German Angoras in Mount Abu

The German Angora is recognizable because of its size, a purebred Angora is only white, coloured ones are considered to be crossbreeds. They are the ideal choice for rabbit farming because of their double undercoat. This rabbit rarely molts and its fur is harvested when it is three inches long, the wool is shorn regularly by hand and the rabbit groomed, this helps to prevent wool block which is a big risk to these woolly mammals. Angora wool fibre is spun directly from its source. The Angora is the largest breed, with a mature weight between 4kg to 5.5kgs.
The gent responsible for this initiative and foresight is a computer geek Arvind.. He has devoted a lot of his time and patience trying to pull off this project. With a lot of help from like minded individuals this unique project has taken off, with the government’s approval and financial support. Today this project goes by the name “Abu Agro Products Co-operative Society Ltd."
This project, the first of its kind is situated at the Oriya village opposite the Peace Park. This project was primarily started because of three factors, weather, wildlife and ecosystem. Angora rabbits give best results within temperatures of -2 to 25 degrees centigrade. In an eco-sensitive area, generating employment to landless, unskilled and unemployed country folks is the need of the hour. This project aims to employ weavers, designers and work personnel to manage this totally pollution free project.
This project, if handled correctly would be a boon for the following reasons. The reproduction rate of Angora Rabbits is much higher. Some details are as follows:Pregnancy period of angora female - 30 days;Litter size - 5 to 6 kits;Maximum pregnancies in a year - 5;Maturity period for pregnancy of new ones- 6 months;Therefore, by reproduction cycle, a single female and her female family members may (roughly) 32, 668, 41 00, 12920 kits in about five years.
The other advantage is natural animal fibre, clean directly from rabbits, does not require washing, its luxurious, not irritating to the skin, very durable, hand washable and blends well with other fibres, its seven times warmer than wool.
I was on the farm the other day and was surprised to see a lot of activity, there were some ladies weaving on Gandhi chakras, while others were attending to new litters recently born. There were quite a few tourists who had dropped in out of curiosity and were given a gracious tour and an insight into these lovable creatures by none other than Arvind, the originator of this project.
The farm is well constructed with ample ventilation, the rabbits are housed in large wire cages. The staff on the premises has to be a dedicated lot; they have to regularly groom these docile animals otherwise these lovable creatures would end up looking like balls of fluff. They need to inspect the droppings on a regular basis, if unhealthy droppings are observed a vet is to be informed immediately as it could be a case of wool block. Their water should be changed every second day and the dishes scrubbed on a regular basis. Rabbits are rather sensitive when it comes to changes in their diet or feeding schedule, this could lead to a loss of appetite. The establishment, to be successful, should have adequate and regular food supplies on hand otherwise shortage in this hill-station, could lead to disastrous consequences.
I’m looking forward to the day when the project begins to turn out its first shawls; I’m definitely going to get one for my lady love! How about you?

The first litter on the farm, 7 healthy kits

Angora mother suckling her first born

“Operation Dog-Hunt” echoing “Inhuman methods” Abu

After Mount Abu being declared an Eco-sensitive zone, it has changed the fortune of many a mongrel in our one horse town. The drive taken on by the Abu municipality to get rid of all its pie dogs with a vengeance has left me mind boggled , the cruelty meted out to the strays, caused my blood to boil. Their modus operandi is to sneak up behind the unsuspecting dog and then nab it by its waist with huge iron tongs, the dog writhes in pain and tries to attack the iron tongs hurting its mouth in the process, in the mean time two or three other dog catchers join in the melee with their tongs grabbing the dog by its neck or head, if the dog proves too strong for them then one of them delivers a resounding blow to the dogs head with his iron tongs knocking the poor animal unconscious or semi dazed. The dog is then lifted bodily with these tongs and thrown into a trailer behind a tractor. The dogs in this claustrophobic trailer are covered by galvanized sheets, the mongrels are so terrified in the dark that they lose their natural instinct to go for each other or for that matter to even growl. I’m sure it must have been the same for the prisoners who were led to the gas chambers during the Second World War.
Unfortunately, and fortunately for these dog catchers I did not have my camera on me as I was out walking my Basset hound, the video if taken of the scene I witnessed would have chilled the stoutest heart of any dog lover. I know I ran up to them and barged into them with a barrage of not too sweet words; they were caught off guard and cringed back when they saw me lift my cell phone to make a call. They released the writhing animal and scurried off with their tractor to an area up the road from where they had received a complaint from one of the residents living there, he had complained that his guests could not sleep as the dog made too much of a ruckus at night.
In respect to our mongrels I feel the increasing population of stray pigs should be taken care of. They rummage the surrounding area and rubbish bins by the side of the road causing the place to look like scenes out of some horror movie. Has anyone ever wondered what becomes of the poor mongrels huddled up in the trailer, well it is believed they are driven to some remote area way down the hill and then released to populate some other remote area. Dogs being dog are not easily fooled 50% of the veterans; sooner or later make it back up the hill. Some of the unfortunate ones end up as a delicacy to the dwindling panther population that inhabit this sanctuary of ours.
Meanwhile, animal lovers, if you see or read about atrocities on animals, especially our pariah dogs, you may write to your local animal welfare organization in Abu and the Animal Welfare Board of India, who in turn take action to stop the cruelty. The address
http://envfor.nic.in/legis/awbi/awbi13.html

Will post some snaps when the dog catchers are out the next time doing what they have to do.

Launch of Official Mount Abu Site

Today the official Mount Abu site will be launched from the “Trevor’s Oval”’ to grace the occasion the Minister of Social Welfare and empowerment Mr. Arjun Singh Dewda, the Collector Siddharth Mahejan (IAS) , S.D.M Mrs.Poonam (IAS) and the Chairman of the municipality Mr.Jalam Giri will be present.
The Web site–– www.montabu.nic.in - the brain child Collector Siddharth Mahejan , a porthole to the kaleidoscope- that is pictured and composed of this ancient land of the gods Mount Abu. This new site with its wealth of information about Mount Abu and its history, takes advantage of changes in Internet technology. The site has a clean, crisp graphical interface, and Mr. V.K. Gaur from NIC Technological dept, has portrayed the driving force behind the efforts of our controversial Dr. The Promoter our very own doctor has supplied the photographs and has written the scripts for this official site of Abu.
A browser based content management system will allow the site to be updated on an hour by hour basis with Weather reports as required.

Flying foxes of Mount Abu roosting

Majestic Flying Foxes of Mount Abu

Mount Abu has long been the sanctuary of the majestic Flying Foxes, their roosting sites close to the scenic Nakki Lake. For as far back as I can remember, they’ve found refuge in the towering trees around the civil hospital. Tourists visiting Abu often react with a mix of curiosity and unease when they first encounter these nocturnal marvels. The sight of them hanging upside down, observing from above, unsettles people, and their startled expressions are always amusing. Regrettably, bats have been affected by long-standing misunderstandings, attributed to Hollywood and Bollywood, which depicted them as malevolent beings associated with black magic, vampires, and eerie folklore.

 During my younger days, people approached me—sometimes desperate or eccentric—who sought to have these extraordinary creatures hunted for so-called medicinal purposes or arcane rituals. I would always give them the same response: the only reason I ever shoot any animal is to eat it. I learned this lesson early in life, and it has stayed with me. I remember as a boy, after shooting a few squirrels for their skins, my father approached me. With a stern yet gentle demeanour, he asked why I had taken their lives. I replied it was for their skin. He then posed a simple question that struck me: “What will you do with the rest of them?” I was unsure. That’s when he taught me a valuable lesson, one that shaped my perspective on life and nature. He told me, “If you take a life, it should have a purpose. Now you must cook and eat them, for life is not to be wasted.”

 Many of my friends hunted Flying Foxes for the thrill of an exotic meal, but I could never partake. I used to joke that I could eat anything that flew, except the silver bird, and anything with four legs, except the table I ate on. But over the years, life has softened me. I now spend my time educating others, especially the younger generation, about caring for the natural world. These creatures were here long before us, and it’s we who have encroached on their territory.

 But back to the Flying Foxes! Watching them at dusk, as they set off from their roosts in search of fruit, is a magical experience. They can consume up to ten times their weight, feasting on nectar, flowers, and fruit juice. With sharp night vision and a remarkable sense of smell, they navigate to their feeding grounds. However, their enormous size and lack of sonar (unlike their smaller bat cousins) make them vulnerable to dangers like high-tension power lines, especially on misty nights. These gentle creatures, so vital to our ecosystem, deserve our protection and admiration.

Flying foxes of Mount Abu roosting

Flying foxes of Mount Abu roosting

A Flying Fox of Mount Abu electrocuted on high-tension wires.

We Abuites have been living with nature for aeons, the flying foxes have been here and will always be here, living a life of peace and harmony.

Mystical Nakki Lake laid Bare Mount Abu

Nakki Lake laid Bare Mount Abu 

Nakki Lake Viewed  from Toad rock.

Nakki Lake 

This mystical and serene lake with its mysteries of being a lake with an unfathomable depth today stands bare with the latest survey conducted on it by limnological observations. No-where is it mentioned in the report that the lake is over 10.5 meters or more precisely 35 feet in depth? I never questioned the depth of the lake as I thought it was a few 100 feet or more than it’s an extinct volcanic crater, it was assumed that at various points the depth would be gauged according to the shaft that spewed volcanic rocks thousands of years ago, today’s technology boom sure has put speculation in its place.

When someone talks about the lake, it is generally accepted that it’s the main attraction of Abu and the tourists at large look forward to having a boat ride around the lake when they visit this lovely hill station of ours. Alas, the report is frightening. The lake now seen in its new vein after this report sends cold shivers down my very being. Is it going to be like many water bodies in different parts of the country that have turned into cesspools of filth? Rapid urbanization, unchecked discharge of domestic effluents, area of encroachment around the periphery of the lake, dumping of solid wastes, immersing of idols are also threatening the very existence of this calm lake.

Could a non-experienced "every day" citizen actually go head-to-head with an established Municipality and win, if position and power held by these individuals is not a factor? With the lethargic state of Municipal politics today, the answer is: absolutely. To save this life giving water resource, originator of life, and indicator of our overall health of the people of Abu, the Abuites are needed to goad these very officials they have voted into power to take a firm and lasting policy to see that the lake is preserved like the Kohinoor diamond. The lake is FAR more precious than any diamond in the world, as it is the root of all living beings. We cannot ignore the water of the lake as some common, worthless commodity. Our drive as responsible citizens should be to make an all out effort to save our own precious bowl of water if we and the future generations of this hill station are to live healthier.

My personal appeal to all Abuites are to come forward and try to save this Mystical lake of ours that has provided us with its life-giving waters, entertained the tourists and habitat to so many varieties of other creatures.DO GO THROUGH THE REPORT ATTACHED IT SHOULD BE A WARNING AND HARBINGER TO WHAT THE FATE OF THE LAKE HOLDS FOR US ABUITES.

http://ainsleyster.googlepages.com/nakkilakelimnologicalreport.pdf