CATS BEHAVIOUR EXTRAORDINARY MT.ABU

Big Kali Offspring of Mao

Makeshift kittens grave
From the day my bitter half brought Mao into this house cats have become a part and parcel of my life. Today Mao is a Great, Great- grandmother to over a dozen and a half kittens. Big Kali one of Mao’s off spring the other day astounded all of us by going out of her way to bury one of her kittens that had died during the night. Unfortunately I wasn’t there to witness this extraordinary behaviour of this cat. The folks at home who witnessed this strange behaviour of Kali were just too stunned.
I’ve known of cats eating their young ones at the time of birth. Cats seem to sense which of their young ones want make in this eat dog eat world of ours, hence they do away with these weak or unfit offspring as a matter of natural selection for the survival of the others..
The kitten died during the night probably because it was too feeble and could not compete with the other two for the mother’s milk. In the morning when Kali did not turn up for her meal the servant went to her box to find out why she had not turned up, it was then she discovered the dead kitten. She then went in to report the mishap to Liz.
When the servant went to get rid of the dead kitten she was surprised to see Kali carrying off the dead kitten and heading for the bushes in the compound. She followed the cat at a distance and was surprised to see the cat digging away at the soft earth near our lime tree. She ran back to tell everyone in the house. The folks watched as Kali made a sizeable hole and to their surprise and astonishment she placed the dead kitten in it and then proceeded to cover it up with the mud she had dug out, she then placed some broken pieces of wood over the makeshift grave probably to camouflage it from other predators.
Never have I heard or witnessed this kind of behaviour from any one regarding cats burying their dead. Have You?

INDEPENDENCE DAY Gate way of Mount Abu Bursting

Mount Abu straining with the influx of thousands of tourists.

JANMASHTAMI, as predicted, saw thousands of tourists thronging the streets of Mount Abu. The steady stream of traffic from early morning till late into the night posed a herculean task for the medical team and the staff at the Toll barrier. A very large percentage of those who made their way into our home town had never heard of the expression Swine flu.
I shot the Video above on the 15th of August 2009. I was on my way to the Leopard’s Lair Resort Bera, to meet my old friend and companion Thakur Devi Singh. I really wonder how long each tourist had to wait before he saw the pearly gates of this paradise of ours.

On my return today, from hearsay I gathered that hundreds of tourists had to return for lack of accommodation. I believe that Abu Road at the base of the hill landed with this unexpected windfall of tourists.
Today there was a mass exodus of these gracious guests of ours some with happy memories others well, not so happy ones of this unique hill station Mount Abu the hill covered in GREEN, its monsoon cloak.

Traffic on Independent Day

Plummy on a misty hillside

 cloaked in green

Mount Abu - STAY ALERT! PREVENT AGAINST INFLUENZA A- H1N1 SWINE FLUE

This is the second time in Abu’s recent history that Abu has geared up to greet all tourists with a team of medical doctors and fully fledged staff at the Abu gateway. The first time it was when the rat plague was declared at Surat. Tourist to escape the impending epidemic there made a beeline for the Abode of the gods a safe heaven. Today and the next two days Abu is expected to house thousands of tourists as two very important holidays coupled with a Sunday have fallen together. JANMASHTHAMI a big Hindu festival where the birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated has fallen on the 14th followed by India’s Independent Day.
This is one of Abu’s biggest gateway holiday for our Guajarati brethren, Abu during this time of the year becomes so overcrowded that it sometimes fails to accommodate the volume of tourists that head this way. Today I made it a point to take a drive down to Monkey temple in the hope of snapping some reed warblers along the way and to observe the inflow of the impending traffic that should be heading for this paradise of ours.
I did not witness the volume of expected traffic as predicted probably because of the fear of the dreaded Influenza A (H1N1) Swine flu, that is spreading apparently at an alarming rate in some parts of our country. Yesterday a meeting was held at the Global hospital by prominent members of the Abu officers, the medical fraternity and denizens of this hill station. It was decided that total precautions be taken to dispel fear and trounce rumors, that might arise with the influx of tourists.
Tourists should be requested to comply and co-operate in our endeavor to make this heaven of ours a safe place by going through routine screening at our entry point, if a tourist is ill he should immediately take help offered by our medical help line.
Locals have been advised to avoid crowds, and if suffering from flue like symptoms to remain at home. Tomorrow if I don’t hear the steady drone of vehicles down my road I will conclude that the tourists have taken the necessary precaution of staying at home and adhering to the old adage of our forefathers.
“Prevention is better than cure”. But the festival of JANMASHTHAMI is far bigger than any epidemic, so I know tomorrow Abu will be bursting at its seams before I retire let me conclude with

WISHING ALL A JOYOUS
JANMASHTHAMI!

Birds of Mount Abu Phase IV

Birds of Mount Abu 

Indian Paradise-Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradise fledgling

Indian Paradise-Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradise

r

Oriental Honey-buzzard - Pernis ptilorhynchus immature

Oriental Honey-buzzard - Pernis ptilorhynchus immature

Oriental Honey-buzzard - Pernis ptilorhynchus

White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis

Indian Golden Oriole - Oriolus kundoo

Indian Golden Oriole - Oriolus kundoo

Indian Golden Oriole - Oriolus kundoo

Gray Heron - Ardea cinerea

Indian Pond-Heron - Ardeola grayii

Pied Cuckoo - Clamator jacobinus

Pied Cuckoo - Clamator jacobinus

I know it’s been a while since I last posted, but the past month and a half have been overwhelming. Between my kid’s Mid-Term exams and setting up my new premises, I’ve felt dreary as this year’s monsoon. To top it off, I attended a medical camp organized by the LIONS Club Mount Abu at the Global Research Hospital, where a team of experts from Delhi conducted routine tests. The doctors advised me to go to Delhi for further evaluation because of my deteriorating heart condition.

 After showing the results to my family doctor, he didn’t hold back. “Ains, you need to see a heart specialist immediately. Your life is hanging by a thread,” he said, leaving me with a heavy heart. I promised to make the trip within a day or two, but the thought of facing another angiography—or worse, a bypass—left me in turmoil.

 As I approach the threshold of becoming an older adult, the idea of starting this new chapter of life with a stint or bypass is far from appealing. I had no choice but to visit my heart specialist, Dr Samir Dani, in Ahmedabad.

 On August 1st, I found myself in front of his panel of experts, undergoing blood tests, an ECG, and an echo. After reviewing my reports, Dr. Dani gave his verdict: “Ains, it’s your liver that needs more attention than your heart. You need to change your lifestyle.” During our conversation, he remembered he had to speak to my family doctor. After updating him on my condition, my family doctor insisted on an immediate angiography. With a sense of deep satisfaction, I assured Dr. Dani that his initial diagnosis was enough for me and that I would willingly undergo the angiography if it became necessary. He agreed and asked me to visit his hospital again on the 21st of this month.

 I spent the next three days in Ahmedabad, indulging in some shopping for my better half and relaxing, reflecting on the lifestyle changes I need to make.