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Clashes in the Wild:Human-Elephantconflict inSouth IndiaPlus: legendary

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John Isaac

May 2013 Volume 2, Issue 42

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Editor

Dr. Nandini Murali

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Reporters & Photographers

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Loretta Dean

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Cover Photograph

Ganesh Raghunathan- NCF

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Back to Basics

The last three years have been truly inspirational for me because of my meaningful engagement with Nature. Although I’ve been passionate about Nature even as a child, it is only now that I’ve redefined my relationship

with Nature. Three years back, a seemingly strange coincidence in the form of a journalistic story on the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala was a turning point. Today I know for certain that it was no mere coincidence; but synchronicity or a causal interconnectedness that is the Law of Life. Events in our life ‘happen’ only when we are ready. And at that perfect moment, events, people, and things converge, orchestrated by an unseen Force.

As an ecofeminist, the connection between exploitation and domination of women and that of Nature is all too obvious to me. Some time back while on a visit to a reserve forest, I was aghast at the brazen attitude of a group of young boys who were drunk inside the forest and indulging in boisterous partying with loud music, raucous jokes and male swagger. Why they chose a sacred space such as a forest to indulge in this kind of behaviour continues to baffle me. Why, even our language seems to reflect the belief that Nature and women are to be dominated and controlled. We speak of “virgin” forest, implying that it can be controlled and can be subject to (male) force; whereas the word “pristine” is more suggestive of purity and sacrality that is the essence of life.

Engaging with Nature has helped me glean spiritual truths—something I could not have experienced through mere intellectual study of religious and spiritual texts. Spiritual truths are simple and can there be a better treasure trove of spirituality than Nature? Where else can you witness a living throbbing example of interconnectedness than Nature? The endless cycle of life, death and rejuvenation is splendidly acted out in the theatre of Nature. In a forest, a fallen log of wood is not something that has outlived its utility. For it harbors a host of insects inside its hollow interiors.

When I listen to the song of the birds, I try to get into that sacred space between the notes. Or when I watch the rise and fall of the waves, I listen to the rise and fall of my own breath. And for just a fleeting second, my mind dissolves and disappears. There is only the song of the bird; the crash of the waves. As I watch the waves recede, I wonder if a wave ever considers itself as separate from the Ocean? Why, then do we?

Dr. Nandini Murali Editor

Can you listen to the music of the birds in the silence of your mind? Osho

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EDITOR’S CORNERBack to BasicsCOVER STORYConflict vs. Coexistence: Human-Elephant Conflict in South India ECOLOGYThe Fantastic Flying Fox: Madurai’s Unsung Eco- Champion The Butterfly Effect–Environmental Indicators of Madurai LEGENDJohn Isaac: Photographer of the Soul CAUSESThe WAR is Never Over EDUCATIONNeither Alternative nor Abnormal; Just NormalPASSIONDr Kumaran Sathasivam: Saving India’s Dolphins and Whales Sriram Janak: The Elephant WhispererDr. P. Kumarasamy: The Batman of MaduraiMAKING A DIFFERENCEThe Pilgrimage of the Olive Ridley Sea TurtlesQUESTHuman Isolation Chamber: Life in a Time-free ZoneHERITAGENative dogs: Breeding SuccessHUMOURMy Family and Other AnimalsBOOK REVIEWParadise Regained: Babylon’s ArkFrom the African WildernessVILLAGE VOICESChinakallar: On the Razor’s EdgeFILM REVIEWTerms of Endearment: Born free series FIRST IMPRESSIONSNegotiating Traffic and Culture ShockA Journey in Search of ‘Self’“You’re Going to India? Are You Sure?”The Discovery of IndiaA Martian is Here!LAST IMPRESSIONSA Journey Without a MapMemories of an Indian Interlude

COnTEnTS May 2013 | Issue no. 42

EDITOR’S CORNER

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Conflict vs. Coexistence: HumaN-ElEpHaNT CONflICT INSOuTH INDIaHuman-elephant conflict is as old as civilization. However, fragmentation of forests that have been turned into tea plantations has resulted in an alarming rise in human elephant conflicts in South India. loretta Dean talks to a section of scientists, conservationists and community to report on participatory methods to reduce such conflicts through building people’s awareness and the introduction of techno-savvy elephant alert options such as SmS, Elephant Information Systems and mobile-operated light devices—all of which ensure that humans and animals live in harmony

By Loretta DeanUnited Kingdom

Photos By NCF

Madurai Messenger Cover Story May 2013

We had passed through the government checkpoint and were at a divide. The last settlement sprawled in the clearing before the dusty tyre-track roads

faded out and the valley became enveloped in the heavy green thicket of the forest. A piercing wail ripped through the silence that only the soft rustle from the neighbouring shade trees had managed to touch. An angry red light flashed down at us from the top of a tall fence laced with the sinister spikes of barbed wire. We were surrounded. At a height of over four and a half metres, our shining red Chevrolet Tavera was just another breed of elephant to the sensors and the alarms were activated. Panic-stricken, our driver began to reverse

too often do views verge on becoming anthropocentric and we forget how the conflict arose, we forget whose land was encroached on first and, conveniently, we forget that the land covered by the vast range of tea plantations, banana trees and crops was once the dense forest habitat of the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus).

“There is no continuous stretch of forest,” explains Anand Kumar of the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Valparai, “it is all fragmented.” Although he agrees that crop raiding is the main form of conflict, the NCF wildlife scientist is quick to discard the notion that elephants come into communities looking for food. Inherent to their lifestyle and pattern of movement, an elephant needs the great expanse of the forest. “They need that space. They need to roam,” defends

Elephants along Naduar and Sholayar river in Valparai, an example for forest fragmentation

Ganesh Raghunathan, another scientist working with the NCF.

Loss of habitat through fragmentation One-hundred and fifty years ago, the Valparai plateau, situated in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats, used to be thick with rain forests. British planters destroyed 72 per cent of the forest, converting the diverse ecosystem and precious habitat into a range of sprawling tea estates. Today only a few fragmented patches remain. Since the matriarch holds the knowledge of where to lead her herd and in what season, elephants follow the same routes. The same ground is retraced on an annual basis. An elephant’s territory is vast, and “their digestive capacity is really low,” explains Kumar who highlights the issues arising from the fragmentation of the great mammal’s habitat. Without

contiguity in habitat, elephants are forced to move between the small patches. Inevitably, as they move across land that was once encompassed by the forest, elephants enter tea plantations, fields of crops, and settlements; conflict ensues.

Deathly encounters Movement between patches of forest occurs through the evening and into the night. This poses significant threat to humans as it is difficult to distinguish an elephant in the low visibility onset from twilight. Stumbling across an elephant in the dark can be fatal. On Saturday March 11, 2013, C. Ramakrishnan (55), an estate supervisor for the Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TANTEA) in Pandhalur, had left his house late at night to answer nature’s call. Unaware of an elephant’s presence, he walked straight into its path and was killed.

In Valparai, thirty-nine deaths have been recorded over a eighteen year period, 1994 and 2012. Sixty-three percent of fatalities occurred within a period between December and February. Seventy-two percent of the casualties died on roads. Ninety percent were oblivious to the fact that they were in the company of India’s great trunked

“There are no problem elephants, only problem locations,” says Dr Anand Kumar, scientist with the NCF, who won the prestigious Carl Zeiss award for conservation in 2012

Awareness is central in avoiding human-elephant conflict. “They charge because you disturb them,” explains Sriram Janak, well known wildlife photographer, who identifies warning marks that can signal their perception of a threat

Early warning - the elephant alert indicator, which can be visible up to 3 kms

the intruder from the entrance of the local government guest house. The sirens continued to scream.

Whose land is it anyway? Human-elephant conflict is not a new issue in India, nor is it one that communities haven’t tried to handle. Firecrackers, tin utensils, whistles and drums have all been employed by villagers for centuries as they attempt to drive away the elephants that intrude onto their land. But will a definitive solution ever be found, or does the answer lie with a location-based amalgamation of alternative options? Besides this, we need to address our interpretation of the conflict itself. Far

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wanderers. All incidents took place at night.

Although these fatalities, an average of two-three per year, are a direct result of human-elephant conflict, Kumar is quick to highlight that all incidents were accidental. Elephants are not vicious, blood-thirsty beasts. Nor are they premeditating, cold-blooded killers.

Three human deaths were recorded during 2012. A man had been walking through the forest when the crisp snap of branches would have alerted him to the passing line of a herd. Since he was on his way home the man knew he had to cross the path but he could see young elephants amongst the herd. Local villagers know how protective elephants are and the defensive aggression identified amongst them when a calf is felt to be threatened, is common knowledge. So the man crouched behind a tree, concealed in a deciduous disguise of foliage and made a phone call, alerting others to the location of the passing herd.

“Elephants can often leave gaps between each other in herds,” said Kumar. Victim number one had misjudged the path to be clear; more elephants were to follow behind. “He should have been more cautious,” said a regretful Kumar.

Fortunately Valparai is not a region where retaliatory killings have been seen to take place and an elephant has not been killed since 1994 when a bus ran into a crossing tusker. Elsewhere, however, tolerance levels have been fraught. Forty to fifty elephants are killed each year. Mass killings have been recorded as farmers lace their crops with poison. Angered relatives, frustrated farmers and discontented villagers turn to poachers, hunting down the ‘problem wildlife’ they blame for their loss. The train tracks that cut their way across India’s National Parks have become the location for an all too familiar scene, their oil-stained lines tarnished with a darker stain. Elephants have had their share of suffering.

Passers by watch a group of elephants making their way along the human corridor

Elephants marching in the tea estate in search of water

Elephant Rage A grainy video, crackling from the palm of a local Valparai villager delighted to share his amateur filming debut, had been our first introduction to the other side of the conflict. A cacophonic babel of sound erupted from the man’s mobile phone. Shrill whistles pierced from the shouting crowds that gathered in the foreground, the noise rising in pitch almost as frequently as the tirade of stones that were hurled towards a herd of elephants. The screen became


elephants turned, their tails raised, swishing in angry circles. They were cornered. A final trumpet broke from a furious tusker as the huddle of creatures broke forward into a mock charge. Dust flew into the estate road as the herd stomped forward; the crowds dispersed.

Conflict that arises brings an intense level of trauma and stress on elephant herds. “Herds require a safe distance,” explains Kumar, “They are hassled by the proximity of people.” The slightest of movements can trigger a charge from a tense individual. “Even camera shutters disrupt elephant,” says eminent wildlife photographer Sriram Janak. After taking the Asian elephant as his muse, Janak has spent a great deal of time capturing the wild mammals in his photography, gathering a wealth of experience in elephant behaviour and conflict. Janak upholds a level of respect for the creatures that have become subjects for the majority of his wildlife photography, emphasising their temperate nature as India’s “gentle giants.” “They are really humble,” he explains, “Much better than human beings.”

half a kilometer whilst its passenger continued to shoot with her small camera. “Nothing happened,” assures a grinning Janak, “Only the driver was really shaken up,” he laughs.

Raising levels of awareness Awareness is central in avoiding human-elephant conflict. “They charge because you disturb them,” explains Sriram Janak, well known wildlife photographer, who identifies warning marks that can signal their perception of a threat. “Sometimes elephants can be so scared they urinate,” clarifies Janak; otherwise alerts can be seen in the uprooting of grass, or when water and soil is thrown towards you.

Within communities, such as Valparai, ignorance towards warning signals can

a blur, out of focus; the air had become thick with smoke as firecrackers were detonated, their explosive cracks echoing from the speaker. The group moved in defence, packing themselves into a tighter formation and shielding their calves from view. Deep trumpets burst from the building rumble and the facing elephants stared towards the camera, their ears spread. Warning.Clouds of sandy soil billowed upwards as the great grey trunks became tall chimneys, spreading the baked earth into the air. Caution. The taunted Close encounters

In spite of Janak’s revere for elephants, the photographer is well aware of the dangers they can pose. “Once or twice they have hit our jeep,” he reports. With regular visits to National Parks such as Kabini National Park in South India, Janak is no stranger to the stories of conflict. Certain elephants may be identified for having particularly aggressive characters and Janak describes how an irate tusker had charged at a jeep containing a woman and her driver. Since the bull was on musth, a sexually aggressive period that results from a surge in hormone levels, his hostility was heightened and he plunged his tusks into the front of the vehicle. With his tusks appearing at the driver’s feet, the elephant had managed to walk with the jeep for

“Sometimes elephants can be so scared they urinate,” clarifies Janak. Otherwise alerts can be seen in the uprooting of grass, or when water and soil is thrown towards you

Elephants raiding a colony very close to the forest

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about the current programmes and he is keen to show the various materials that are sent out to the community. These include packs of ‘Ele-kits’ on ‘elephant etiquette for elephant welfare,’ a programme designed by the Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO) and sponsored by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) which helps to encourage appropriate behaviour, preventing unnecessary confrontations.

“It is about avoiding conflict,” says Sriram who explains how villagers have planted crops that attract elephant into the area. As the mammals are becoming accustomed to the throwing of firecrackers and other measures used to drive them away, action must be taken to avoid this conflict. So far, the government has introduced rules, setting a 2 km boundary to surround the foothills. Within this clear zone, the expansion of existing fields and the planted crops that attract elephants are prohibited. WAR recommends that the storage of food supplies is kept underground. Liquor, rice and sugar stocks have become an all too tempting lure when access is easy for elephants.

In Valparai, however, there has been little crop damage; instead, conflict has arisen during food raids. Elephants raid noon-meal centres and ration shops where government-distributed rice, dhal and salt are also stored. As the buildings are situated among workers’ tenements, close to other houses and colonies, the situation is aggravated and levels of destruction increase. For poor subsistence farmers, even the slightest loss from damages can push them further into an endless pit of poverty.

A trail of destruction Sadly, in regions affected by human-elephant conflict, property damage has become a bitter scar shared by the community. High on the valley, above the single road that winds its way through the tea estates to the remote village of Chinnakallar, there remains a solitary shell of a house. A crumbling edifice, the building stoops in ruin. Half of the tiled roof has collapsed and the

Swamp- Favourite spot of elephants A group found in the tea estate very close to a small pocket of the forest

Elephant and human habitats located close to each other

Human invasions on elephant corridors

is already evident in those that the government has installed across various properties in Valparai. “There should be a sense of ownership,” concludes the scientist, who believes that the security measures would be more effective if people to view it as their own. Already there is concern that the villagers view it as the government’s fence and Kumar argues that this outlook will divide the people from the authorities.

Solutions must be collective, community support is essential. With group participation, there is a greater potential for long-term benefits and a reduction in human-elephant conflict. Elephant trenches, early warning systems, lights and SMS alerts are all solutions that can be highly effective in avoiding conflict.

Valparai is currently location to one of the most comprehensive and innovative pilot projects, using the latest technology towards elephant conservation. Kumar and his team at the NCF have developed a successful Elephant Information System that has been introduced across the Valparai plateau. With strong collaborative cooperation from the Forest Department that employs between three and four trackers as part of the project’s Conflict Response Unit, GPS information is shared on elephant location. Local television stations report on these GPS positions to raise warnings and awareness, facilitating individuals in the arrangement of any precautions.

With a growing database of numbers, the SMS text messaging service is another efficient mode of warning, alerting over 2,400 people to the presence of elephants. Messages of caution are delivered in both Tamil and English and are sent out to inhabitants residing within 2km of an elephant sighting. With the advanced warnings, workers are able to take necessary action, planning alternative routes home or avoiding dangerous shortcuts. So far, Kumar has found a positive response from the SMS system and communities have supported the program, spreading

be deadly. A recent sighting of a herd making their way through a tea estate had driven hoards of factory workers to the plantation. The assembled mob had reached for their phones, eagerly moving in for a closer shot, taunting and teasing. “They ignored all the signals,” said Kumar with disdain before a sorrowful cloud of regret casts over his features. The elephants performed a mock charge. Individuals had been too close. The casualties had been caught up in the crowd – they had not been the ones jeering, whistling, or brandishing theirs cameras, their lights or their phones. What had seemed like a fun break from

factory work resulted in a fatal clash. Both sides paid the price of conflict.

Kumar is clear that there is a need to manage tolerance levels and increase community awareness. In the Rajapalayam district of Tamil Nadu, a range of conservation initiatives have been implemented under the directives of the Wildlife Association of Rajapalayam (WAR). The organisation offers advice on how to minimise conflict and has been responsible for the distribution of educative material to teachers and students across India. P.R. Sriram, founder of WAR, is enthusiastic

bricks of an outer wall lay in fragments, almost concealed by the wild grasses that have colonised the dilapidated remains of an elephant’s destruction, long deserted by its human inhabitants.

For scientists like Kumar, separate solutions need to be sought for both human loss and property damages. “There are no problem elephants, only problem locations,” says the NCF representative. This way focus needs to be attuned towards how we can overcome the issues associated with so-called problem locations, rather than allowing resentment to be built towards

elephants which wander into the land we consider as our territory.

A people-centric participatory approach We need to take the time to consider the measures that ought to be put in place and how technologies can be put to the best use in the most suitable locations. Electric fences are effective, but only for small farms and individual premises. Kumar insists that it would be wrong to obstruct elephant movement were electrical fences to be deployed for large areas. “Elephants would find a strategy,” he says; they would pull the fences down and poor maintenance


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the message of warning across their particular colonies.

In addition to location updates via text message and TV announcements, mobile-operated warning lights have recently been installed in projects that has earned Kumar one of the prestigious Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Awards 2012. With funding support from a variety of companies including UK based Elephant Family, Kumar and his team have set up the red LED light system in prominent positions across Valparai.

Fixed high up on masts, the flashing lights can be seen from a great distance. Locations were assessed, taking into account elephant movement, visibility factors, and human movement. The light installations overlook specific locations, such as bus stops, where individuals may be vulnerable to an unanticipated animal presence. It was at a local bus stop that the warning system first came into conception. A watchman had been patrolling outside his house when he saw a grazing elephant in the distance, between himself and a bus stop. With his flashlight he could discern a man who was waiting and unaware of the elephant’s presence. Using his torch the watchman signaled a warning, preventing the man from entering into the great creature’s path. A chance

Ganesh Ragunathan- a Scientist at NCF

Prof.Anand Kumar- Senior scientist at NCF

encounter that could have proved fatal; the light had saved his life.

The current LED light system is operated via mobile phones. Just as the watchman had switched on his torch, a responsible member of the community would be tasked to dial a number which activates the red warning light. After monitoring the usage and response to the lights, Kumar has found that ninety-eight per cent of operations were successful. One per cent could be attributed to false alarms, and another such percentage to failed operations, as in the case of a burnt out light. For Kumar, these results denote success, “it means people are serious about the lights,” he explains.

One of the most important aspects of the project was to secure the community’s cooperation. “They know what will help and what can be done,” said Kumar. As the watchman coined the light solution, Kumar believes it shall be seen as the people’s idea, helping to facilitate a greater level of acceptance amongst the residents of Valparai.

In the Valparai region, there is an impressive support network on hand to assist members of the community. Kumar is full of praise for the Forest Department and remarks on their

alliance with the NCF as a “great collective effort.” In the early hours of the morning, a woman had found herself trapped within her house with her one-month-old baby. Outside an elephant had been feasting on jackfruit from her garden, working its way closer to the house. Soon her baby was sure to cry and the woman was filled with fear, terrified about how this intrusion might transpire. She didn’t know how to ward off the elephant’s advances and the reality that the elephant would be attracted to the food stocks stored within her house became an all too troubling. After receiving a call from the panicked individual, the Forest Department immediately deployed their workers. Within minutes an experienced team was on hand, ready to assist.

Human-elephant conflict cannot be eliminated. It is a concept that has been around for as long as the invention of agriculture itself. The ability to coexist, however, is definitely an option. “Our goal is to live with the least amount of conflict,” says Kumar and, as the conservation efforts from individuals like himself and P.R. Sriram continue to mitigate conflict, raising awareness amongst communities, this objective may not be as farfetched as we had once thought.

Solutions must be collective, community support is essential. With group participation, there is a greater potential for long-term benefits and a reduction in human-elephant conflict. Elephant trenches, early warning systems, lights and SMS alerts are all solutions that can be highly effective in avoiding conflict

The Fantastic Flying Fox: maDuRaI’S uNSuNg ECO-CHampIONKrysten maier on the lesser known aspects of bats, the world’s only flying mammal. abundant in and around madurai, she busts the several myths and superstitions about the animal that threaten its existence unless awareness building measures about the role of bats in ecological balance are undertaken

Story and Photo By Krysten MaierCanada

Bats have always held a certain fascination for me. Normally I have held them in the reverence

of a rare sighting, only found with the best of luck in the deepest of woods. In and around Madurai however, bats are a part of life, a part that I see every dusk at my home in Moolakkari and occasionally glimpse streaming out of temple spires. The most famous of the Madurai bats is the Indian Flying Fox,

the largest species in the world. Despite attractive fox-like features, these gentle fruit bats have a hard time winning the hearts of those who aren’t softies like me. Nonetheless, these animals play an essential role in the ecosystem and improve the lives of many.

“People are ignorant about bats,” asserts Dr. Paramasivam Kumarasamy, Madurai’s resident bat expert who

Gentle giant - This enormous Flying Fox taking flight from its roost in a tree

graciously agreed to enlighten me on his favourite topic. The people of Madurai don’t know about the different species of bats and associate them with ghosts and evil spirits because of their nocturnal habits. Misconceptions about them run rampant and the mythological stories surrounding the creatures colour the vision of the general public. Bats are thought of as carriers of disease and


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towards conservation, for if they don’t, who else will?

Like any conservation issue, it seems, it comes down to informing the masses, who interact with animals—though sometimes unknowingly—on a regular basis. Surely if we were all as informed as Dr. Kumarasamy, we would be less quick to cast judgments about the flying fox and make simple changes to protect it, knowing all it does for our ecosystem. An incredible critter woven into India’s rich and biodiverse eco-tapestry, the Flying Fox is one animal that we cannot afford to lose.

Thankfully the misunderstood creatures have some friends in Madurai yet, like Dr. Kumarasamy and his colleagues from Madurai Kamaraj University, who have studied the flying mammals. This collection of scholars launched a petition to have bats removed from the vermin list in the late 1980s, and in 1996 they finally were removed from the list

due to simple misunderstanding or superstition by city inhabitants, already limited to the outskirts of Madurai, in places like Alagar Koil and the university campus. Farmers may revile the bats because they feed on their plantations, but at least people here do not hunt bats for their meat, as in other South Asian cultures.

One of the main solutions directed to the problem of loss of habitat by conservationists is the construction of bat houses, but Dr. Kumarasamy tells me that no such houses have been constructed in the Madurai area. “I am planning to ask the district collector to raise a bat house near a field somewhere,” he explains. For now, the many temples, active and abandoned, in rural areas serve as temporary havens. They are actually ideal roosts for the flying fox and tie the fate of the bats with India symbolically as well as physically.

Information to germinateAs it stands the Indian Flying Fox is classified under the conservation status of “Least Concern” meaning that they have a large range and strong numbers but are staring imminent decline in the face. According to Kumarasamy, “So far no efforts have been made by any institution or group to conserve bats in India.” Undoubtedly, the problem will have to get worse before due attention will be given to it, but by then it might be too late. My bat expert tells me that it will have to be the people currently working on and studying bats in Madurai who must take the first steps

Madurai Messenger Ecology May 2013

talked about only in negative connotations—when feeding on farmers’ crops, for instance.

In 1972, bats were classified as vermin under the Wildlife Protection Act of India. This gave the public the right to exterminate the supposed pests and chase them out of their roosts when inconvenient to the human population. Thankfully the misunderstood creatures have some friends in Madurai yet, like Dr. Kumarasamy and his colleagues from Madurai Kamaraj University, who have studied the flying mammals. This collection of scholars launched a petition to have bats removed from the vermin list in the late 1980s, and in 1996 they finally were removed from the list. Now the bats are safe from direct human devastation, but there is still a long way to go in educating the citizens in and around Madurai about the bats who share their space.

Meet the bats of MaduraiThere are thirty-six distinct species of bats living in and around the Madurai area. Thirty-two of these are insectivores, like the ones I nightly observe feasting on mosquitoes in the gloaming of Madurai’s outskirts. Making up 70 percent of all bat species, insectivore bats are generally smaller, with large radar-like ears, primarily using echolocation as a means of sensory cognizance. The other 30 percent are fruit bats like the Indian Flying Fox, or Ppteropus giganteus, the most famous of the four species of Madurai fruit bats.

While fruit bats in general are larger, the flying fox is exceptionally so, often weighing in around two kilograms and with wing spans of up to six feet. Like most fruit bats, the flying fox has small ears, but large eyes and a tubular nose, giving them excellent night vision and a stronger sense of olfaction, even better than dogs. They use these traits to locate their primary nourishment of fruits and the nectar, pollen, and often petals of flowers under the cover of nightfall, nocturnal like their insect-eating counterparts.

Although their being nocturnal is not integral to their feeding habits, as with insectivores, fruit bats wait until the cover of night to go on the wing seeking nourishment to avoid confrontation with predators. The flying fox’s size does not make them much of a target for raptors or snakes, but their

Dr. Kumarasamy’s face lights up as he tells me with positive glee about another amazing case of plant-animal co-evolution; certain plant seeds actually require

passage through the digestive tract of the fruit bat in order to germinate. I learn that the flying fox is a keystone species to tropical forests, benefiting an

impressive 188 plant families

In 1972, bats were classified as vermin under the Wildlife Protection Act of

India. This gave the public the right to exterminate the supposed pests and chase them out of their roosts when

inconvenient to the human population

young—of which bats produce only one per year—can certainly be vulnerable. Because of these nighttime habits, the plants frequented by the flying foxes have adapted to them over the course of evolution. Certain flowers have developed a stronger perfume, lighter colour to be easily spotted against the dark and even open only at night.

There’s a new pollinator in townThe reason so many species of plants have made such adaptations is because they strongly depend on the bats for pollination. While most people associate bees and butterflies with pollination, the world’s only flying mammal is equally integral to pollination and seed dispersal. In fact, 532 tropical plant species are exclusively pollinated by bats, particularly in desert ecosystems.

Additionally, as bats generally carry fruit away from trees during food gathering, they disperse the seeds for 114 different plant seeds. Dr. Kumarasamy’s face lights up as he tells me with positive glee about another amazing case of plant-animal co-evolution; certain plant seeds actually require passage through the digestive tract of the fruit bat in order to germinate. I learn that the flying fox is a keystone species to tropical forests, benefiting an impressive 188 plant families.

This vital information concerning the well being of forests of India is little known to the common public. Not only does the giant flying fox pose no threat at all to humans, but they put food on our plates and help us breathe fresh air. What would India be without the fruit shops bursting with colours and flavour, or the lush green countrysides crawling with plants and trees? If the people of Tamil Nadu only knew how important the flying fox bat is to their everyday lives…

Home for the Flying FoxesAs it stands, people don’t give bats their due regard and 50 percent of the world’s species are endangered, in some way. This is primarily due to habitat destruction and dwindling food sources through deforestation - the felling of trees and stone quarrying. This is particularly relevant for the flying foxes, as they roost in trees, rather than caves, such as tamarind or banyan. Colonies of bats have been forced out of their homes

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Volunteer Krysten Maier gets a closer look at the butterfly’s anatomy

Butterflies are very sensitive to the conditions of their environment, and will migrate to find ideal habitats if conditions shift. “Essentially, if you find a lot of butterflies in a given area, the ecosystem is doing well,” Ramesh explains

A man and his nature clubAs I arrive at the campus of Pasumpon Muthurama Linga Thevar College in Usilampatti, just outside of Madurai, my recent affinity with butterflies rises to a climax. I am absolutely surrounded by fluttering pairs of wings in the streaming sunlight of the lush, leafy courtyard, an idyllic haven. “We have ten different species here,” comes a voice from off in the distance, as if reading my mind and the joy written all over my face.

The voice materializes as Ramesh Nethaji, the head and founder of the Nature Club here at the college and an unlikely conservationist. Nethaji holds a PhD in Classical Dance and his day job is as technical staff in the police department; a more than unusual combination. But by night he is pursuing his love for wildlife by volunteering in the college and spreading his knowledge on butterflies and the other resident creatures of Madurai.

As we sit down inside, I am surprised to be greeted by the entire Nature Club of the college. “The Nature Club is the future generation that will save numerous species,” proclaims Nethaji, who has been campaigning to place a nature club in colleges all over Madurai. “All we need is some real support and enthusiastic students willing to participate.”

When the club started over a decade ago, it actually had nothing to do with butterflies at all; it was the Snake Club, Ramesh’s favourite animal. However, through their interest in animal-human conflict via the snake and research on deforestation, the group began to realize the vital role of butterflies

in preserving a healthy eco-balance, and their focus shifted. They are now working to turn the campus into a butterfly sanctuary—an open garden to attract these elegant visitors.

Beyond PollinationAs India is one of the four globally recognized biodiversity hotspots in the world, it is naturally home to an incredible variety of the winged insects. Butterflies are very sensitive to the conditions of their environment, and will migrate to find ideal habitats if conditions shift. “Essentially, if you find a lot of butterflies in a given area, the ecosystem is doing well,” Ramesh explains. One example given by this butterfly authority is of a large

The Butterfly Effect: ENvIRONmENTal INDICaTORS Of maDuRaIConservation crusader and ‘snake man’ Ramesh Nethaji, who is also a part time police officer, speaks to Krysten maier about his efforts to conserve butterflies through the Nature Club at pasumpom muthurama linga Thevar College in usilampatti, as 3 of the 42 species of butterflies in the city became extinct


Suddenly I’m seeing butterflies everywhere. I’ve been in Madurai two months and never noticed

a single one. Now that I’m looking for them, it’s all I can see! Whether it’s on a rooftop in the city or on the roadside of Pasumalai, I am surrounded by the whimsical flutter of these perfect origami fans flapping in the breeze. I guess the same is true for Madurai residents. Most people would not take note of these beautifully ornate insects

unless they had an eye out for them. So would people even notice if they were suddenly gone?

It should come as no surprise that butterflies follow where I go, as Madurai is a truly ideal climate for them; they crave heat and humidity. The city is home to 42 species of the 319 in Tamil Nadu. But in the last several years, three species actually died out, right in front of everyone’s eyes. A 2010 amendment

Nature Lover - Ramesh Nethaji tells us about butterflies and his other conservationist crusades

to the 1972 Wildlife Act ensured the placement of four more species in the endangered category in a move to prevent this regrettable extinction from repeating itself. Under the Act, anyone who is found capturing or killing these butterflies can face jail time. A small victory, but the battle doesn’t end at this. There is much more to be done in the conservation of butterflies, and their conservation is more critical that one may think.


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Butterflies are India’s pollination stars, pollinating over 50 economically important crops

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dependence. I am surprised to learn that the frequencies emitted from cell phones are actually harmful to butterflies. “If you leave a butterfly in a glass case with a ringing cell phone, it will drop dead,” Nethaji gravely divulges. Within five years, it is predicted that cell phones will outnumber the population of the planet two to one—just imagine the difficulty that poses to butterflies. For the time being, Ramesh is starting a movement to limit cell phone use on campus.

School to SanctuaryThis is just part of the metamorphosis of the locale from university campus to full on butterfly sanctuary. While traditional, touristy butterfly sanctuaries do provide habitats for the creatures, the enclosure of the buildings and constant exposure to human interference is not healthy for the butterflies, nor does it do a lick of good for the ecosystem. “As long as it’s an open air conservatory and native species of butterflies and plants are used, it’s going to be a success,” states Nethaji. That’s why here at Usilampatti, the volunteers of the Nature Club spend their time after school tending to native plants in Ramesh’s siddha medicinal garden. It contains everything from aloe to bamboo, to a plant I am told treats snake bites to a digestive that makes my tongue go numb as I am told to chew it. So far they have a collection of 125 species of plants—the more the plants, the more butterfly species they will attract.

Clearly butterflies are not just a pretty face. They are incredible little insects that do so much on the large scale of environmental betterment and biodiversity. As pollinators and environmental indicators, butterflies do so much. It’s no wonder that Ramesh Nethaji—part-time police officer, part-time conservation crusader—was drawn to these colourful monarchs of the sky. The promise of his Nature Club looks bright, as does the future for butterflies and the entire ecosystem if it is the hands of such motivated, inspired, and knowledgeable people.

Plain Tiger

surely decrease as forests disappear. The life of a butterfly lasts a mere seven days, so within this time they need to be able to access space to reproduce and accommodate their intricate lifecycle from egg to caterpillar to pupa to butterfly. This only happens in specific, protected locations, which may be growing scarcer and scarcer.

While poaching is not a main threat, it does occur, as butterflies are harvested for their good looks, used for greeting cards and souvenirs. Agricultural malpractice in the overuse of pesticides is a large menace and has even been known to harm the birds that prey on butterflies. A new threat is on the rise in the crescendo of technological

Dark Blue tiger

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population of butterflies that was once found near the Velappar Temple in Andipatti. Once the human population became too large—which meant littering, more activity, and scarcity of water—the butterflies migrated to find a more suitable home. Once the area’s inhabitants became aware of this loss of butterflies, awareness of the implications of their anthropocentric behavior was raised and the necessary changes were made to revitalize the place as a habitat for butterflies.

In protecting butterflies, you protect the environment as a whole. These stained-glass insects are windows into environmental change such as microclimate, temperature, and solar radiation, thus serving as great indicators, pointing to potentially larger problems that must be addressed. These pseudo almanacs should also be the farmer’s delight, as Nethaji explains that butterflies can “predict” the rainy season. Additionally, as butterflies seek the salt found in pools of water in the soil, they can help us identify where there is good quality soil and “a good place to grow all things.”

More than this, butterflies take up an active role in maintaining a viable ecosystem in their roles as pollinators. While everything from monkeys to bats to bees contribute to pollination, butterflies are the most non-discriminatory—they pollinate everything! Bees can only fit in certain plants and do not like some flowers; besides not all the climates of India suit them. That is why butterflies are India’s pollination stars, pollinating over 50 economically important crops.

Threatened monarchs of the airButterflies sadly face similar threats as much of the natural world of late. Their habitats are being destroyed by deforestation in the sickle sweep of urbanization. Butterflies are quite resilient, and can live in cities as long as there is sufficient green space—as I have been noticing as I go butterfly-spotting around town—but their population will

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A group of zebras take a drink in Namibia

“I had never seen doors that open like this,” he laughs, replicating his amazement, as he slides his hands apart, “I also saw a man trying to run the

wrong way down the escalator”

still resonates deep in his soul, and it is his love not only of photography, but of humanity and nature, that defines his oeuvre.

Looking back over his work for the U.N., you are struck by the lack of cold detachment so prominent in the images of many photojournalists. That’s not to say that the truth isn’t there, far from it. The United Nations is a neutral organisation, therefore the remit for their photographers is exactly that - to remain neutral. There’s just this sense of a dual heartbeat to his images - not only can you feel the emotion of his human subjects and the magnitude of the events he covered, you’re also touched by the humanity of the man

behind the camera. Isaac himself says of his philosophy, “In these 40 years, I followed one paradigm: it is important to reveal the truth to the last detail, but not at the cost of the dignity of the human being.”

True to his mother’s wisdomOne can certainly hear echoes of his beloved mother in this comment and he put her teachings into practice on numerous occasions. He refers to one instance in 1984 in Ethiopia when he found a woman in the street who had just given birth. She lay naked and unconscious, holding her baby with the umbilical cord still attached. Knowing Ethiopian women to be of a very

modest nature, he immediately darted back to his jeep.

“I grabbed a blanket and sent for medical aid because here were two human beings in need of help.” A British camera crew had also noticed the scene and Isaac’s subsequent actions. They were furious and demanded he uncover her, with one man claiming he’d just been denied his Pulitzer Prize winning shot. Had it not been for the intervention of his driver and a group of locals who had seen what John did for the woman, he’s certain, he says, he would have been assaulted.

There’s visible disillusion on Isaac’s face when he describes the things people will do in the name of journalism. “I’ve seen

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Photographer of the Soulmatthew Haigh had the rare privilege of meeting eminent uS based photojournalist John Isaac, whose journalistic credo is about telling stories and capturing pictures—all with a human touch

By Matthew HaighUnited Kingdom

Photos by John Isaac

It is beautiful to meet somebody who, having risen to the upper echelons of his professional sphere, has remained

faithful to his roots. John Isaac reveals, as he sits across the table from me, a shimmering pearl of wisdom passed down to him by his mother – “Always treat people with respect and dignity. Just as you would have them treat you.” In a photographic career that spans more than four decades, this piece of guidance stands as the central pillar around which he has built his personal code of conduct. As the former United Nations Chief of Photography, Isaac has travelled the length and breadth of the globe covering the most inspiring and most horrific events mankind can conjure. His career with the U.N began in the darkroom, where he spent ten years, before crossing over to the photography department. Eventually making his way to the top of the division, he worked for twenty years in the field of photojournalism. By the time he retired in 1998, he had become jaded by working relations within the peace-keeping organisation and traumatised by his first-hand encounters with the dark side of human nature. He now trains his lens on wildlife with his next work set to be a book about the endangered tigers of his native India.

Humble beginnings Raised as one of three children in Irungalur, Tamil Nadu, a village without electricity, he developed an early passion for music. Later, while studying zoology at Madras University, he formed a band in which he was the lead singer. His

musical aspirations eventually served as the impetus for him to leave India for New York where he landed with just seventy-five cents to his name. With great amusement he recalls how intimidated he was upon arriving in the U.S

“I had never seen doors that open like this,” he laughs, replicating his amazement, as he slides his hands apart, “I also saw a man trying to run the wrong way down the escalator.” I was initially nervous about meeting John, but his mellow humour put me at ease and as we sat down for a chat deep in the leafy confines of the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary in Madurai, I could fully relate to his sense of the surreal at being in an unfamiliar land.

Continuing his story, he revealed that it was his musical talents that inadvertently led to his career as a photographer. While singing in the streets of Greenwich Village, he was

John Issac - lead singer of the band, plays the rhythm with camera

approached by a woman who had been coaxed by his deep, rolling baritone. She asked if he would be interested in joining her choir at the U.N and he agreed on the provision that she would help him find work. Sure enough, he was soon employed as a runner by the organisation with whom he would spend the next thirty years. Having soon worked his way into the darkrooms, where he studied day after day the work of professional photojournalists, he became particular about composition. “It was like a snowball effect,” he says, “One thing just led to another. It was during this time that my brother sent me his old Pentax – my first camera.”

“Like a genie emerging from a lamp,” is the poetic way in which he describes his unification with the medium that came to define his life. “I just love photography,” he enthused, “It’s a way of life for me.” It is obvious that the chord struck by this coming together

Madurai Messenger legend May 2013

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Farmers winnowing in Madurai

Holi, Mathura, India

Michael Jackson rehearsal for ill fated History tour

A Positive ChangeHe now radiates contentment. It’s clear when you meet him that his current work provides great sustenance to his soul, nourishing those parts that became parched and barren in his two decades covering war, famine and genocide. Seizing control of his life appears to have allowed him to find an emotional balance that had perhaps, for a period at least, proved illusive.

In addition to his own creative practice, he gives considerable time to mentoring the next generation of photographers. Back in the U.S., he conducts regular workshops at Fotofusion in West Palm Beach and at Maine Media Workshop. Indeed, the purpose of his visit to Madurai was to host a weekend-long photography workshop for local youngsters and he was thrilled with the response.

“Everybody was so receptive and articulate. I could have cried when the kids came to thank me. Some of them asked me to come back and talk at their colleges. This is what I want to do now. This is my time to give back to my brothers and sisters.”

John’s well maintained existential balance reaches through all areas of his life and is highly evident in his photographic output. Although he has a great passion for wildlife photography, he believes that to place himself in any genre bracket would be inaccurate. Certainly, upon viewing his current productivity, you notice a distinct variety in his work with equal attention paid to both people and nature. Perhaps the finest example of this subjective equilibrium is his 2008 book, The Vale of Kashmir.

Suffering due to misrepresentationAs the title suggests, The Vale of Kashmir focuses on life within the contested region of Kashmir. He released the book in the hope that it would assist in attracting back the tourist trade that has been driven away by the region’s reputation. “Kashmir is such a

Photo: John Isaac

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An artist’s eye - playful creativity on the streets of Los Angeles

Breathtaking Serenity on Dal Lake, Kashmir - from ‘The Vale of Kashmir’

Children studying in Karachi, Pakistan.

some real nasty stuff - you’ll get people who will step on a dying kid to get the shot, but I always lived by the moral that I’m a human being first.” In 1979, early in his journalistic career, he was ridiculed by his colleagues after returning from southern Thailand.

While on assignment he had come across a Vietnamese girl who had been raped by pirates. He had chosen to help the girl rather than photograph her, eventually finding her a place to live with three nuns. Upon hearing this, his peers told him he had a ‘soft heart’ and that he’d never make it as a photojournalist. He says, “I will give up a Pulitzer Prize in order to help a fellow human being. Knowing I’ve helped is worth more than all the photographs I could ever take.”

When in John’s presence, you realise that these aren’t just rules he imposes on himself to keep his conscience clear. He embodies his philosophies and each photograph he takes is a fragment of a beautiful soul. Equally representative of the humanity of the man are the images he opted not to take.

A turning point His sensitivities towards the violence and atrocities he witnessed were so deep that after covering the Rwandan genocide of 1994, something inside John gave way and he fell into deep depression. He took three months leave from the U.N and didn’t touch his camera in that time. Until, that is, a chance occurrence changed his mind, while gazing through a window of his New York home. Looking out across his neighbours’ garden he noticed a large yellow butterfly land on a sunflower.

This sight acted as a revival serum for the comatose artist within and he rushed to grab his camera. He shot thirty-four frames of the scene and returned to work the next day. Not only did this brief glimpse of beauty pull him out of a clinical depression, it was also the precursor and catalyst for the next chapter in his life as he reinvented himself as a freelance photographer.

Photo: John Isaac

Photo: John Isaac

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raise awareness and appreciation of the plight of this endangered and remarkable species. He says, “I know I’m not going to save the tigers, but if people can see them in this way, then maybe they’ll think about what the world stands to lose. I was speaking to a guy recently whose attitude was, ‘So what, why do you care?’ I tried to explain to him that even if evolution started all over again, tigers coming into existence, it’s just a chance.” With this comment you start to gain a deeper understanding of John’s respect for the fragility of life and his wonderment at the creative force that drew not just tigers, but each living species, from a well of infinite possibility.

Photojournalist with a human touch Few people can lay genuine claim to having the same depth of experience as John, and you wonder, of those who can, how many have remained as humble and honest? Thinking over John’s journey through life gives you a profound sense of fate and belonging. Certain people are meant for certain things and I believe that applies here. It’s not simply the fact he’s a photographer that I refer to. It’s exactly where he spent a large part of his career and the situations he was subsequently brought to face. Considering the account he gives of the ruthless conduct he saw from people who share his profession, it seems vital that he was there to offer a counter balance. Through his mastery of his craft he was able to convey the truth and through the depth of his compassion he was able to help, literally saving lives, where others sought to exploit.

When I look back on my encounter with John Isaac, my most salient memory will be of his humanity and soul. It’s heartening to know that a person can spend such an extensive amount of time in the world of modern journalism and emerge uncorrupted. In this morally ambiguous age of media sensationalism and saturation, he stands as an example to all who enter this industry that the truth can, and must, always remain married to respect and human dignity.

Tiger cub in Ranthambore

Woman paddling across Dal Lake, Kashmir - from ‘The Vale of Kashmir’

He says, “I will give up a Pulitzer Prize in order to help a fellow human being. Knowing I’ve helped is worth more than all the photographs I could ever take”

“I grabbed a blanket and sent for medical aid because here were two human beings in need of help.” A British camera crew had also noticed the scene and Isaac’s subsequent actions. They were furious and demanded he uncover her, with one man claiming he’d just been denied his Pulitzer Prize winning shot

Photo: John Isaac

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Shillong

“Like a genie emerging from a lamp,” is the poetic way in which he describes his unification with the medium that came to define his life. “I just love photography,” he enthused, “It’s a way of life for me”

beautiful place, “he states, “But it relies on tourism and it’s suffering due to its reputation which just isn’t accurate.” Over the course of five years, he visited the region twelve times and, from the moment he first arrived, he says, he was certain that the common perception of Kashmir was a misguided one.

“I asked my driver to take me way up to the settlements in the mountains because that’s where people say the terrorists live. Of course I knew this was nonsense, I just wanted to go there and meet the locals.” They welcomed him openly and embraced his project as they understood and appreciated what he was trying to achieve. Through the trusting relations he built, he gained access into the homes and lives of the people of Kashmir and the finished article is a stunning mix of human and natural photography offering an intimate account of day-to-day life in the area.

His current project – the book about tigers – was conceived with a similar drive to that of The Vale of Kashmir. Through his book he hopes to help

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The WAR is never OverElla verkuitjen meets conservationist Subramania Raja and his dedicated band of crusaders of the Wildlife association of Rajapalayam (WaR), and concludes that the cornerstone of a successful conservation programme is not mega funding or aggressive tactics, but simply, sustained awareness building campaigns through education

Co-crusader - Subramania Raja with Sriram, one of the highly valued volunteers

War; a much-maligned word with negative connotations. However, the Wildlife Association of Rajapalayam (WAR) has managed to turn their

acronym into a positive term. They are also at war, a “war for nature.” Since inception in 1999, WAR has been working hard to “protect and maintain the Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjoining areas of the Western Ghats and not without results. Since 1999, WAR has protected and saved numerous species from mainly “people’s inexperience

By Ella VerkuijtenThe Netherlands

with animals.” What does that mean exactly? And how serious is the threat to the animals really?

Crusade for the environment At the office of WAR at Rajapalayam, T.S Subramania Raja, our WAR specialist for the day, awaits us with a welcoming smile. Despite his warm and friendly attitude, there’s something serious about him; a dedicated fighting spirit that underscores his determination as an environmental crusader.

Madurai Messenger Causes May 2013

Photo: Krysten Maier

He welcomes us into a room filled with posters of tigers, monkeys, elephants and other animals I could only dream of seeing in real life. Subramania Raja enthusiastically gives us a short tour through his library and explains about the animals depicted on the posters.

With its five national parks and 17 wildlife sanctuaries, Tamil Nadu might not particularly seem like a state that is in desperate need of wildlife protection. According to Subramania Raja, however, it certainly is. Due to deforestation, increasingly more animals can be found in places inhabited by humans. While I guess most people wouldn’t mind running into a rabbit every once in a while, snakes and monkeys have a severely smaller cuteness factor. People tend to switch to survival mode when running into a ‘dangerous’ animal and

Nature talk - Subramania Raja gives us some education on the animals

Knowledge is power - the office of WAR in Rajapalayam

While I guess most people wouldn’t mind running into a rabbit every once in a while, snakes and monkeys have a severely smaller cuteness factor. People tend to switch to survival mode when running into a ‘dangerous’ animal and consider it their best option to attack it, resulting in too many unnecessary animal deaths

consider it their best option to attack it, resulting in too many unnecessary animal deaths.

Addressing the fear of the unknown“So,” Subramania Raja explains, “Fear and ignorance are the biggest threats to those animals.” Well, we all know that the unfamiliar can be scary. The best way to fight the fear of the unknown is, of course, familiarisation. Therefore, education is one of the main objectives of WAR. “If people know why an animal behaves in a certain way, they are less likely to feel threatened by it.”

WAR focuses on schools and colleges to start nature education at an early age. By handing out fun filled information books with colouring pictures, songs,



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images and puzzles, WAR attempts to educate children about the behaviour of animals. We too were intrigued by the charming information packages and immediately began to teach each other some ‘Monkey Manners’. Further, WAR frequently establishes educational nature clubs in schools and lesson scripts are handed out, which will help teachers educate their pupils about the correct way to deal with specific animals. This way, instead of threatening or killing the animal, people will learn to stay calm and avoid conflict with it.

Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary - One of the places which WAR is actively protecting

WAR frequently establishes educational nature clubs in schools and lesson scripts are handed out, which will help teachers educate their pupils about the correct way to deal with specific animals. This way, instead of threatening or killing the animal, people will learn to stay calm and avoid conflict with the animals

Reaching out through awareness programmes However, it’s not only youngsters who need to learn about animal behaviour. Even farmers in Tamil Nadu often need such awareness as well. Conflicts are common especially with the grizzled giant squirrel which is attracted to the crops of the farmers. Recently, WAR has been working hard on reducing the numbers of dead squirrels in Tamil Nadu. On many farms in the state, a large amount of fruit is being eaten by animals. This is quite a nuisance for the

farmers. As the grizzled giant squirrel is active during the day, farmers assume it’s the squirrel that’s feasting on their harvest and, therefore, kill it. “What the farmers don’t see, however, is that the majority of their harvests are eaten by nocturnal creatures like rats,” Subramania Raja explains. Therefore, it is quite unfortunate that the endangered squirrel takes all the blame. This is where WAR springs to action with workshops that teach the farmers about the need to correct such myths and misconceptions.

Subramania Raja also tells us about the human-elephant conflict which, literally and figuratively, is even a bigger challenge. Elephants and humans in Tamil Nadu are bound to meet eventually, both because the elephants are attracted by the sweet scent of cane, liquor and fruit and because they have to cross the fields to get from one side of their habitat to the other. Again, WAR attempts to educate the farmers about this situation. Unfortunately,

Subramania Raja- A true soldier in the war for preserving animals and their habitats

No heartbreaking pictures of dead animals, no aggressive persuading tactics to get funding, simply creating awareness through education. That’s the idea of WAR

education is not enough in this case. In order to avoid conflict, the farmers have to extensively adapt their farming habits and stop growing certain crops. As to be expected, this results in some resistance. Sriram, one of the volunteers at WAR, explains, “About 30 percent of the farmers are willing to co-operate right now,” which might not seem that much. However, as it used to be only 10 percent earlier, they definitely are on the right track.

Mission Wild life Of course WAR is not only an educational program. A big part of their budget also goes to material support. WAR gladly provides the forest department in the Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary with supplies for their various missions into the wild. Their jackets, sleeping mats, tents and other necessities were all provided by WAR, Subramania Raja says proudly. “This way, the forest department is equipped with the needed supplies to fully execute their many field operations concerning wildlife conservation.”

Besides material support, the many volunteers also make it possible for WAR to support and conduct numerous censuses of the animals. This way, they keep a close eye on the populations of grizzled giant squirrels, nilgiri tahr and many other species living in the sanctuary; an excellent way to see if they’re making progress with their mission to maintain all animals, “from grizzled giant squirrel to lion tailed macaque; from the ground, to the highest treetops!”

And are there any specific projects planned for the future? You bet! Several new nature clubs will soon come to life, a brand new tiger sanctuary is in the making and WAR is even planning to build bridges for the elephants to help them avoid the farmers’ lands. Therefore, I’m sure that many more animals will be saved. No heartbreaking pictures of dead animals, no aggressive persuading tactics to get funding, simply creating awareness through education. That’s the idea of WAR.

Madurai Messenger Causes May 2013

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NEITHER alTERNaTIvE NOR abNORmal;

Just normalZina bibanovic in an engaging conversation with well known educationist and author aruna Raghavan whose school Shikshyatan was inspired by her experiences in home schooling her daughter Nirupama, who is now a student at a Canadian university

Story By Zina Bibanovic, Holland and

Photos by Elizabeth Dougan

On a typical, sweltering hot Indian day, as we cross the courtyard of the alternative

school Shikshayatan in Tiruvarur, near Thanjavur in South India, I squint and see a woman walking towards us. As she gets closer, the first thing I notice about her is her smile, which is bright

Aruna and Raghavan share humourous anecdotes of their experiences in homeschooling Nirupama and setting up Shikshayatan

and welcoming as she greets us. Before I get to ask any of my questions, well known educationist Aruna Raghavan, wants to know how we are, if we got here alright and if we’re okay in the heat. Her laid-back demeanour instantly puts me at ease. As we walk towards a shaded area to get comfortable, I

quickly begin to see how Aruna is a natural educator, an inspiring parent and, together with her husband Raghavan, the driving force behind the school which sets traditional schools somewhat to shame.

Madurai Messenger Education May 2013

Aruna proudly guides us through the playful architecure of Shikshayatan

A different way to teach and learn Aruna is adamant that her school is neither alternative nor abnormal, but a much more normal way of teaching than the regular curriculum. She explains how she knew from a young age that she wanted to change the way children were being taught. At school she never got to learn what she wanted to learn, and was forced into subjects she did not enjoy. She found that examinations put an extreme amount of pressure on children which is unhealthy at such a young age. “You constantly had to prove yourself,” she exclaims, “to whom? And for what?!” Social groups were formed around how well you performed academically, and none of this made any sense to Aruna. Raghavan recalls that he had a good time during his early education; Aruna slyly adds, “That’s because he spent all his time outside of the class!”

The decision to home school their daughter, Nirupama, was made even before her birth. “I told Raghavan, I was called so often to the principal’s office when I was a child, I’m certainly not going to spend any more time there as a mother!” she laughs. “That’s when he said, well why don’t we teach the kid at home ourselves?”

A school is born They began with home schooling Nirupama, whilst living Mumbai. When Niru was six years old, they moved to Arasavanangadu, the village they had chosen to bring their plans for an alternative school to life. These plans had been brewing since before they got married – home schooling Niru seems an almost improvised decision in comparison. After seeing results with Niru that were beyond anything they had expected, they were eager to introduce an entire community of children to the same experience; an area like Arasavanangadu, with no schools around, was the prime location for the birth of Shikshayatan.

Aruna recalls that the children entering the first year of Shikshaytan were all

two or three years old. By the age of six, Nirupama was already so independent, she was reading with a passion, and putting together her own lesson plans. “She was more like my assistant!” says Aruna, chuckling.

Aruna and Raghavan had adopted the teachings of American educationist and physical therapist Dr. Glenn Doman to educate Niru, and upon seeing fantastic results, decided to adapt them to their school. Doman targets three specific educational aspects; intensity, frequency and duration, and uses what most of us know as flash cards to aid the learning process. Aruna lays out the foundation of Shikshayatan to me, explaining that although they use a lot of Doman’s exercises, they included their own philosophy into the curriculum as well. Physical stimulation is a large part of the philosophy behind Shikshayatan, and the reason they offer Yoga, Aerobics and Karate classes.

Shikshayatan School has a formal grade setup, simply because they would not be allowed to function without one. It runs from Kindergarten to Grade 8, ages 2 – 13, and holds 198 children.

Aruna is adamant that her school is neither alternative nor abnormal, but a much more normal way of teaching than the regular curriculum

All of the children are locals, which shows, in numbers, how well received the school was by the community. The majority of the parents are non literate, and were astounded when their children seemed to be acquiring new skills daily. News of the schools success spread, and their popularity in the region soared.

A home away from home There is no tuition fee, and the school runs on sponsorships. The children only do the minimum amount of examinations required by law, and this way the teachers can use their unique teaching methods and focus on the physical, emotional and intellectual development of each child. Because the children enroll at such a young age, their first year at school is based on nurturing the child and giving them a solid foundation. This is done through nutrition, exercise and medicine. Another factor increasing the attractiveness of the school was their ability to treat primary stage tuberculosis, which many children in rural areas suffer from, from birth. The teachers administer medicine to them that they would likely never have

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Home schooling spun Aruna and Raghavan’s lives upside down as they watched their daughter, and later on so many other children, bloom into intelligent, bright students. Alternative education is not something to be shied away from – in fact, it is an answer to many parents who feel the current educational system is restricting their child. “How can you give birth, and then hand over your child to someone else for their education, with no say in it?” Aruna inquires. This question provides a lot of food for thought, especially for those with a young one in their heart.

Aruna holding the book ‘Your Child can be a Genius,’ with pride

Alternative education is not something to be shied away from – in fact, it is an answer to many parents who feel the current educational system is restricting their child. “How can you give birth, and then hand over your child to someone else for their education, with no say in it?” Aruna inquires

Aruna believes that if you are home schooling your child for the right reasons, this needn’t be an issue. If you are home schooling your child because of pedagogical reasons, you are simply trying out different educational methods

received otherwise and thereby take on a lot of parental responsibilities in the first year. This results in the school feeling like more of a home, or safe haven for the students than anything else.

The couple explain to us that one of the reasons the school only runs until Grade 8 is so that they can reach more families, and sponsor a larger number of children – after Grade 8, the children transition into a traditional secondary school, where Aruna proudly claims that they are always the top students in their class. Another reason for the Grade 8 cut off is that, after that age the curriculum becomes largely textbook based and Raghavan freely admits that there are other teachers who better suited to teach children how to study from a textbook and cram for an exam than he is.

Home Schooling as an informed educational choice The transition between Shikshayatan and traditional schooling has been smooth so far, and Nirupama also had a great social transition from home schooling to university in Canada - which sheds light on the issue that many Western people turn to as a main argument against home schooling. Aren’t children socially inept if they don’t attend a “normal” school? Aruna believes that if you are home schooling your child for the right reasons, this needn’t be an issue. If you are home schooling your child because of pedagogical reasons, you are simply trying out different educational methods. You will most likely enroll your child in such things as Art clubs, or Math clubs, to be taught by an expert in that subject, and to meet other children, hereby eliminating the issue of

lack of social skill. Parents who home school their children due to ideological or moral reasons might as well be brainwashing their children, an opinion I share with Aruna.

Other schools have been set up in the style of Shikshayatan, and Aruna and Raghavan have been asked multiple times for their valuable advice. Aruna insists that she is against the idea of franchise, and none of the schools work under the same name as her own. She tells me, “People come to me with a dream. How is it right that I take that, and say, “Okay, now let me tell you how you should do dream? It’s not.” Home schooling is a movement that is slowly spreading through India, and is

being adopted by any parent unhappy with the current norm of education. Groups are set up all over the big cities as support for home schooling parents, and Aruna has felt the effects of the home schooling movement personally through the sales of her first book. Your Child can Be a Genius is a collection of articles Aruna wrote about her experience with alternative education. It sold 10,000 copies with no advertising, factualizing the plea for an educational reform. She has recently published a second book, Growing to School, which uses the metaphor of a strong, grounded tree to describe the cultivation of an inspiring, hopeful school.

DR KumaRaN SaTHaSIvam:

Saving India’s Dolphins& WhalesNadine Rechsteiner, in a chat with sea mammal expert Dr Kumaran Sathasivam, an engineer by profession and a marine mammal expert by passion, gets a rare insight into that magnificent, intelligent and playful creature, the dolphinStory By Nadine Rechsteiner, Switzerland and Photos by Krysten Maier

Did you know that India hosts about 30 species out of the world’s total of about 120 marine mammals? That makes it a quarter of the world’s population of

these creatures that can be found in the seas around India. I was also intrigued by the fact that the polar bear, which although for obvious reasons is not found near India, belongs

Delving into the deep - Dr Kumaran Sathasivam gives us an insight into India’s sea mammals

to the group of sea mammals. More evident and well-known representatives are dolphins or whales, which can be both spotted near the coast of Tamil Nadu. Being mammals, they are more closely related to elephants or bats than they are to sharks and other fish.

Expert Speak ‘A dolphin’s intelligence is comparable to or even could be more than a dog’s,” says Kumaran Sathasivam, an expert on marine mammals. This native of Madurai not only has a keen interest in these animals but also has published a book—Sea Mammals of India and maintains a web site dedicated to the marine mammals of India. He is the ideal person who will satisfy my curiosity about these magnificent mammals of which most people only have a slight knowledge, mostly through movies. Dr. Kumaran Sathasivam’s interest in sea mammals is a consequence of his interest in bird watching. When he was a student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, he got interested in birdwatching. The campus, spread over 250 hectares of green forest is home to deer, jackals, monkeys, squirrels, wild cats, as well as various species of butterflies and birds. While watching these animals, he spotted certain squirrels that he couldn’t identify. Moreover, the books that were available were not much of a help either. So he began to do research by himself and looked up all the publications that went back to the 19th century when the British started doing serious studies on Indian wildlife. He found facts on major groups, but not much data on small animals such as rats or mice, giant animals or on marine mammals such as dolphins and whales.

On the marine mammal quest In order to study these species further, he approached the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Mandapam near Rameshwaram. CMFRI is a well established organization devoted to developing fisheries, but over the years, they also started taking note of the whales washed

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Madurai Messenger passion May 2013

Dr Sathasivam has also contributed to other books like S. Muthiah’s ‘The Raj Bhavans of Tamil Nadu’

favorite animal, to which I get a most unexpected answer - not a sea mammal but one of India’s most beloved animals, the elephant. Dr. Sathasivam would like to start doing some research on elephants too and write a book on land mammals of India in the future. His interest in nature and animals seems to be genetic since his mother Amarjothi has a passion for wild animals too.“‘The only disappointing thing about dolphins is that they hardly show themselves,” he muses with a sad smile, behind which I could see his enthusiasm for the animals.

To catch a glimpse of a dolphin – one of the most popular and well-known sea mammals - Rameshwaram is a good place to be though it is uncertain whether there is a particular season for watching. First more information needs to be collected to find out if there is a pattern when certain dolphins and whales show up. Near the Sri Lankan coast, blue

ashore and the dolphins which get trapped in the nets of fishermen. ”I knew I had found a gold mine,” Sathasivam states with a grin. Armed with this knowledge, he decided to write a book about it.

His research went on for almost two years, since he did it only it only in his spare time. Though the information was scattered in various publications, he was able to get a major part of it from CMFRI and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in Mumbai. Despite his avid interest in biology, he decided to study engineering because he liked the field as much. The biggest challenge while writing the book, Sea Mammals of India, which became a time-consuming hobby, was that there was a dearth of marine mammal specialists in India. Studying marine biology appeared to be popular, but nobody was studying the marine mammals themselves. To

know whether his book matched up to international standards, he went to Duke University in Raleigh, USA which offered special short term courses and where they were particularly looking for international students who were practicing conservation. He was accepted as a student there after he told them that he was writing a book which could fill a gap because at that moment, no such book existed. Only after that did he actually have confidence to finally publish the book, which was partly sponsored by the nature conservation organization WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). “I’m just an engineer with a keen interest in sea mammals, therefore I wasn’t sure if a biologist was happy with what I wrote,” he explains.

Close encounters with dolphins Unable to restrain my curiosity about this animal lover, I ask him about his

Pioneering work - ‘Marine Mammals of India’ is the first book to contain comprehensive information on the sea mammals found in India

is their high IQ and scientists have tried to evaluate their intelligence by testing how well they can solve tasks, for example, remembering things.

“Dolphins are very fast at associating rewards with certain actions and are being trained nowadays by the Navy to deliver missiles and other objects,” the avid animal lover educates us. As ships don’t think of dolphins as being dangerous, they can carry loads through risky areas without attracting attention unlike a boat. However, this type of training is being kept a top secret.

Kumaran Sathasivam’s first publication, the prize-winning children’s book A Forest in the City was published in 1990 and is based on his experiences at the IIT campus. In addition to writing, he also maintains a web site, www.marinemammals.in, together with his former classmate from IIT Madras, K.S. Natarajan. It offers free information to the public. The main aim of the site is to share the knowledge to a larger community.

Stranded dolphins and whales can be reported as well to the website, which is constantly updated. Even outdated information is collected as it can still be used for further studies. While a book will be outdated after a few years, the modern age of electronic communication allows everyone to share up-to-date information. The web site also explains how to deal with a stranded dolphin, such as cooling it down by pouring water on it but not so much that could suffocate the animal. Other such facts and figures is also available on the web site which aims to make people aware that some marine mammals not just in India but around the world are endangered by activities like fishing. Every piece of information is important in protecting these mammals. Small and big tips alike help people to understand these magnificent and intelligent mammals, so that they can understand that ‘A dolphin’s smile is the greatest deception. It creates the illusion that they are always happy.’

whales can be found all year round, so there is a good chance that some of them could be close to India as well.

I ask Kumaran Sathasivam about his opinion regarding the use of sea mammals for shows in dolphinariums. He echoes a widely held opinion, ”The

animals always suffer in captivity.” In captivity, most dolphins do not live their entire life span as they do in the wild, but die rather young. This is because dolphins are very social mammals, which usually live in groups called pods and need to stay in those groups. Another notable thing about dolphins

Gifted writer - Dr Kumaran Sathasivam presenting us with his two books

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wild. They’re a very tight-knit family and although we weren’t able to meet their daughter, you get the impression, from what they told us, that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree.

Just below the surface of their laid-back demeanour, it is easy to detect a restless energy that animates their collective psyche. This suggests that, in spite of the obvious contentment within their happy home, they, as a unit, are truly complete only when watching their beloved elephants in the great outdoors.

SRIRam JaNaK:

The Elephant Whisperermatthew Haigh in an intimate conversation with elephant photographer Sriram Janak and his abiding fascination to capture the biggest land animal through his lens

Story By Matthew Haigh, United Kingdom and Photos by Sriram Janak

Madurai-based wildlife photographer, Sriram Janak, greets us warmly and

welcomes us into his home. After we exchange formal introductions he takes us through to his computer room. In front of the screen stands a stationery holder shaped like an elephant’s leg and a large mounted print of a tiger hangs on the wall. You don’t have to be a genius, or even aware of his profession, to detect a strong connection with nature within the household. He turns down the lights, flips on the monitor and treats us to a slide-show of his breath taking elephant photography. The soothing strains of Tibetan chants which emanate from the stereo fill the room with peace and serenity.

Anything You Can Do.... - Early signs of competition as two youngsters test their strength

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An early connection with the wilderness“I always spent a lot of time outdoors,” he says of his early bond with nature. “My father was in the army and army kids always have a very active childhood, climbing trees and exploring.” As this bond developed, he became fascinated with wildlife and the innumerable different species housed by south India’s vast and mind-boggling ecosystem. He was given his first camera at the age of ten, but it wasn’t until he bought one second-hand in his late thirties that he cultivated an interest for serious nature photography. The first shots with this camera were of a woodpecker near his family home in Madurai. However, he says, that once he received

the developed prints of the images, he was slightly disappointed. “You couldn’t even see the woodpecker,” he laughs. “It was just a tiny speck in the background.” Anti-climax aside, he had been hooked by the experience of capturing the wonders of nature through his lens and sought to achieve better results by developing his photographic skills.

Over the years his affinity for wildlife photography has evolved into an obsession. He now frequents India’s immense national parks, with his subjects now the true royals of the animal kingdom. It’s not just Sriram either - this is a family affair, and on any one of his trips you’ll find his wife Lalitha, and his daughter Sumithra, by his side.

Elephant lore Back in the living room I cast my eye along a shelf which is adorned with gleaming Lord Ganesha idols. In the corner next to Sriram sits a large stone sculpture of an elephant. Trying to pin-point what it is about elephants that have stolen a special place in his heart, he struggles to think of a defining factor. Instead it appears to be an accumulation of elements that has built up over the years. “Maybe it is spiritual,” he says. “I don’t know. For a start, photographing elephants presents more opportunities than photographing other species like tigers.” Expanding on this, he cited the fact that tigers are so scarce by number, and sightings so rare that it’s never as intimate as when photographing elephants. “You’ll be out

Different Shapes and Sizes - The herd that stole the family’s hearts

Motherly Love - A touching scene

in your jeep and the driver gets word on his radio of a tiger crossing a road nearby. You rush round to the place and you’ve got one tiger surrounded by lots of other jeeps so it’s difficult to get a decent shot or to fully appreciate the experience.”

The opportunity to watch elephants in their natural habitat is a big draw for Sriram and his family and this plays a major role in their persuasions towards nature’s mightiest land mammal. One trip, to Corbett National Park, in May of last year, brought them particular joy as they were treated to a prolonged sighting of a herd and their babies. “‘That trip was really something. We spent four days watching the babies play and fight and roll. It was incredible.” You can see that when he speaks he is transported back to the time and place he describes and you sense that his heart is gripped by a distant yearning. Lalitha added, “I think if anybody spends just one hour watching elephants they’ll understand. It’s like you’re meditating.” They speak also of a driver, named Ravi, with whom they became close friends, as having had a strong influence in fuelling their passion. “He was so knowledgeable,’ says Sriram, “I had spent so much time with the elephants“ that is how his stories just captivated us.

There are big problems currently facing India’s elephant population and Sriram Janak was very forthcoming with regard to this subject. “We are encroaching into their territory, so confrontation is unavoidable. Poaching is there but the decreasing forest space is the bigger problem.” He speaks on this matter with great concern and feels that more needs to be done to raise awareness. He reserves great praise for the non-governmental organisations who tirelessly occupy themselves with this dilemma, but feels it shouldn’t be left entirely up to them. “The government doesn’t do anything when they should be helping to educate people on the issue.” He recognises that it’s a huge and difficult task to raise awareness towards the importance of conservation

and, it seems, that he is trying to do his bit with simple gestures that could have far-reaching future effects.

Capturing young imaginationDuring the many hours Sriram spends photographing peacocks – another of his great loves – he collects scores of their large and beautiful feathers before presenting them as gifts to local youngsters. He says that in the big cities people don’t take nature into consideration, though not necessarily because of ignorance. In several instances, it’s because people grow up in an environment where nature doesn’t have the same presence it had in his own upbringing. “Once the kids see and hold these feathers,” he says, “it captures their imagination and they want to know more about where they came from.” This is a highly perceptive and innovative approach taken by Sriram as people being aware of a problem is one thing, but people having a genuine interest and drive to help is something altogether more powerful.

Warm and welcomingSriram and Lalitha were so friendly, down to earth and accommodating that it was an immense pleasure to spend time with them in their wonderful home. In their company, you get a real sense of unity and togetherness as they describe their many excursions into the

Photo: Sriram Janak

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DR. p. KumaRaSamy:

The Batman of MaduraiKrysten maier in an engaging conversation with chiroptologist (a scientist who studies bats) Dr p. Kumarsamy, and his abiding passion for the world’s only flying mammal


Paramasivam Kumarasamy: the Batman of Madurai. A loving nickname invented by friends

and colleagues for this bat enthusiast. While he is fond of his unofficial title, the man told me I may simply call him Kumar, as he graciously accepted to speak with me about his life, work, and many passions. An academic with a doctorate, a professor and wildlife enthusiast, Kumarasamy is a fascinating individual. He may not fight crime, but this “batman” is fighting against the crimes of animal injustice through his education about conservation.

Kumar has been a lecturer at Madurai’s esteemed American College since 1996, where his father actually taught in the Tamil department for many years. While he has followed in his father’s teaching footsteps, he branched off in a different area of study. Studying zoology for his undergraduate degree and masters, the man went on to write his PhD on the biological clocks of vertebrates. He certainly is proud of this second generation workplace, showing off photographs of the campus from season to season.

A person of many talents Kumarasamy eagerly launches into an explanation of his two current areas of research: siddha medicine and the immune system of bats. His reputation as a jack of all trades precedes him, and I immediately see why. Kumar is such a lover of learning that he’s bound to be a student of life forever and a scientist first and foremost. Fascinated

A lover of knowledge - Dr. P. Kumarasamy displaying his extensive library

by astronomy and the origins of the universe, Kumarasamy is naturally inclined to educate himself in all things living, with a curious mind that yearns to know how things work. Testing the medicinal effects of herbal plants in the model system of fish (which is comparable to the human immune system) is just a flavour of the week, so to speak. Bats, on the other hand, will be a lifelong obsession.

An abiding interest in bats Kumar’s interest in bats started rather innocuously and by sheer happenstance. As a zoologist, the man has made it his business to take up interest in creatures

from all of the animal kingdom, though he has always had a particular penchant for mammals. The bat certainly is an exceptionally fascinating mammal, as Kumarasamy discovered when he was asked to photograph the critter as a service to one of his professors and mentors at the Madurai Kamaraj University where he studied.

Photography is yet another skill Kumar has up his sleeve, although it remains just a hobby for him. Though he has photographed birds, elephants, and tigers among other animals on treks or in sanctuaries, “professional wildlife photography,” he admits, “takes too much time.” This time,

he would rather devote to scientific study and teaching. He is proud, however, of the photography he does do, avidly displaying us beautifully bound collections of photos from his various travels. He even shows us a viewfinder with two slides, shots of his campus taken from slightly varied angles, creating a three-dimensional image. This innovation, experimented with by Kumarasamy years before the popularization of 3-D technology, just further proves how intellectually adventurous his spirit is.

Batty about batsPhotographing bats, though, presented a challenge for even the most innovative of minds. His professor and department head, Dr. G Marimuthu, was studying the behaviour of the false vampire bat, a species native to the Madurai area and the goal was to capture the bat catching a frog from the water. Capturing a split-second moment of nocturnal predator and prey under the cloak of night? No easy feat for an amateur photographer. But Kumar has a mind for problem solving, and he rigged up an infrared lens to his camera with a clamp to create “noctovision.”

He then had to learn about the bat’s habits in order to know the correct moment to shoot. “I would throw a stone into the water, or I would throw a frog, but eventually the bat only came for the frog,” Kumar recounts, showing the sensitivity of the bat’s perceptions. He learned all about their echolocation and how it can distinguish the difference between the different ripples created in the lake. After tireless efforts and study, he got the money shot, and was hooked on bats forever.

He will always remember the first encounter he had in a bat cave. It was in a well-like cave of Nagamalai near Kamaraj University that delves into Elephant Rock on Madurai’s outskirts. The entrance is very narrow, a vertical descent of five meters before one must take a right angle to come upon the six chambers of the roost. He explains that they had to keep a rope tied to a

tether outside just to be able to lower themselves down into the cave. It sounds like an incredibly claustrophobic experience, but Kumarasamy was in his glory. “I liked it,” he says. Clearly, he had found his calling.

For nature’s sake Now “the Batman” strives to impart the knowledge he has gained about this integral animal in the ecosystem to the general public with a message of conservation. He has always loved animals, from his childhood, and is now equipped with the knowledge to make a change in the well-being of the domain he is avid about. His passion for bats is certainly passed down to his students, who often choose to write their embassy papers on the creatures. More than just awareness of these nocturnal pollinators, Dr. Kumarasamy has a more global aim: “To take to the public, Madurai’s nature wealth of animal species and native plants.”

There has been a co evolution between plants and animals, postulates this firm student of evolution, so conservation in the region must happen in an all-encompassing way. Native plants are important to conserve the bird species of Madurai and it is pollinators like bats and butterflies that preserve the longevity of these plants, so really, conservation issues are intrinsically linked. Kumarasamy hopes to start a trend of people coming forward to plant more local flora, at the same time protecting the habitat and food source of the local fauna. A recently inaugurated Wildlife Club of Madurai, Friends of Nature, marks the joining of forces of the Batman with other conservationists and nature lovers in the city, which includes Madurai Messenger’s very own Nandini Murali. Their first and so far only meeting was a photo shoot of a Flying Fox roost; from here the sky’s the limit, as the group hopes to promote awareness of conservation issues in Madurai.

Meanwhile Kumarasamy lances the first charge in this campaign for Madurai bats. Last year, to commemorate it

being the International Year of the Bat, he made a series of lectures about the creatures, which he delivered to various school and colleges. Additionally, he has filmed a two-part television program about the different kinds of bats in Madurai as well as their importance which aired in March this year. “Maybe after my retirement I will take this matter seriously and make more efforts to conserve bats,” he muses and jokingly adds, “That’s my future retirement plan.”

Kumarasamy’s kinship with nature and zealous engagement in the world of science, is simply infectious, just like anyone who gets the chance to meet him long enough. By the time I have finished speaking with him, I have a laundry list of things I want to do: visit a bat cave, glimpse the PANSTARRS comet that was to grace the Madurai sky for several days in March, learn more about the native plants in India that I probably walk by every day, photograph animals in their natural habitats; the list goes on and on. He is an inviting character, and he certainly ensnared me into his world of science, as I’m sure he does anyone who gets the chance to talk to Kumarasamy for long enough.

The money shot - Kumarasamy’s stunning image of the Indian False Vampire Bat catching a frog out of water


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The Pilgrimage of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles loretta Dean joins members of the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) for a turtle walk along the wave-fringed sandy beach of Chennai and discovers the many real threats to the endangered sea turtle and the efforts of SSTCN to save the Olive Ridleys from becoming a mere memory

Story By Loretta Dean, United Kingdom

and Photo by SSTCN

The great glowing beam of moonlight cast a fiery torch from the horizon, its brilliant reflections

dancing upon the cresting waves that rolled towards us. Upon the sands of Chennai beach, the determined movement of miniature flippers could be distinguished as the cluster of dark shells dispersed across the sands towards the blazing beacon ahead. It was a cool evening late in March and, just two hours old, these turtle hatchlings were making their first pilgrimage towards the aquatic expanse that stretched before them.

A question of survival With instinct as a guide, the crawling Olive Ridleys leave their native sands to spend their entire lives in the ocean; only the females will return ashore when it is time to nest. In the shadows, watching over, are a group of young volunteers from the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN). A voluntary group mainly composed of students, the organisation has been working to conserve the critically endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) since 1987. Although the team had released them safely, the sea offers no protection. The young hatchlings often face new levels of threat, contending with a host of predators such as sea birds and carnivorous fish.

Eggs of the Olive Ridley kept safely after collection

“When fifteen- to seventeen-thousand turtle eggs hatch on Chennai’s beaches, this means that we cannot expect more than fifteen to seventeen adult Olive Ridleys to survive”

“They are pretty much defenseless,” says volunteer Guy. Only one in every thousand Olive Ridley turtles will live to reach adulthood. When fifteen- to seventeen-thousand turtle eggs hatch on Chennai beaches, this means that we cannot expect more than fifteen to

seventeen adult Olive Ridleys to survive. It is perhaps no wonder that 250 turtles have already been washed up on Chennai’s beaches this year alone. Large numbers of deaths can be attributed to trawling and the wanton killing for meat or other products.

Madurai Messenger making a Difference May 2013

is the biggest problem for turtles,” he explains.

It is mandatory for trawlers to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in most countries. However, Guy claims that this is not the case in India. The SSTCN had petitioned for the nets, specifically designed with exit covers that enable the caught turtles to escape. Both the Fishing Department and the chief minister have been approached with the issue. “It is not expensive,” insists Guy. “It is just convincing people to do it that is the big issue.” He describes how the turtles found caught in the trawls are fresh and healthy; “It is just that they have drowned,” he explains. The nets that are cast trap dolphins and turtles whose lungs can only store oxygen for up to an hour.

The sea turtles become caught in gill nets, and their eggs are poached. Light has also had a fatal consequence for numerous hatchlings. Multiple dangers “Turtle babies are programmed to go towards the brighter horizon,” explains Guy. For the ancient ocean dwellers, the instinctive movement towards the sea has been a fitting intuition as the starlight unites with the moon for a luminescent reflection. Today, however, this is not the case. Mast lights, street lighting and the beams emitted from the ever-increasing numbers of cars have illuminated Chennai’s shore. Turtle babies emerge from their nests in a state of disorientation. Rather than proceeding with their first trek into the sea, the young hatchlings crawl inland towards the dazzling urban lights which override their natural programming. Death ensues. If the hatchlings are not caught in coastal vegetation, run over by vehicles or dehydrated, they are sure to be picked up by jackals or crows, and they are often eaten by dogs.

The regulation of lights on the shore became a focus for the SSTNC, and the volunteers spent years writing and petitioning to various departments of the government with the request for the regulation of mast lights. The SSTNC was finally able to garner

support from the Forest Department and, after collaborative efforts to organize meetings, a Government Order was passed. From April 10, 2010, all six mast lights between Neelangarai and Besant Nagar were switched off at night, between 11pm and 4 am, during the turtle season.

Although action has been taken to mitigate the effects of the mast lights, V. Arun, a coordinator for SSTCN, maintains that the real threats to turtles remain unaddressed all over the world. “The situation, if anything,” he explains, “is worse in India.” Arun has been with SSTCN since 1997, after moving to Chennai in 1996, and has been a coordinator since 2002. Volunteer Guy agrees that issues are particularly grave in India; “trawling

Public Awareness campaign by the volunteers in SSTCN

Mast lights, street lighting and the beams emitted from the ever-increasing numbers of cars have illuminated Chennai’s shore. Turtle babies emerge from their nests in a state of disorientation

Volunteers collect eggs on the turtle walk during the night

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Unable to surface for breath, they drown and die. Between ten to fifteen turtles are found in the trawling net of each commercial catch.

“Fishermen worship turtles. They are considered very holy to them,” says Guy who explains the stark contrast of inconsideration from big businesses that fish across Chennai’s shores. The SSTCN often get calls from the local fishermen. “The way traditional fishermen go out of the way to be supportive of us is commendable,” affirms Arun. It is the commercial trawlers that are threatening the survival of the Olive Ridleys.

Trawls have reduced the ecosystem which has had a disastrous impact upon the lifestyle of local fishermen whose lives depend on their catch. With one-hundred to eighty per cent of the catch, the fish we eat makes up a mere twenty per cent of the load. “It doesn’t make sense what they do,” exclaims Guy as he voices the collective frustration held

amongst his fellow volunteers in the SSTCN. Were TEDs to be implemented as a mandatory requirement for trawlers, thousands of turtles could be saved. “We would be doing a lot more and it would make what we do already a lot more meaningful,” asserts Guy.

Saving the Ridleys With the Olive Ridley turtles nesting between December and April every year, the thirty members of SSTCN have their work cut out for them. During this season, the group of volunteers will trek across Chennai’s sands, walking the seven kilometers that stretch from Neelankarai to Besant Nagar beach. The group searches for signs and eggs are collected from the located turtle nests. Safe from the prowling predators that patrol the shore, the vulnerable eggs are relocated to the SSTCN hatcheries. This year alone a total of two-hundred-and-sixty nests have been transferred into the two hatcheries, with the thousands of eggs stored beneath conical baskets, running across the sand in parallel rows.

Rather than proceeding with their first trek into the sea, the young hatchlings crawl inland towards the dazzling urban lights which override their natural programming

Small nesting site ofthe SSTCN

Olive Ridley turtle laying eggs on the sea shore

This season has seen up to 5000 individuals participate in the arranged walks. “If that can be taken as a measure of concern, then I would say there is a lot of concern,” affirms Arun

Madurai Messenger making a Difference May 2013

The SSTCN regularly interact with the community, raising awareness for the plight and conservation of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. Every Friday and Saturday night, throughout the nesting season, interested individuals are invited to join the turtle walk. Arun remarks at how memorable it has been when really sensitive people join the walk and share their excitement and concern for the state of the environment. This season has seen up to 5000 individuals participate in the arranged walks. “If that can be taken as a measure of concern, then I would say there is a lot of concern,” affirms Arun.

While there has been a high level of human interest, Arun is concerned for their motives. “The fact is lots of people come for reasons other than conservation interests,” he explains. “For the novelty of it, or to express their commitment to nature by putting it up on something like Facebook.” Despite this apparent divergence of interest, there continues to be a genuine interest among many, and Guy identifies groups that

return each season. “Those that join the walk, usually come every year,” he reports.

Although he concedes that people are participating more through signature campaigns, Arun hopes that greater public support can be sought to safeguard the interests of the turtles. With increased modernisation and technological advances, the importance of alleviating the plight of the Olive Ridleys seems greater than ever. “The biggest threat is us,” says Guy and Arun is in agreement; “Only when people are willing to change their lifestyle and we put our money where our mouths are, can we make a difference.”

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Madurai Messenger Quest May 2013

Chronobiologist Dr p. Kumarasamy spent 21 days in a human isolation chamber, one of the five such facilities across the world that was set up at the madurai Kamaraj university. The experiment explored how humans adapt to their time environment, with far reaching implications on human physiology and even treatment of illnesses such as cancer, explains Dr Kumarasamy to Krysten maier, who listens spellbound

A monitored life - The panel of buttons the subjects would push to inform observers of their activities

Story By Krysten Maier, Canada and

Photo by Elizabeth Dougan, Australia

HumaN ISOlaTION CHambER:

Life in a Time-free Zone“The whole body is timed,” states Kumarasamy, a student of chronobiology, a little known field which looks at how animals adapt not only to their physical environment, but also to their time environment

However the consensus among Kumarasamy and his colleagues, who also took turns in the chamber, was that their stays were like miniature holidays

Have you ever wondered what life would be like without the regiments of time, the

imposition of the 24 hour clock? Human beings have adjusted their daily habits to the rising and setting of the sun, and in doing so, spend a third of their lives asleep. What would our natural habits be like without these external indicators? Inquiring minds wanted to know, and so inquiring minds, located right here in Madurai, created an experiment to answer these very questions.

The human biological clock Dr. P. Kumarasamy was one of a team of researchers at the Madurai Kamaraj University who came together to develop a way to observe live human subjects in an environment completely devoid of the signals of time. This materialized in the form of the Human Isolation Chamber, the first of its kind in India, among only five in the world when the experiment was first conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

“The whole body is timed,” states Kumarasamy, a student of chronobiology, a little known field which looks at how animals adapt not only to their physical environment, but also to their time environment. Circadian rhythms are actually known to regulate hundreds of bodily functions, including cell division, hormone production, and blood pressure. And every vertebrate possesses a biological clock. What I once thought was just a metaphorical clock is in fact a nerve concentration called the suprachismatanucleus (SCN). This nucleus is located at the base of the hypothalamus in the cerebral hemisphere of the brain, regulating the body‘s various systems throughout the day.

Studies show that if you actually remove the SCN, the animal will lose its 24-hour behaviour and develop sleep-wake behaviour as irregular as a new born. This biological clock is therefore a product of evolution to life on earth—a necessity dictated by the rotation of this planet in our solar system and now

built into our genetics. An avid fan of science fiction, Kumarasamy explains it to me with a twist: if aliens abducted a specimen from earth, they would be able to learn about our planetary cycle just by studying the timed cycles in the human body.

A bold initiative Before aliens could get to him, Dr. Kumarasamy was abducted by his own colleagues first. Although he was among those who created the human isolation chamber experiment, he was also granted the unique experience of spending 21 days in the time free environment; a scientist put under his own microscope. This rare opportunity to become the subject of such an intriguing inquiry into the human mind was one he could not pass up. His friends, knowing Kumar to be an extrovert and a natural people person, bet he wouldn‘t make it through a single day in isolation. But the man embraced the experience and stayed the whole three weeks alone.

Kumarasamy recalls the experience with the sort of fond delight of one recounting tales of their wild youth or past travels. One might think this a caustic and alienating venture, being submerged in a bunker the size of a studio apartment, completely cut off from the outside world. However, the consensus among Kumarasamy and his colleagues, who also took turns in the chamber, was that their stays were like miniature holidays. I can think of worse situations than having no responsibilities,

no appointments, nothing particular to do, with a crew just outside ready to cater to your every need.

Imposition of routine “I lived a normal life there, I enjoyed myself,” Kumarasamy tells, detailing how he spent his days in a regular routine. He would wake up, do some exercise, prepare and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner as he felt hungry, read from the small library provided, and watch movies, fetched at his request. At every action, the Kumar was required to press a button indicating to the outside observers that he was waking up, taking meals, or going to sleep. This button system allowed for detailed recording of data, as direct visual monitoring would compromise privacy. A wrist watch-like instrument was constantly kept on his person to measure vibrations caused by movement. Additionally, a probe was constantly recording his deep body temperature for further mensuration.

Other than these concessions, Kumarasamy observed no changes to his lifestyle, and certainly sensed no change to his sleep-wake cycle without the physical representation of time to influence his actions. By the end of the three weeks, the man never could have predicted how his schedule had changed. Suddenly one day, just as Kumarasamy was about to go to sleep, he received word that the experiment was over, it was time to come out. He remembers wondering why they would take him out so early, without letting him stay for the full 21 days.

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Re-adjusting to a timed world In fact, in societal time, three weeks had passed. In the real world, as he emerged from the chamber, it was not bedtime, but noon! He was dazzled by the bright light: “I didn‘t expect that!” He recounts how the sleepiness just dissipated, as he reentered the world with a surge of adrenaline. While he was happy during his time in the chamber, he didn‘t feel like talking to people much for two or three days after his release. An even harder adjustment was resynchronizing his biological clock back to societal time after the time free life in the chamber. Such was the case with every subject: in the chamber, their perceived, objective days stretched longer than the 24 hour day, making readjustment tough.

This pattern found in subjects reinforced the theory that human beings have a slow running clock. This means that when freed from the constrictions of time, humans naturally settle into a longer sleep-wake cycle than the societal day allows. In the human isolation chamber, Kumarasamy‘s day was 28 hours: 20 hours of wakefulness to every 8 hours of sleep. Other subjects‘ rhythmicity was as much as 36 hours. In the extreme case of L. Geetha—the only woman participant of the group—a sleep-wake cycle of 46 hours emerged, as she stayed awake for a maximum of 34 hours and slept for a maximum 19 hours.

Everyone‘s sleep-wake cycles are different; it‘s just a genetic variance like any other. The interesting thing is that through this experiment, the team found out that a person‘s sleep-wake cycle is directly correlated to their mental calculation of time lapse. Whereas previous to the isolation chamber findings, time lapse was thought to be purely psychological, their data proved that it is really physiological. To test time lapse, a subject was told to press a button after they believed two minutes had elapsed. To use the example of Geetha, she pressed the button after four minutes, double the time, just as her sleep-wake cycle was double the societal norm.

Based on their findings, the team was also able to put forth the hypothesis that two clocks control the body‘s rhythms:

the sleep-wake cycle and also a separate body temperature cycle. The two express the same periodicity in the societal day, but they desynchronize in a time free environment as the temperature rhythm maintains a 24 hour cycle. Through the exceptional willingness of Geetha, who agreed to stay 90 days in the isolation chamber, the team was able to conclude that a woman‘s menstrual cycle is tied to the temperature cycle and not the sleep-wake cycle.

Chronobiology and medicine Kumarasamy‘s recount of this extraordinary experience held me rapt from start to finish. It is incredible how linked the body is to time and how large a role it plays in our functioning. The medical implications of chronobiology are even more incredible. Dr. Kumarasamy has been able to link their conclusions to the way blood clots are formed more or less rapidly at different times of the day, as well as the rate of degradation of alcohol in the human body at different times.

His knowledge of chronobiology even helped Kumarasamy prolong the life of his father who was diagnosed with stomach cancer and given six months to live. Understanding that cell division, or mitosis, occurs between 12:00 am and 6:00 am, he suggested that chemotherapy be administered at night. He insisted on this unconventional method believing that the treatment was going to waste during hours where the targeted cells were largely inactive. His father ended up living six years.

Knowledge is power. The human isolation chamber experiments in chronobiology Dr. Kumarasamy participated in were powerful indeed.

Suddenly one day, just as Kumarasamy was about to go to sleep, he received word that the experiment was over, it was time to come out. He remembers wondering why they would take him out so early, without letting him stay for the full 21 days

NaTIvE DOgS:

Breeding SuccessHanna falkdal and maria Wallin meet two brothers, p.S. Kumar and p.S. Ravi, who have made it their life mission to preserve and perpetuate breeds of native Indian dogs in the hope that these hardy breeds, whose numbers are dwindling in the face of stiff competition from the more exotic and popular imported breeds, will not die out

Story & Photo By Hanna Falkdal and Maria WallinSweden

From a shed in the shadow of a coconut tree, squeals cuts through the silence of the steaming hot

backyard. Tiny paws lie splayed across the concrete floor while the delicate rays of sunlight reach down and kiss tiny pink noses. These five new born Pashmi hound puppies are the latest addition at the Conserve Kennel in Palathurai, 15 kilometers south of Coimbatore. “It’s a great achievement” says P.S. Kumar, one

of the owners of the Conserve Kennel, which specializes in preserving native Indian dogs.

Discovering a passion Four years ago, he and his brother P.S Ravi started the kennel because of their common interest in dogs. They began the search for the perfect watchdog to look after their house and soon they discovered a powerful native Indian dog,

the Rampur hound. A breed perfectly adapted to defend their master.After Kumar and Ravi decided to buy two of them, they realized that their interest in indigenous Indian dogs had grown to something much bigger. Soon it became a passion.

The two brothers got ambitious, “Why not try to collect all the Indian breeds?” they thought.

A ferocious fighter - the Indian mastiff is usually used in dog fights, which is why its ears are docked

Madurai Messenger Quest May 2013

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two staff members, who work at the kennel, clean and feed the dogs. Usually the dogs eat a mix of yoghurt and rice, but some days they’ll get meat or fish. If they are lucky, they sometimes get treats between their meals.

A black tail wags energetic against the mesh of a dog cage. Big brown eyes filled with anticipation follow the movement of Kumar’s hand as he takes a biscuit. He reaches towards the curious nose of the Kanni dog which swallows it in a flash. In the corner of the cage, another pair of eyes stare intensely. The icy blue gaze belongs to a Rajapalayam, one of the most popular native dogs in India. It is usually white in color and looks like a miniature Great Dane.

“Common people don’t have much knowledge about domestic breeds,”

They traveled across Tamil Nadu, through high mountains and deep valleys in the search for all the breeds of Indian native dogs, such as Rajapalayam, Rampur hound, Caravan hound, Chippiparai, Kanni, Combai and Indian Mastiff.

A hundred years ago, India had a wide variety of native dogs, perfectly adapted to the hot climate. The dry, vast, hostile landscape and the heat was no problem for these dogs. Now there are only nine pure breeds which have survived. This is why Kumar and Ravi decided to dedicate their lives to ensure the survival of the native breeds.

One of the main reasons Indian breeds are endangered is inbreeding, which is why Kumar and Ravi never allow people buy both the male and female dogs from the same lineage at the kennel. The risk of the two dogs being allowed to mate is too high. Another threat is the import of foreign breeds, which have become very popular among Indians although they are not very well suited to the climate. Heavy coated dogs like St Bernard’s or Golden Retrievers cannot cope with the heat.

The fact that foreign dogs are trendy is something the brothers dislike. They think that the influx of these foreign breeds has masked the merits of the native dogs. “Every country should preserve their native breeds,” says Kumar.

At this moment there are 25 dogs at the Conserve Kennel, each of them crucial for the survival of their own breed. Scattered all over the dusty kennel lie sunbathing dogs in different colors, sizes and shapes. A forceful, beige and white male dog with a firm countenance and strong jaws is chained to a tree in the kennel’s front yard. It is an Indian Mastiff, a native dog with a natural guarding instinct. Indian Mastiffs are known for their aggressive temperament and hence are commonly used in dog fights.

Just a few meters away from the ferocious mastiff lie two utterly calm

Caravan dogs. Kumar sits next to the dogs on the sun drenched porch. He says that this is his favorite breed, because they are so affectionate. But it is not the only quality that makes the Caravan hound so attractive. It is also known for its good immune system, lack of health problems and the ability to resist many diseases.

At the Conserve Kennel, the physical condition of the dogs is first priority. “Breeding a healthy breed, that’s the main thing” says Kumar and emphasizes the importance of providing good medical care to the dogs. The brothers regularly do vaccinations, check-ups and examine the puppies’ temperament and how they grow.

A day at the Conserve Kennel is usually quite calm. Early in the morning the

Beautiful blue eyes of the Rajapalayam dog, a real one man’s dog

One of the biggest reasons why the Indian breeds are endangered is inbreeding, which is why Kumar and Ravi never allow people buy both the male and female dogs from the same family lineage at the kennel

Madurai Messenger Heritage May 2013

says Kumar and explains that when people visit Conserve Kennel they are often surprised by the variety of dogs. Every single breed is available for sale but the brothers don’t sell for profit. “Dogs connect people” says Kumar and explains that the main reason they sell dogs is that they believe in the strong bond between human beings and dogs.

A commitment to native breeds It’s easy to get cheated when you buy a dog. People usually don’t know which breed they are actually buying because of the lack of pedigrees. But at the Conserve Kennel, Kumar and Ravi make sure that you can trace the dogs’ family lineage back in time, so you are aware of their ancestors and know where they come from. But it’s not only the responsibility of the kennel to preserve the native breeds.

“Everyone needs to keep the chain of native breed pure,” says Kumar who is very particular that the buyers make sure that the dogs are not crossbred. People need to gain knowledge and fully understand the danger of crossbreeding and not preserving the indigenous breeds.

Last year, the Conserve Kennel reached a turning point. For the first time, the brothers got recognition in the media, something they felt very proud about. This also led to public awareness about various native breeds and Kumar and Ravi felt that all their hard work had finally paid off. “It was a victory for our work,” say Kumar and Ravi smilingly. But the brothers have bigger plans. They want to ensure that the fame of the indigenous breeds spreads all over India.

You can still hear the squealing from the shed in the backyard. The five newborn puppies have not yet opened their eyes, but when they do, they have a bright future ahead, in the very capable hands of Kumar and Ravi.

Dog feeding, a daily task that Kumar accomplishes with passion

Ravi and Kumar work hard to preserve the indigenous dogs and hold the future of Indian native breeds in their hands

“Dogs connect people” says Kumar and explains that the main reason they sell dogs is that they believe in the strong bond between human beings and dogs

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Madurai Messenger Humour May 2013

In a brilliant gerald Durell-esque piece, Isabelle brotherton- Ratcliffe captures moods and moments she shares with some of her favorite animals in India—the shy house gecko, a mischievous squirrel, gentle goats, the sassy street dogs and their pathetic counterparts, the pet dogs—all of which will live on in her memories of an Indian interlude

The English are sometimes described as a nation of animal lovers so it is perhaps not

surprising that in the course of my stay in Madurai, I enjoyed observing the animals native to this part of India, but new to me. Some I shall miss when I return to my familiar habitat, and they remain in theirs, so here is an affectionate farewell to those I have come to know.

The gecko, a shy reptile My first favourite is our house gecko, Fred. Fred is about 4 inches long, pale yellow in complexion (although that may have something to do with the colour of the walls on which he is normally seen). He is very quiet, unobtrusive and somehow immensely endearing. My Indian host family is not so drawn to him and has watched in some bewilderment as I attempted to bond with the shy reptile. I have succeeded as far as his not fleeing at the sound of my voice, but I fear I am a long way from a reciprocal understanding with him.

Fred used to live in a flower vase at the side of our dinner table, so he was a regular feature at meals and we used to wait for him to emerge, sidling up the wall behind the camouflaging flowers. He did not seem to recognise my attempts to lure him out with bits of vegetables and an occasional dead mosquito. Fred‘s automatic response to any movement was to freeze in his

Fred, the gecko in my host family!

Story and Photo By Isabelle Brotherton-RatcliffeUnited Kingdom

My Family and Other Animals

path and his ability to remain still for long periods was impressive. I think he enjoyed a busier nightlife once the human inhabitants of the house had retired for the night. If I got up in the night, I would see Fred far from his flower vase home in the vast open territory of the ceiling poised as if caught in a misdeed. If his misdeed was catching mosquitoes, I wished him well.

Mosquitoes are not something I have gained any affection for.

I know that Fred is still with us somewhere in the house, but he has moved home: the traditional Pongal house cleaning included his flower vase and I suspect he feels that it no longer offers him the privacy he values. Last night though I found a new development

My Indian host family is not so drawn to him and has watched in some bewilderment as I attempted to bond with the shy reptile

in Fred‘s story – there is now a small infant gecko to be seen, so perhaps there will always be a Fred, or Fredericka, to live on in our Madurai home.

The energetic squirrel Outside the house there is a similarly endearing creature – a small squirrel. The squirrel moves so fast I have not found it easy to characterise it with a name, but it looks like a creation from the Walt Disney film studio: fine, delicate, striped and with a light-as-air tail flying behind it. The squirrel scampers around the walls and awnings of the house at breakneck speed. The squirrel‘s bounding movements defy logic and I have spent some time trying to understand his footwork as he sails past me.

Alas, he never stops long enough in his energetic sprints for me to learn much about him and has proved too skittish to be befriended. He is a feature of my life here, though, and listening out for the pattering of his feet on the awning above my head is part of my morning ritual. Will he notice when I am no longer here, I wonder, or am I just a passing curiosity to him, as he perches on the trees and wires above the house, and completes his circuits of the neighbourhood. I cannot imagine so.

Caprid capers There must be goats in England but I don‘t seem to have noticed them. By contrast, the Indian goats were the first thing to catch my eye, and win my

heart. I dare say they have all sorts of unattractive features – and it has to be said they do have a strong smell – but when I saw the young kids, I fell in love with their gentle bleating, their floppy ears and placid demeanours. Goats have unsettling eyes with their horizontal pupils, but Madurai‘s goats have charm with their clean healthy looking coats, stilt like legs, warm and soft muzzles and hard little heads. As urban goats, they do not have a chance to show off their acrobatics and climbing skills but I have often seen them kneeling delicately on their front legs to get closer to short stemmed greenery, which is a curious sight. On one occasion, I saw an adult goat standing up with her front legs kneeling on a high table and she looked like someone in the act of an obscure rite of dining etiquette.

There is a small herd of goats which passes by our house each afternoon and I always rush out to look at them. Once I was privileged to see amongst them, a goat who had given birth moments before and I held one of the two kids as it blinked rather blearily at the new world it found itself in. Now a few weeks on, I see the two young kids gambolling on legs they have learned to manage and their happy cries as they trot after their mother bring pleasure to my ears.

A dog’s life Dogs in Madurai are a more puzzling phenomenon. There are a large number of stray dogs around town which

nose through the rubbish piles lining the streets or, if more daring, patrol the butchers‘ stands. They look up from their meagre grazings with an unhopeful eye but seem undaunted in their task and briskly trot on to the next spot on their routes. There seems to be a territorial divide and I now recognise the different dogs along my route to the office. Theirs is a life without a safety net – they have no home or comfort and even face the threat of stones being thrown at them – but it seems to be a life whose uneasy balance is understood by both dogs and human. The life of house dogs is very different. These seem to be guard dogs and not pets; so, behind the gates and fences of many houses are fierce Rottweilers who bark out their warnings to would-be trespassers. To the Western eye, these dogs seem unfairly confined in kennels or at the end of chains, without an opportunity to exercise in open spaces, but this is the price they pay for the certainty of regular food and water. It saddens me that the warmth and affection which can so easily develop between human and dog is not highly valued and the dogs of Madurai do not have love in their eyes.

In a country where many people are striving to find enough food each day, it ill behoves outsiders to comment on the lives of animals. Cows, are of course sacred, elephants revered and the eating of meat, common in the West, is also widespread here. In London, I shall return to a home hamster, whose dependency on me is part of her charm, but I shall take with me a memory of the goats, and especially the gecko, I have left behind.

Theirs is a life without a safety net – they have no home or comfort and even face the threat of stones being thrown at them – but it seems to be a life whose

uneasy balance is understood by both dogs and human

If his misdeed was catching mosquitoes, I wished him well. Mosquitoes are not something I have gained any affection for

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a thrilling true life narrative of a group of conservationists led by the late lawrence anthony who undertook a risky mission to rescue the animals in the baghdad Zoo at the height of the Iraq war because it was all about saving lives— and not just human ones

paRaDISE REgaINED:

Babylon Ark

By Krysten MaierCanada

The whole world saw the Iraq war mainly through the images captured on TV screens and the heartbreaking newspaper reports about the mothers and fathers, sons

and daughters of Baghdad. But not many would know about the zoo in the midst of the war torn city or the fact that when the civilians fled the bombing, they left 30 caged animals to die a slow and painful death. Did you hear any heartbreaking stories about that? Chances are that you wouldn’t have even known about them if it hadn’t been for Babylon’s Ark, a book by Lawrence Anthony that recounts the real life story of Baghdad’s animals and their rescue.

Enter the saviour Like many others during this time, conservationist Lawrence Anthony sat glued to the television in South Africa, watching the terrible war in Iraq, almost 7,500 kilometres away. But Anthony asked himself a question that the other scores of people didn’t: What about the animals? Who, in the no man’s land that Baghdad had now become, would ever think twice about saving the animals when there wasn’t even time to save themselves? Anthony knew the simple answer to these questions. No one. That was when he decided that the total neglect of animals in war zones could no longer be ignored. He had to do something and he did. Just a few months after the invasion, the South African conservationist decided that he would enter the bomb-wrecked and destroyed city which once was the headquarters of the Iraqi dictator. His plan was to try to save the traumatized animals of the Baghdad Zoo.

Babylon’s Ark takes its readers through Anthony’s story—from his despair when he finally makes it to Baghdad and discovers the animals’ condition, to his happiness when, together with the help of local Iraqi workers, he is able to get running water to the dehydrated animals. The book tells the story of a devastated country, the filthy conditions from which the animals are rescued, about lions without the slightest amount of body fat. It tells the story of the animals that cannot speak for themselves, like the bear, which Anthony saves from

The words of Lawrence Anthony are as dry and harsh as the Baghdad desert; simplistic, but sometimes its directness hits you where it hurts

Madurai Messenger book Review May 2013

a cramped, dirty cage at an animal market. The bear was near death, with paws which were nothing more than flesh and dripping blood, when it was saved and brought to its new sanctuary, the zoo. The book takes the reader on the journey of Anthony and the zoo workers as they slowly help the magnificent tigers, bears and foxes to regain their former glory.

It is a simple non-fiction narrative. The words are neither dazzling nor poetic, they are simple and direct. There are no artistic metaphors or abstract descriptions of nature. The words of Lawrence Anthony are as dry and harsh as the Baghdad desert; simplistic, but sometimes its directness hits you where it hurts. Anthony’s story has no need for beautiful alliterations.

Even though it is a simple tale of a zoo stuck in the middle of the war, there is a more global, important message which often creeps to the surface. It was not only Anthony and his co-workers’ love for the furry creatures of the Baghdad Zoo which drove them to risk their lives every morning. For them, it was bigger than just saving a couple of animals. The rescue of the zoo was their way of saying, ‘this has to stop.’ The abuse and neglect of the creatures that each of us share this world with has to end. Anthony explains that his rescue mission was a drop in the ocean in the fight for animal rights, but it was still a drop. If you collect one million drops, you will someday, in the future, have an ocean.

This book will not become a classic; it will not be admired for its style and

storytelling. It is not the book I will have next to my bed stand and flip through when I’m sad, happy, or in need of glimmering poetry. But this is also not the purpose of the story. It has not been written so that poets around the world can gather and discuss a particular phrase, it is not that kind of book. This is the story of a passionate bunch of human beings who put their own safety at peril because they wanted to teach you and me something. They could not stand by and watch people destroying the zoo and in the greater meaning, the planet. As Anthony himself said, “The rescue was a line in the sand; this long and no further.”

Lazing around in the jungle

Title: Babylon’s Ark

Author: Lawrence Anthony

Publisher: St.Martin’s Press, New York

Year of Publishing: 2007

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From the African WildernessThe true life story of late South african conservationist lawrence anthony’s powerful and intuitive connection to a herd of wild elephants is now a conservation classic

By Zina BibanovicHolland

As human beings, we talk, scream, laugh, cry and whisper to communicate messages between one another. Collectively, we’ve inflated our egos into believing that when it comes to communication, we are the leading species

on the planet. Lawrence Anthony paints a different picture in his page-turning read The Elephant Whisperer, as he dives into the almost supernatural, instinctual communication methods of a wild herd of beautiful, gray, 5000 kg elephants, which he adopts against all advice. Their transformation into an accepting, peaceful herd goes hand-in-hand with some of Anthony’s most frightening, hilarious and heartwarming stories from the heart of African wildlife.

Telling it like it is Conservationists and animal lovers alike can appreciate and praise the way that The Elephant Whisperer tells it like it is. Anthony awards the reader with a true, gritty insight into what raising a herd of wild elephants, potentially one of the most dangerous animals on the planet, entails – and how his love for these inspiring creatures saved both their lives, many times. From near-death experiences between the herd and himself, to loving family moments, each page paints a unique portrait of the wild. The hardships that the herd and Anthony go through together in the attempt to acclimatise them to human beings are a direct result of the abuse they received from our species before being rescued. Their initial resentment becomes more and more justified, and The Elephant Whisperer shines a grim light on the horrific treatment of animals in the more desperate parts of the world.

Hide and seek The human-elephant conflict is not a new concept. Rapid deforestation in habitats that were originally destined for elephants to meander in has turned the lives of many members of this intriguing species into dangerous games of hide and seek. Hiding from hungry poachers, on the hunt for their hide and tusks, and seeking the relatively small strips of land still available to them, is taxing on an elephant’s psyche. Despite them having many reasons to charge every human in sight, most fatal accidents involving elephants and humans are due to human error – blunders in the nighttime are the main killers. Anthony explains throughout “The Elephant Whisperer” how patience and good sense work well with these magnificent beasts, and his attempts to spread this attitude are plentiful. The results are plain to see in his herd, who are now reliable, safe wild elephants, open to public awing.

Despite being a work of non-fiction, The Elephant Whisperer entices the reader with superb imagery and the smooth transitions make it a continuously enjoyable read. The author’s informal attitude paired with the minute detail of the bush gives one the impression of being a park ranger besides him – adventures unheard of to city people are explained in such a way that they become understandable. This is a true skill, and makes the exhilarating storyline comfortable to follow.

From near-death experiences between the herd and himself, to loving family moments, each page paints a unique portrait of the wild

reserve is of vital importance, and is displayed throughout the book.

This story of one man’s powerful connection with a herd of elephants puts our interaction with the animals around us into perspective. For so long, humans have lived as though they were the smartest species on the planet – at times, as though they were the only species on the planet. This book is the proof that we could do with humbling our attitude towards ourselves, and improving our attitudes towards others. Appreciating nature is something everyone is capable of, but if we’re not careful, there may very well be not much nature left for our children to appreciate, and none at all for theirs.

With a fluidity that transports the reader to the bushes of his game reserve, Thula Thula, Lawrence Anthony translates the emotions of the elephants, explaining a communicative process unlike any other. In one goose bump-inducing anecdote, Anthony recalls how he left the reserve for a few days, once the herd had grown accustomed to him. They had taken to visiting him in his backyard when he was home, and somehow knew when he wasn’t, as his wife informed him that they hadn’t showed up since he had left. When he was due to return home, the herd appeared on the horizon, leisurely strolling up to the house. Anthony’s plane was delayed, and before even his wife knew about it, the elephants stopped and began walking away again – they had

somehow sensed he was not returning that night. The Elephant Whisperer is filled to the brim with awe-inspiring stories of the herd’s excellent intelligence and communicative skills.

For posterity’s sake Although elephants take centre-stage, a great deal is written about the other animals on the reserve as well. In every situation, Anthony carefully conducts plans to benefit not just the herd, not himself, but every living thing on his reserve and this includes wildlife in general. The vicious yet fair cycle of life weaves itself throughout the story, eliminating some who grow to become favorite characters in the wild ride that is Anthony’s life. A conservationist approach to life and death on the game

In one goose bump-inducing anecdote, Anthony recalls how he left the reserve for a few days, once the herd had grown accustomed to him. They had taken to visiting him in his backyard when he was home, and somehow knew when he wasn’t, as his wife informed him that they hadn’t showed up since he had left.

Title: The Elephant Whisperer

Authors: Lawrence Anthony

and Graham Spence

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Publishers, UK and Thomas

Dunne/ St. Martin’s Press,

Newyork

Year of Publishing: 2009

Madurai Messenger book Review May 2013

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The scenic village of Chinnakallar in valparai district in Tamil Nadu, gets the second highest rainfall in the country. liz Dougan strolls around this picturesque little village situated on the fringes of a protected forest area and comes away troubled by the lack of vision that has led to increased human-animal conflicts, and vested interests that have reduced the people of Chinnakallar to mere pawns in game with high stakes

CHINaKallaR:

On the Razor’s Edge

Story and Photo By Elizabeth Dougan

Australia

Chinakallar is a tiny village in Tamil Nadu, perched on the Kerala border. Established in 1935, it

is situated at the end of a picturesque valley in the Anaimalai Hills and is within the boundary of the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.

Surrounded by spectacular scenery of native forest, merging rivers and vivid green tea plantations, it appears to be a quiet yet idyllic place to pass the days. But I soon discovered that it is anything but, plagued by danger, poor prospects, and a dwindling population.

A former cinchona processing factory, now owned and operated by Tan Tea

PlaceJust 20 kms from Valparai, the rocky dirt road we took by jeep made the journey feel a lot longer, and the place far more isolated. We passed through a forestry checkpoint, paid a fee and gained permission to take photographs

Madurai Messenger village voices May 2013

A house abandoned following property damage by an elephant

Tea plantation meets native forest

before continuing up the windy road to Singkona, Chinnakallar‘s neighbouring village. Locals gazed at us intently as we drove by, clearly unfamiliar with visitors.

For the following 7 kms, we were rewarded with panoramic views of the deep valley. Small houses, with closed wooden shutters scattered amongst the forest and lines of tea clinging to the hillsides. Upon arrival at the end of the road, I was surprised to find there was no village centre and very few people around. We passed a large weir that was the only obvious form of infrastructure, later discovering its use as an irrigation system in the dry months. The catchment is at the junction of the Kondalarur and Poovarur Rivers.

Our driver informed us that most of the houses are spread amongst the forest, some of which are clumped in small colonies for safety reasons against wildlife. It is also home to a small school that goes up to the fifth grade. A bus comes early morning to late afternoon five times each day, but besides this

Leopards, bison and elephants are the major threats. Leopards have been known to attack and kill children, while bison and elephants cause property damage, injury, and occasional fatalities

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service there are no other facilities, including emergency services.

PeopleWe met with Chellathurai, a native of the area who acts as caretaker in the region for the Department of Public Works. He admits that had he not taken up the position, it would be a difficult role to fill. Only 50 families remain in Chinnakallar, the population sitting at approximately 200, though it continues to decrease, as many have found that the village problems associated with education, services and environmental dangers too great to endure. Both Tamil and

Anbu- local tea picker Local tea picker, Janaki

Malayalam are spoken here because of the proximity to the state border.

Production and LabourTea picking is the dominant occupation of the Chinakallar inhabitants, and Chellathurai informed us that all the locals were out amongst the fields that accounted for the somewhat unnerving emptiness on our arrival. The average income in the area is around Rs 150 rupees (AU $ 2.60) per day, significantly less than pickers working closer to Valparai.

It is a crop that can be picked all year round, even through the monsoon which is important as the area receives the second highest rainfall on record in India after Cherrapunji in the country‘s north. Local picker, Janaki reveals the biggest problem during the rainy season is leeches. Though tea has been the main plantation in the Anaimalai Hills since the mid 1800s and has driven the area’s economy, it was not the only plantation introduced by the British Raj.

Cinchona trees, from South America were planted amongst the native forest for their anti malarial properties. This was the former industry of the upper valley until the early 1990s. When chemical drug technology improved, the quinine producing cinchona became obsolete. Following the decline in demand, tea companies moved in on the area and

The continued depletion of forest means that the contact between humans and wild animals has increased, and as a result of Chinnakallar’s position, with dense forestation on three sides, it has faced the brunt of the problems

factories were converted from quinine

production to tea processing. To make

room for the spread of tea crops to

the top of the valley, a further 1500

hectares of forest was cleared despite

being within the boundaries of a

wildlife sanctuary.

The Nirar Weir that acts as the regions irrigation system

I left Chinnakallar with a sinking feeling. Angry that the environment, supposedly within a protected area, had been managed with such a lack of vision

Leopards, bison and elephants are the major threats. Leopards have been known to attack and kill children, while bison and elephants cause property damage, injury, and occasional fatalities.

When tea plantations were introduced, the British enforced a law that 30 percent of tea growing properties remain as forest. This created fractured forests, but these patches are not adequate to sustain eco systems, particularly for larger animals such as elephants. Food requirements, for instance, are not fulfilled without the need for them to move from one area to another.

Curious to know if there is a season where elephant contact increases, Janaki says there is not, but that they appear more often in the early evenings and are always more defensive with their young. People taking part in pilgrimages at a temple just over the Kerala border see an increase of sightings in the valley, as they are encroached by large groups of people on the Kerala side. But she remarks that they are not aggressive unless provoked; for instance, they are sometimes taunted by kids throwing stones, or people letting off fire crackers to move them away from property. Generally they give off warning signals when they‘re stressed such as turning their backs, swinging their tails or mock charges. Janaki reveals they are a part of life in the area and “we see them often.”

Janaki reveals that many people have moved closer to Valparai since the increase in elephant activity in the area, some even abandoning their houses. She believes that most of the villagers who stay in Chinnakallar are restricted by economy, as the cost of living is higher in the city. Those that remain in the village, leave after dawn and return home from the fields before dark. They stay within their houses after 6 pm, with windows and shutters closed so as not attract animals with the smell of food.

Children are unable to walk to school without the threat of danger, and it seems such a shame that

ProblemsThe continued depletion of forest means that the contact between humans and wild animals has increased, and as a result of Chinnakallar’s position, with dense forestation on three sides, it has faced the brunt of the problems.


5756 to that of Singkona, as animals are less likely to disturb built up areas. A plan to provide a transport system for tea pickers to be taken directly from their homes to their workplace and back via private vehicles provided by tea companies has also been discussed for villagers who wish to remain in Chinakallar.

At the end of the dayI left Chinnakallar with a sinking feeling, angry that the environment, supposedly within a protected area, had been managed with such a lack of vision. Conflict between wild animals and humans is not new within the area, and so the disregard for such an obvious outcome was upsetting. It appeared to me to be a battle between money, disenfranchised people and endangered species and habitat. Chellathurai’s statement about returning the land to the forest seems to be the only way forward, but at the cost of the Chinakallar villagers who appear to of been used as pawns in a much a larger game.

Children are unable to walk to school without the threat of danger, and it seems such a shame that they cannot enjoy and explore their surrounds because human habitation has overlapped too far into the paths of wildlife, many of which are endangered

The Nirar Weir, the only sign of infrastructure

they cannot enjoy and explore their surrounds because human habitation has overlapped too far into the paths of wildlife, many of which are endangered. The village school now has only three students and four teachers. Despite the ample attention received the opportunities are limited, and Chellathurai is doubtful that it is a sustainable arrangement. From the fifth grade, children attend Singkona elementary school.

Prospects When I questioned Chellathurai about the village’s prospects, he let out a muted laugh, and considering the information he‘d offered and that we were sitting in a building surrounded by high electric fences with a sensor alarm system, his response seemed reasonable. He went on to tell us that the forestry department plans to reclaim the tea plantations in the village, as the government only leased the land. He stated matter of factly “the area belongs to the forest and we have to give it back to the forest.”

Moves to create more colonies of housing is also being considered, similar

Elsa free in order to keep her from being kept in captivity, which turns out to be easier said than done.

Elsa is completely unable to hunt and take care of herself out in the wild. The couple tries several times without any luck, and when they’re just about to give up, suddenly, the timid lioness finds herself a mate. Saddened but relieved for their overgrown pet, the Adamson’s return to England. The final part of the film is without a doubt the most captivating, with McKenna delivering a superb performance and showing great emotional range. In the end, the couple decides to travel back to Kenya, in hopes of being reunited with their beloved lioness. Days go by without any luck, but suddenly while they’re standing by their tent ready to pack up, a majestic Elsa comes out from the bushes with three lion cubs by her side. The reunion is, without a doubt, an emotional one for both the viewer and the characters, and a lovely way to end the film.

Overall, the film’s greatest strength is its authenticity. At times it almost feels like you’re watching a documentary, no doubt because of the wonderful actors and filmmakers. It is beautifully shot, capturing both the brutality and beauty of the African wild life. The more intense scenes are well balanced out by comical moments of Elsa playing which makes the film an enjoyable and well-rounded experience for every age.

patrick Smith reviews the timeless wildlife classic about a unique bond between a lioness and her foster human parents

Terms of Endearment: bORN fREE SERIES

By Patrick SmithNorway

Born Free (1966) is the charming story about a British couple who teach their pet lioness how to

survive in the ferocious Kenyan jungle. Starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, it received critical acclaim when it was released and even got an Academy Award for best song and a Golden Globe for McKenna. Based on the

book by the same name, Born Free has spawned several films and television series with this being the first, and arguably the best one.

The call of the wild While the target group for this film is no doubt children, it is still a thrilling watch for anyone who appreciates incredible landscapes and majestic animals. Right from the opening shot, the film draws you in to the unique nature of Africa and the brutality of animal life without glamourising it.

The story starts with the Adamson couple taking care of three orphaned lion cubs, which eventually makes them domesticated. As time goes on and the cubs grow to be unruly adolescent lions, they’re whisked away to the Rotterdam Zoo. The smallest of the bunch, Elsa, remains with the couple, as Joy couldn’t bring herself to give her away. As the film progresses, we see several heartwarming scenes with the lioness and her unlikely “parents,” with one in particular standing out. When Joy goes away for a short trip, Elsa tries to jump on the top of the car and refuses to move.

It’s scenes like this that makes you feel like Elsa really became a part of the family and the love both parties have for each other is absolutely touching to watch. It isn’t all smiles and cotton candy though; as Elsa gets bigger, the town people fear that she will ruin their crops, and the demand for banishing her to a zoo creates drama and emotional turmoil for Joy. Geoffrey Keen, a government official convinces the Adamsons to set

Title: Born Free

Cast: Virginia

McKenna, Bill Travers

Director: James Hill

Language: English

Year of Release: 1966


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However, as the days go by, I notice that all that the strange sounds are very normal here. Thus, little by little, I have become accustomed to the environment and gradually try to blend in with the crowds as if I was one of them. If I came here for a cultural shock, I certainly got it!

after some heart-stopping moments, Cindy gautier learns to cope with the heat as well as the crazy madurai traffic

negotiating Trafficand Culture Shock

Story By Cindy Gautier, France and Photo by

Luca Scarafile

As I came out of the airplane, I immediately felt that I was on another planet. The heat was so overwhelming that I wondered how I’d be able to bear it. After a

very long and exhausting journey, I was finally led to my host family. I just felt like I wanted to sleep.

However, the incredible sights and sounds kept my eyes fully wide open. The things that struck me the most were the beauty of the colourful landscape and the dreadful and unsanitary conditions all around. I was also enraptured by the women whose saris seemed like fancy dresses. I could not believe how they could bear to wear such long clothes in the sweltering heat!

The centre of all eyes Everything around me looked so similar, that it was difficult for me to find my way. However, people were kind enough to help me even without my asking them. Madurai is so noisy: never-ending horns, dogs barking, cocks crowing, people laughing.... The sights and sounds are so very vivid and varied that it seems like there is no way that I will get bored here. While walking down the street, I can feel people gazing at me in a weird, intrusive way. At first it is a little discomforting, you don’t know what they are thinking about. But then it becomes so routine that after some time, you don’t pay any attention to these stares.

Before my departure to India, most of my friends said that I was crazy to go so far away and they feared that I would not come back home. So instead of saying “goodbye” to me, they said “farewell.” On my first day here, as I ventured on the road and tried to negotiate the crazy traffic, the first thought that struck me was that all their fears were going to come true! Venturing on the road was an ordeal.

In fact, I was horrified by the speed of the drivers who drive helter-skelter with no sense of direction that it gives the impression you will meet with an accident. It is worse when you have to cross the road since the drivers never stop to allow you to cross. What is more, seat belts seem only to be an accessory.

The Sunrise in the city

I was also enraptured by the women whose saris seemed like fancy dresses. I could not believe how they could bear to wear such long clothes in the sweltering heat!

‘found himself’ here. Though this observation sounds clichéd, I think there might be something to it. If it’s not about finding myself, I will at least always have found this amazing country.

Madurai Messenger first Impressions May 2013

Though her homeland and India are polar opposites, maria Wallin, on her first trip here, is intrigued by madurai and hopes that her sojourn will help her to ‘find herself’ a la george Harrison of the beatles

A Journey in Search of ‘Self’

Story and Photo By Maria WallinSweden

It was in the middle of the icy Swedish winter when my friend and I decided that this spring, we would spend a month in India. At that time, the snow was deep and ice

covered the windows, like frosting on a cake. India seemed even further away than it was and to imagine that we, in a couple of months, would be walking in the streets of Madurai, was quite impossible.

An Indian summer When February shifted into March, our pale Scandinavian skin became acquainted with the intense rays of the Indian sun. The feeling when I stepped out of the airplane, with the smell of the newly fallen snow still in your nostrils while being in the midst of the Indian heat, smells and sounds is utterly indescribable. It is like black and white, night and day, like travelling from one universe to another.

That was precisely five days ago. The first shock has now settled a bit, and the India which I stepped into at the airport in Madurai is not really the same as the India I see all around me. Because even though my mind was filled with excitement when I stepped onto the hot streets of Madurai, it was hard not to notice the other things, the flip side of this dazzling country, things I never seen so close up - the blind man who begged for money at the side of the road, the limping street dog, and a woman, being totally ignored by the group of men she tried to talk to. These are the things you are bound to notice when you come from a country where poverty is not as overt in the streets as it is here.

It only took me a few days to realize that even though many people do not have a lot of money, they are rich in so many other things. I have never experienced greater curiosity, compassion and joy than here in India, and I have never seen so many colours on women, so different from the dull Scandinavian way of dressing.

I recall the thought that crossed my mind when the stewardess on the airplane announced that we had landed in Madurai - it was the story about George Harrison from The Beatles, who after his visit to India had said that he had

One of Madurai’s young inhabitants

It only took me a few days to realize that even though many people do not have a lot of money, they are rich in so many other things.

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Holland, we are not that fond of spices, so I was a bit worried my taste buds would be working overtime. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. The food is somewhat spicy, but that just makes it tastier. And there are so many different dishes to discover, it’s almost impossible not to find something you like. So, to be honest, I am already certain that I will not miss the schnitzels, Gouda cheese and Haribo candy I usually love so much. Actually, I am dying for a samosa right now. Oh, and about taking the bus in India... I just took a bus. Just to prove my friends wrong.

Though her friends and family were wary about her trip to India after hearing about the recent unsavoury incident in New Delhi, Ella verkuijten proved their fears all wrong, even venturing so far as to go on a ‘forbidden’ bus ride

“You’re going to India? Are you sure?”

Story and Photo By Ella VerkuijtenThe Netherlands

The horrific news about the gang rape in New Delhi arrived in Holland just about two months

before my trip to India, resulting in a wave of ‘are you serious?’ looks and concerned questions from my friends. “Make sure you don’t get on any buses there!” was definitely catchphrase number one. I must admit, I too was a bit startled by the appalling death of the girl and started to wonder what I was getting myself into. So you could say I was not prepared for a particularly relaxing trip.

Luckily, this feeling completely vanished as soon as I set foot in Mumbai, where I had to wait a good 12 hours until my next flight to Madurai. Yes, some rickshaw drivers were trying to rip me off (and succeeded, whoops!) and, yes, the traffic was incredibly busy but I must say, I felt quite comfortable already. This feeling increased as soon as I arrived in Madurai. Less tourists, a beautiful view of the mountains and a welcoming host family. I could definitely live here for a while.

A strange transition My transition to Indian culture might have been made easier by the two weeks I spent in Nepal before coming here. Kathmandu was only a bit less busy, less smelly and less chaotic than India. This way, I could ease into the chaos and get used to it so that now, the beautifully detailed temples and sanctuaries, colourful clothing of the women and the amazingly green view

A beautiful view of Madurai at dusk

with its mixture of mountains and palm trees actually stand out from the commotion. Because there is so much more to India than honking vehicles, rats, diarrhea and garbage. You just have to open your eyes and look past all that.

But the thing I like most so far is, of course, the food! From Dutch ‘boerenkool with sauceges’ ( does this indicate how its spelt in India?) to palak paneer, from cheese sandwiches to garlic naan and from pancakes to dosas, it definitely is a strange transition. In

From Dutch ‚boerenkool with sauceges‘ to palak paneer, from cheese sandwiches to garlic naan and from pancakes to dosas, it definitely is a strange transition

Although this first month had already given me an insight to Indian culture, it was quite new for me when I came to Madurai and had to grapple with the heat and the noise. So, yes (with the Indian way of nodding of course!), I am excited to continue my discovery of this country, which seems like an endless succession of landscapes, temples, wildlife and welcoming people with wonderful smiles all the time!

A riot of colours - one of the many shops that make India so colourful

marine vasina, during her short stay at madurai, quickly takes to the spicy south Indian fare besides learning the intricacies of bargaining with autorickshaw drivers and shop keepers

The Discovery of India

Story and Photo By Marine VasinaFrance

“How much to Townhall Road?” After some hard bargaining, I get into the

autorickshaw and let it drive into the crazy traffic among the bullock carts, the women in colourful saris crossing the street and the cars and motorcycles honking and racing ahead. After a quick stop at an Indian restaurant for a thali lunch, I am ready to go bargain hunting again for Ali Baba trousers at the Tailor’s Market. My friends would not believe that I am now able to bargain and find my way around this crazy city. But I can! Because yes, although the first sight of Madurai is overwhelming and I felt like I was going to get lost, after a few days, I started enjoying the crowds, the noise, the little shops that sell so many different things, and I just hope to fit into this new world as quickly as possible to discover more about Indian culture.

A window to a new worldThe first thing that appealed to me when I arrived was the Indian food. I just love it! And I have to force myself to stop eating if I don’t want to get sick. I am not a spicy food eater but I discovered here that I really enjoy it! I feel that this city is worlds apart from what I am used to, not only with respect to the food, but also the culture, and that is what I like the most about my trip, discovering a different culture from mine and trying to understand a new way of living, dressing and thinking.I have already spent one month at a teaching project in another part of Tamil

Nadu and it was really different from Madurai. A lot quieter - the nearest town was five kilometres away! But I think one of the hardest things for me to get accustomed to was the way people stare at you, especially the children in the school. When I first arrived, they all wanted to know my name and about my country and looked at me as if I was an exotic animal escaped from a zoo. But it is so nice when you get to know more about them.

When I first arrived, they all wanted to know my name and about my country and looked at me as ifI was an exotic animal escaped from a zoo.


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up to be a challenge for me over the next two months. At first, I was ready to run all the way back home. Now, I am ready to look Madurai in the eyes and jump headfirst into anything this eclectic city may throw at me. I can already feel myself growing mentally and spiritually thank you, India, in advance.

A busy street in the city

after the initial feelings of alienation, Zina bibanovic feels all pepped up and ready to go as the city’s restless and creative energy gets to her

A Martian is Here!

Story and Photo By Zina BibanovicThe Netherlands

When I arrived at my host family’s home, disorientated and alone, ‘alienated’ is the exact

description of how I felt. I had stepped off of the plane, and stepped on to Mars. My first few days were a blur of new faces and experiences. They were overwhelming to the point that I took a few moments each day to sit on my bed and collect my thoughts – mainly, why on earth I had signed myself up for this madness.

Incredibly Inspiring I was lucky enough to spend my first day basking in the sun by the swimming pool of the luxurious Gateway Hotel. This lavishness was short-lived. As we ventured into the city centre, on a quest for the delicacies at Puppy’s Bakery, I was amazed by the sheer concentration of people on the streets. It was dirty, deafening and diverse. It was also charming, cheerful and colourful. The vibrancy is intoxicating. You grow accustomed to the laidback manner in which Indians go about their day – better yet, you grow fond of it.

I’ve been here for five days now, and I’m starting to see exactly why I came here. Madurai is slowly but surely starting to grow on me - I don’t feel as alienated, although I recognize that it will take time for that feeling to disappear. The volunteers that I’ve met are incredibly friendly, making it easier for me to adapt to the craziness that is India. Culture shock doesn’t begin to describe it. It’s hard to put Madurai into words - it’s a world of its own, and it needs to be experienced to be understood. It is one thing for sure - incredibly inspiring. Not surprisingly, many

The volunteers that I’ve met are incredibly friendly, making it easier for me to adapt to the craziness that is India. Culture shock doesn’t begin to describe it.

highly gifted poets and authors come from India - the country relentlessly spoon-feeds you creative energy. This can be daunting and overwhelming at first, but the beauty of it quickly emerges and triumphs over any other feelings it may evoke in you.

As a final first impression, I will say this: Madurai has definitely set itself

labyrinth of streets—all roads lead to the Meenakshi Temple, at least for me, as I navigate the city center in the afternoon heat. As darkness settles over the city, the fluorescent lights from the banana leaf messes, in coalition with the appealing aromas of Southern delicacies, beckon me in for a late night snack. Clandestine bars pop up like mushrooms with neon signs and I cut through back alley fruit markets draped with tarps. The town is a fishing net of blinking lights from one of the many rooftop restaurants and fireworks sizzle above the temple towers. Perhaps the greatest way to experience Madurai by night is on the back of a motorbike, whizzing through traffic, an invigorating blur—the greatest sense of freedom and lightness.

What makes Madurai home for me, the impression that will last through the years, is the people I have met. I would never had made my fondest memories without the good people and kindred spirits I found in the heart of the city. People from here, people from elsewhere; they have all found the city like me and come to love it as I have. Such unbiased kindness and warmth I’ve yet to come across anywhere in the world. From the quiet nights spitting watermelon seeds from the balcony to the manic days spent in transit’s ample bosom of public buses or taxis or auto rickshaws, chasing some story, I’ve savoured every moment. The impression this place has left on me will never fade. That flame will never be extinguished.

I walk the despondent path lined with bottles of soda pop and pineapples hanging from stalls like corpses in the hangman’s noose as a death procession marches past in a bamboozle of drums and firecrackers. I never knew the meaning of the word disorientation until now. I am swept up by the fervent energy of the Hindu temples, herded barefoot inside and swept around from icon to statue like a pin ball, taken out of my mind by the chanting and shouting and trumpeting of ceremonies. I can’t seem to get enough. I keep returning like a moth to the flames of a thousand oil-burning candles setting shrines ablaze.

And then to emerge from the dim stone, vermillion-and turmeric-stained interiors and climb the hundreds of stairs carved into the mountain up to the mosque. To be welcomed by the warm embrace of families having lunch, sharing platefuls with me and teaching me to pray. Such kindness I can never forget, nor the incredible feeling as I sit on the rock overlooking the city, the golden sun filigreeing every line with luminous life. The cool breeze on my sweat-covered face I have come to await with patient penance, the escape from the cacophony below. The sky never fails to amaze in its nightly performance—the red hot ball setting over the horizon, the water colour blur of clouds, and the star burst of constellations I observe from my roof when the power’s out. Nothing better to do inside, no better time to view the heavens unhindered.

I can’t say whether I like the city of Madurai better by day or by night. The tall buildings encasing me in a

Krysten maier pays a glowing tribute to madurai—a city that she says will live on in the shrine of her memory, like a flame that can never be extinguished

A Journey without a Map


Oh, the things these eyes have seen. These eyes have become gateways into another world,

spyglasses for those back home who can glimpse my life in Madurai over the past three months. These eyes that once played tricks on me—shuffling street signs and mutating buildings into an incomprehensible mess—have come to view a home, a place I know, a place I love.

After three months here, I don’t miss TV. I don’t miss my car. I don’t miss elaborate cell phone plans. I don’t miss sidewalks as I trundle down the dust path lining the road on my way to work every morning. I pass the bicycle repair hut where men are tinkering with gears and chains, and continue past the thatched canopy with a single barber’s chair and mirror, where men get their morning shave. I pass the little breakfast hut where the poori man, in all his grease-stained splendour, will look up from his vat of oil to wave and say, “Good morning, Krista!”

Foot loose, fancy free I could walk for miles down this road with no particular destination in mind. The road is a conveyor belt for cramped shop fronts always dotted with people. Never a shortage of ones to talk to—the young watermelon vendor, volunteers with their tailor’s market pants on, instantly recognizable, blushing schoolgirls just eager to ask your name. It’s like walking through a cartoon strip from the sixties, where the background plays on loop—paan stall, fruit shop, marble outlet, tea counter, snack shack, Vodafone, paan stall... yet every one is unique, each has a different story to tell.


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That reality lies in the hearts and souls of India’s wonderful people. Running through every aspect of life here is a glowing and unbreakable thread of love and friendship. People unflinchingly offer their help, expecting nothing in return except the knowledge that you have all you need and are happy as a guest in their country.

So it is with this in mind that I must simply say thank you. To my hosts Prabhu and Jesuraja, and their beautiful families for such wonderful hospitality; to the staff at Projects Abroad for a truly enriching experience; and to everybody whose smiles and greetings brightened my days, making me feel at home when home was, in fact, half the world away. From the very bottom of my heart, I thank you all.

Farewell - smiling faces wave goodbye

matthew Haigh is nostalgic as he weaves a sensuous tapestry of his Indian experience— the warp and weft of his memories indelibly coloured by the love and friendship of the people of India

Memories of anIndian Interlude

Story and Photo By Matthew HaighUnited Kingdom

Waiting at Trivandrum station, I observe the circling throb of sweating flesh with an air

of blissful detachment. Food vendors weave through human traffic skipping over sleeping, prostrate bodies as they jostle for position on the packed, noisy platform. My train rolls into the station, groaning and hissing like an iron stallion whipped to its limits by a cruel and merciless master. I board the train and sink into my space heartened by the knowledge that the comfort and solitude of my Pasumalai home lies at the end of a ten-hour haul across the south Indian countryside.

As we slice through the Kerala landscape, flashes of palm-fringed shores and glassy lagoons evoke memories of the previous day’s canoe tour through the whispering waterways of Munroe Island. Gazing through the window, spectral images continue to flicker past my eyes with each one telling a story. Children dance and play in rural villages while men and women build houses and tend to crops. Homes and churches coloured in striking blue and luminous pink stand dwarfed by the backdrop of dark and ominous mountains as the lush green of Kerala gradually gives way to the scorched rugged beauty of Tamil Nadu.

The following morning, as I stand and stretch on my roof-terrace, I watch as, at the behest of a slow-climbing sun, the warm, orange-cast sky is gradually washed out by clear pastille blue. Thiruparankundram mountain peels away her misty veil while Mother

Nature cooks up another searing day in Madurai. As I attempt to shake the inactivity of last night’s train journey from my aching bones, a weight lays heavy on my heart. My time is up, and it’s difficult to comprehend how two months could have passed since I occupied this very spot awe-struck and intimidated by all I saw.

During those first few weeks, time became an irrelevance, new phenomena appeared so rapidly it was like watching an infinite, sensual tapestry being woven at the speed of light - impossible to fathom, attempting to keep pace was futile. However, as the initial cerebral frenzy became more sedate and I gained a basic knowledge of the world that swirled around me, I was able to glimpse the reality behind the seemingly impenetrable sensory wall.

Madurai Messenger last Impressions May 2013

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