras have come down & there are good compact cameras available. 1 thing you should follow is, just go for it, regardless of what people might think or say.
Thanks for visiting my blog also. :)

★●Shadow Stalker●★ said...

@ Sean,
Nothing to say, except for a big LOL. Cheers buddy. :)

I don't think the undergrowth will give you enough protection from predators. :P

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