RAINBOW STORIES 6 FROM THE CITY AFTER MY HEART, GUWAHATI! While you and I whizz across the city in our posh AC cars, pursing our lips, grimacing at the humidity and spewing expletives at a sun which is at its shining best, someone somewhere is doing some good work, which often goes unnoticed.  As I drive up the Chandmari flyover, I see a young boy in his uniform helping a tired, sweaty man in an over-worn grimy tee-shirt and an equally unclean towel around his waist, to push his cart-load of bamboo and wooden planks. The task is arduous up the fly-over and the man must have felt blessed to get a helping hand. I hop off my car to talk to the young boy! Nayan Kalita, a student of Class XII of Jigyas Academy, Sundarpur, thinks that even after a hard day at school, the excruciating heat is not an impediment for the random act of kindness that I caught him doing on the Chandmari flyover yesterday afternoon. A resident of Beharbari, Nayan stays with his parents and a younger brother. He wishes to complete his MBA and then contribute in whatever way he can to his state! He believes that only the young generation can root out corruption if they make a determined choice! I am blessed to have met Nayan Kalita! More power to youngsters like Nayan! ‪#‎Guwahati‬ ‪#‎actsofkindness‬ ‪#‎youngpeopleofGuwahati‬‪#‎applause‬

• RAINBOW STORIES 5 FROM THE CITY AFTER MY HEART, GUWAHATI! A BLUEPRINT FOR LIFE  It's a Monday morning. I walk into the B Barooah Cancer Institute and I see this angelic lady, who wears a smile wider than the circumference of the Earth and brighter than the celestial star, colourfully dressed and with a bagful of books authored by her over one shoulder. She doesn't smile for me alone, as she walks up to me and hugs me ever so warmly to her. She nods and smiles for everyone around her! She's the Florence Nightingale for many, Minoti Barthakur Baidew! This is her twenty second year of fighting Malignant Lymphoma after doctors had declared way back in 1994 that it was forebodingly too late for them to try any life-saving activity on her, even for a year. Well, it's for all to see how Minoti Baidew took each day at a time and proved destiny wrong! She says she has lived upto her promise to the Almighty that she would dedicate her life to the cancer patients of the Northeast India and has she taken the pain! She has spent days and nights going through large number of books and research works written by cancer specialists and cancer patients during the period of her sickness. With the data acquired from these books including her own experience of yoga and meditation and from her intense study over the internet, since January 2000, she thought of offering her honorary service to the Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute (The Regional Cancer Institute for the entire North Eastern Region, situated at Guwahati, Assam). Through her counseling, Baidew tries to change the attitude of the patients by inspiring and motivating them to fight with their disease. 1. She encourages the patients to increase their mental strength so that they are not afraid of the disease. 2. She encourages them to take responsibility and to fight like a soldier so that they can get rid of their sickness. 2. She gives guidance about what food is best for them and how to prepare their food. 3. She teaches them to do regular physical and breathing exercises. 4. She sings and dances with the patients. 5. She also offers prayer in the hospital along with the patients so that they regain their mental strength for early recovery. 6. She also trains the patients the art of meditation through her meditation center. The patients of Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute are now encouraged to a great extent since her counselling has given them immense mental strength to fight their disease. Moreover, patients who were earlier afraid of Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy could later boldly face the treatment after her counseling sessions. She makes regular visits to the homes of terminally ill patients and prays to lessen their pain. She even guides patients about meditation over the phone. And now, it is not only patients from the North-East but from other states of India as well who take her advice over phone and e-mail. Minoti Barthakur Baidew has visited Bangladesh in 2004 and offered her services in Mahakali, Dhaka Cancer Hospital. She worked in National Cancer Hospital, Maharagama, Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2009. This year she has delivered 6 lectures in different islands of the Maldives on request of the Maldives Cancer Society and her lectures were highly appreciated by the doctors, employees and the organizers of the different hospitals. With a ‘never-say-die’ attitude, Minoti Baidew retired from active government service in 2006. She had a brilliant academic record and was a gold medalist from Darrang College Tezpur, Assam. She had served as Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, Cotton College, a premier Post-Graduate Institution in Guwahati. Even her second and more painful attack in 2009, left Baidew undaunted. She went onto write her first book on cancer care in Assamese; “Mor Asukhar Ebasar, Ejon Cancer Rogir Abhigyata” which became extremely popular and has completed six editions till now, and the seventh edition of the book is coming shortly. With over 18,000 books sold till date, it has also been translated to English, Bengali, Hindi and Bodo. The English version, “A Cancer Survivor: Struggle and Success” is published by B. L. Publishing Corporation Delhi. She has written the book based on the cancer researches done on the cancer survivors and also on her personal observations during the period of her sickness. The book is also a guiding tool about the kind of lifestyle to be maintained by a cancer patient; food, exercise, and the power of the mind in controlling this debilitating disease. She chronicles the victories of some patients who have used the power of their thoughts to cure themselves. With the kind of trauma and pain she has been through for over more than two decades, she deems it fit for herself to counsel patients, ‘cause who better than her would be able to understand their story. Always full of life, Minoti Baidew knows nothing more than loving people. She runs a free counseling and meditation center, for the cancer patients apart from students and other people. The name of her center is “Minoti’s Counseling and Meditation Center” which is situated in Flat No- B4, Silver Heights, Opposite Old Passport Office, Bye Lane Basishthapur -3, Beltola Road, Guwahati. A brilliant orator, she has published her second book in English namely “The Hardworking Nyishi Women of Arunachal Pradesh” for the development and progress of the Nyishi community. Her third book “Kalija Kaite Bindhile Ji Soraye Gan Gai” has been recently published, on the story of her life in a question answer format with Gitimalika Neog. At present, Baidew is busy writing her fourth book, “The Concepts of Meditation”. Minoti Baidew also delivers lectures in schools, colleges and universities including some such places to motivate and inspire young people. Minoti Barthakur Baidew, this woman of steel, keeps adding feathers to her cap when every now and then different organisations honour and felicitate her. In 2005, she had been awarded the N.E.T.V. Woman of the Year. In 2007, she was the recipient of an award presented by the Governor of Nagaland for her dedicated service for the cancer patients of the North-Eastern region and in 2008, she was recognised as the “Positive Health Hero” from Dr. Batras, an international organization having health centers in 56 countries of the world. An extremely active Rotarian, having joined Rotary in 1989, Minoti Barthakur Baidew has been awarded with the highest honour known as the “Service Above Self Award” by Rotary International. More power to Minoti Barthakur Baidew! I love you!

• Rainbow Stories 4 From the city after my heart, Guwahati! This year, February mornings and evenings are still chilly. Early morning joggers and late night revellers will vouch for that! But aren't we all grateful for that? There is some respite at least, not to forget that the scorching heat is just round the corner! But what about the man on the street, homeless, hungry and pathetically helpless under any circumstances; winter, summer is all the same for him! He doesn't have much of a choice about anything at all! On request of anonymity, a close friend called me up today morning while returning from gym and with obvious elation in his voice said, "I am very happy today! I have done something I have never done before!" He went onto narrate that on his return home, he found a man without a shred of clothing, shivering uncontrollably while trying to pull a torn poster around his frail thin body. My friend got off his car and pulled out a pair of tracks he had bought the previous day from his bag and gave it to the man. The man was overjoyed! The only regret my friend had was that he didn't have a tee-shirt to give him. I told him, "Give it to him the next time you meet him!" Salutations to this rainbow friend of mine, who has in the past too spread a lot of sunshine in the lives of the deprived and he has made a choice to continue to do so! What a wonderful choice!

Rainbow Stories 3

From the city after my heart, Guwahati! 

"Goodmorning!" Her greeting and a bright smile is enough to make a sad, angry person at least break into a smile! 

She wishes to wake up late every morning and laze around, maybe sometimes not go to work at all. She wishes to go to school after a hearty breakfast with her family. She wishes to work in an office, maybe drive her own car and start her own beauty parlour. 

But Sofia cannot afford to wake up late. She has to work. And she starts working early, every morning in five different houses as a cook, cleaner, often having to buy vegetables in some houses. She has to work 'cause she looks after her mother, her brother and her younger sister, sometimes even the elder one, when a situation demands. 

However, all this doesn't stop Sofia from dreaming; dreaming to live a life of her own; free and without inhibition. She knows she will overcome all the obstacles one day. 

In spite of working in five houses everyday, without fail, she has completed the basics of a beautician course. When she's not cooking or cleaning, Sofia does facials, hair spas, manicures and pedicures for the women in the area, her business acumen clear that these will be her future clients when she starts her parlour. In the evening, she makes an effort to study the Alphabets and also do some Maths. And she's getting better every day!

Marriage not being the most important agenda in her life, Sofia is now thinking of taking driving lessons! I wish Sofia, a role model for many, all the best! I hope this rainbow woman reaches the pinnacles of her dreams! Kudos!

Rainbow Stories 2

From the city after my heart, Guwahati! 

It's morning of the day after Diwali and you're off to work. If you notice, the roads are clean, with no remnants of the previous night's crackers or the shrivelled plantain trees or anything repulsive. Well, it doesn't make you very surprised 'cause that's the way it has been. That's the way it's supposed to be. We mess up so that someone cleans it up. We have taken the lives and works of some people for granted! 

Rewind to 4am of the same morning and these three musketeers, Noor Ali, Aman Ali and Azhar Ali are out on their usual chore of picking up the garbage from the doorsteps of the different homes in their designated areas. They work so that our homes are clean and filth free. Who likes to even touch what others have thrown away? They do 'cause they have a home to look after. They don't have an option, 'cause it's a choice they have made till they make another one; to collect the city's garbage! 

Kudos to these three 'rainbow men' and to countless others in the city who work tirelessly to keep the city clean. Let's join them and take responsibility of the city!

Rainbow Stories 1 

From the city after my heart, Guwahati!

While we started our day on a leisurely note on the morning of Diwali of 11th November, after a night of partying and bursting crackers with friends and family, four women were already on their way to work, with their boxes filled with immunization vaccines. 

Sikun Rajbongshi, Kamini Choudhury, Devojani Bhuyan, all three Asha Kormis and Kanaklata Boro, a nurse can be seen reguarly on a Wednesday morning, neatly dressed, hair tied up in tight chignons, their handbags over their right shoulders, and carrying the familiar blue boxes filled with vaccines while wearing bright smiles on their faces, walking from the Mother and Child Care Centre at Milanpur, Chandmari to different previously planned locations of the Guwahati. 

The State holiday on Diwali has not deterred them from carrying out their assigned work in their designated areas around the city, which are pretty far from where they have started. 

They have to go to work 'cause the day's results determines how much money they will take home; their payment for the day depends on the number of vaccinations they give to the mothers and children, who wait eagerly for these sisters. 

Thankyou and Happy Diwali to these 'Rainbow Women', who are making the lives of others more beautiful by the dedication to their work!!

I wish the Central Government resumes the 90% assistance to the ICDS flagship programme so that these rainbow women can live in honour!

TIRUS AND CHUKOO

      Tirus was visiting his maternal uncle at Rampur. It was a huge house built during the days of one of the Rajas of Assam. It had a huge facade, with large columns that supported the portico. A few steps from the portico led to the veranda, which had intricately woven cane chairs painted in white, bedecked with fluffy blue and white cushions to match the white walls. The entire veranda area was covered with potted plants of different varieties and sizes, of different colours and shapes. It looked as if Tirus’ aunt had got a bit of the outdoors into this space, where most of the time the family would get together and talk endlessly over sah, coffee, juice, groundnuts, pakoras and whatever special Binita baidew would cook up in her kitchen. The portico opened up to an enormous patch covered with soft cushiony carpet grass and lined up with flowers of all types and hues. A not-so-high brick wall ran around the whole compound, with the entrance to the south and a variety of fruit trees at the bottom of the garden. A person could just sit in the veranda and actually watch the sun go down over the lazy village, which had around a hundred houses huddled together in the valley, like as if there was a good gossip going around, while the evening breeze played with the leaves and flowers!

Binita baidew’s eleven year old son, would come around the house once in a while just to find if his mother was alright but more so for the piping hot ‘goodies’ she would keep stashed away for him in a discrete corner of the kitchen, wrapped in an old newspaper. He would linger around near the back door and as soon as his mother would hand over the crumpled package to him by just barely opening the door, he would run like a bolt of lightning through the back gate and then skim as fast as he could through the open field and then disappear over a little hillock, which led down to his village.

Tirus has always had a strong bond with this little boy, Chukoo as his mother called him lovingly. Whenever he visited his uncle, Tirus would make sure he spent a lot of time with Chukoo as he showed him interesting things around the area. Chukoo would walk him through the village and constantly talk about the new things which have happened during Tirus’ absence.

So the next morning, even before Tirus woke up, there was a loud rap and subsequent softer raps on the glass pane of the window flanking Tirus’ bed. He knew it was Chukoo. Tirus jumped out of bed, brushed and got into his khaki shorts and black tee. As he rushed out of the room, he slipped on his red cap and went out through the back door near the kitchen which was kept open for Binita baidew to get into the house and start with her work. Tirus met Chukoo near the back gate. They both ran for a short while down the hill leading to the village and then both of them decided to sit on the grass under the shade of a tree and just enjoy the scene. Chukoo was so happy with Tirus around that he started rolling on the ground and just giggling. Tirus was happy too. He took out his sketch pad and started making a sketch of the beautiful village stretched out in front of his eyes. There were coconut and betel nut trees in the yards of almost all the villagers. There seemed to be a lot of early morning activity around the village. People were cycling to work. Some were getting back from their early morning activity at the fields. Little girls in uniforms with pony tails and plaits tied in red ribbons, holding hands and walking to school. Women in mekhela sadors busy with their early morning chores around the house. The village was humming with activity.

Chukoo took Tirus down to where the river flowed between the hillock, where the house stood and the village. The river was in full spate and Tirus was awestruck by the force with which it flowed from the north to the south. They crossed over the river through a small yet sturdy bamboo bridge and the first thing Tirus notices is a whole lot of goats greeting them. They seemed to recognise Chukoo and came bleating towards him. Chukoo got down on his knees and stretched out his arms and the goats pushed each other to get to him first. Tirus looked on amused.

Chukoo then guided Tirus towards a patch of tall grass that stretched far into the heart of a dense grove of trees, which usually saw the wrath of floods during the monsoons. But they still stood tall and gave the right amount of light and shade for undergrowth on the ground.

“The elephants come from there,” Chukoo pointed towards the distance. Tirus tried to understand from which side but couldn’t exactly make out from Chukoo’s description.

“Do they come from the hills?” Tirus asked. Chukoo couldn’t answer a thing.

Anyway, they walked past the tall elephant grasses which seemed to dwarf the two of them and made their way towards the grove. They were quite far from the village now and even further away from Tirus’ mama’s home. In the distance, they could hear a barking deer and still closer, they heard rustling in the tall bushes. They stopped for a while, their hearts racing. Chukoo put a finger to his lips to be as quiet as possible. Tirus looked tense but chose to follow Chukoo’s instructions.

All of a sudden, the tall grasses parted and something gambolled past them, making both of them cower in fear. They couldn’t see what crossed them but they decided to stay as still as possible, their breath coming forth in short spurts. Soon however, their fears were allayed and they caught sight of a creature that looked like a small dinosaur. Tirus recognised it from his books as a pangolin. The species was soon to disappear and as it looked back at both of them, Tirus and Chukoo almost thought it would spew fire; at least with its scaly body and thick tail, it definitely looked dangerous. But Tirus whispered to Chukoo that it was only an insectivore and quite harmless. These burrowing mammals eat ants and termites using an extraordinarily long, sticky tongue, and are able to quickly roll themselves up into a tight ball when threatened. Eight different pangolin species can be found across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Poaching for illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss have made these incredible creatures one of the most endangered groups of mammals in the world. Chukoo looked at Tirus in awe. He really didn’t know anything at all about this animal. Deep down in his heart, he started to contemplate that he should now be more serious about his studies in school. Someday, he too would like to know a lot of things about the world and be able to talk about it with the children of the village. 

As they started walking further on, they realised that the sun was now high up in the sky and it was getting  warmer than before. They were both thirsty and a wee bit hungry.

All of a sudden, there was a loud noise in the distance that reverberated across the hills and made Tirus jump out of his skin. Chukoo was unmoved.

Tirus whispered, “What was that?”

“You will soon find out!” Chukoo said without any emotion.

Tirus looked quizzically at him but decided to let Chukoo show him whatever it was he was talking about.

Soon, they reached an open patch and decided to rest a while under the shade of a tree.

Another loud booming noise broke Chukoo and Tirus’ reverie.  The sound echoed, reverberated in the hills and traveled over the beel, which was mostly covered with water hyacinth, panicking anyone who would have heard it for the first time. They got to their feet with a start. The sound was accompanied with a rustle in the bushes and some deep-throated snorts. The booming continued for some time and by this time, Tirus was getting restless to know what was happening.

Chukoo put his fingers to his lips and directed Tirus to follow him. They stealthily moved a short distance. What they saw next as they crouched in the shrubs took Tirus’ breath away! There was a huge herd of swamp deer, gracefully trotting towards the swamp. Except for the soft sound of their hooves on the leaves, there was absolute silence.

Tirus had read about the swamp deer and he was now delighted to see this elegant animal in all its beauty.

“Chukoo, do you know that the swamp deer is also known as Barasingha?” Tirus whispered to Chukoo.

“Really? I didn’t know this!”

“And they are an endangered species!”

“What does that mean?”

“Chukoo, it means the population of the Barasingha is slowly dwindling. In the whole world, there are only around 5100 left.”

Chukoo became thoughtful and at the same time looked crestfallen.

“What happened,Chukoo? Why are you suddenly looking so sad?”

“You know what. I have grown up seeing the deer almost every day. They are my family. What will happen if they are to disappear?”

Tirus looked at him and both of them felt a numbness they couldn’t express.

As they watched, the entire herd of doe-coloured swamp deer got into the water, except for a couple of young deer, who looked apprehensively at the flock. They trotted on the banks of the water-body. The older ones looked back at them, as if beckoning them to join them in the revelry and not be afraid. They took a couple of steps forward and as if to test the temperature of the water, they touched it with their hooves and then slowly started inching into the water. Once in, they started splashing around like little kids in a swimming pool. The entire herd looked gorgeous as the sun shine glistened on their wet bodies. They stayed there for quite some time while Tirus and Chukoo looked on.

“Chukoo, I want you to take your studies very seriously from now on,” Tirus kept whispering. “I want you to read a lot of books on things that are happening around the world. With knowledge, you will be able to help the people of your village in more ways than one and maybe also help in the dwindling population of this most beautiful animal.”

Chukoo looked wide-eyed at Tirus and then nodded in affirmation.

“I will, I promise you.”

“By the way, Chukoo, did you know that only the males sport antlers on their heads? Incidentally, the female reindeer also have antlers but slightly smaller than the males. And do you what these antlers are?”

“Kokaideu, are these stuck to the head of the deer?”

“No dear Chukoo, these are not stuck to the head. The antlers are extensions of the skull. They are bone structures that usually grow in symmetrical pairs. You know bones? Bones that are inside our body and give the body shape and size?”

Chukoo nodded excitedly in affirmation.

“Yes, yes! I know about bones. See, I have very strong bones. My Koka always says that if we eat healthy food, we will have strong bones in our body.” Chukoo flexed his arms to show Tirus his muscles. Tirus smiled.

“Well, you see, the function of the antlers are mostly to attract and select their female counterpart and sometimes to fight other male deer. In many temperate zones, antlers are shed and regrown each year.” 

 Chukoo never knew that there was so much to learn about the deer which he had been seeing ever since he and his friends had been coming to this end of the area.

By this time, the huge herd of swamp-deer were done splashing in the beel and feeding on the tall grass growing there, which is locally known as dol ghah and is also a favourite with elephants!

Elephants? Ofcourse, Tirus and Chukoo, while watching the deer forgot that they were actually going to see the elephants. Both of them slowly crept through the shrubs so as not to frighten the deer and got onto the road, which lined the beel.

Tirus and Chukoo walked as fast and quietly as they could and soon reached a space where there were tall green grasses growing like the ones they saw before. They knew that the elephants were somewhere near.

They could hear something approaching them but didn’t know how to react. Suddenly the grasses parted and a baby elephant rushed at them. It looked excited and playful and both Tirus and Chukoo fell in opposite directions in the process. As they sat on the grass, the elephant came towards them and nudged Tirus with his trunk to get up. Both of them got up and patted the elephant. It gambolled around them, almost galloping at times like a horse. It ran a short distance and came back to where both the boys were standing as if to tell them to follow it. Tirus and Chukoo followed the baby elephant obediently.

As they crossed the tall grasses, they came to a clearing where they saw a huge herd of elephants. They were grazing under the shade of some trees. Tirus looked apprehensive about going any closer but Chukoo whispered that it’s okay.

Tirus whispered, “Do you know that the elephants in Assam feed on 20 different species of grasses, plants and trees?”

Chukoo shook his head.

As they watched the beautiful animals in all their grace, they saw a human figure detach itself from the shadows. The man walked towards them swiftly and reached them in a couple of strides. They noticed that he was not very tall, wore a half jacket with several bulging pockets, coupled with a pair of hunter pants and teamed with a pair of ankle-length boots with camouflage print. He had his hair tied in a small pig-tail and sported quite a moustache.

He held out his hands to Tirus, “I am Dudul Chowdhury.”

“I am Tirus and this is my friend Chukoo. He has got me here to meet the elephants.”

“Well, yes, the elephants. I have been associated with them since the time I learnt to love this animal. I have lived my entire life for them. There was a time when we would be proudly speaking of this grand mammal but now it’s a sad state of affairs. Come with me!”

As Dudul khura led them towards the elephant herd, he kept on speaking. “Do you know that initially the elephants of the entire Northeastern India had a contiguous distribution with the populations of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar in the past? However, due to degradation and fragmentation of the habitat, the elephants are now confined to certain discrete populations. On the north bank of the Brahmaputra, the population extends from northern West Bengal through the Himalayan foothills and Dooars covering southern Bhutan, northern Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The elephant population on the south bank of the Brahmaputra can be divided into three distinct populations: that of the eastern, central and western areas. The central range is one of the most important habitats for the elephant and extends from Kaziranga National Park across the Karbi plateau, parts of the central Brahmaputra plains and the basin of the Diyung River to the foot of the Meghalaya plateau in Assam and Meghalaya.”

Tirus and Chukoo listened in rapt silence, however, Chukoo deciphering only parts of it. For a brief moment, they fell silent as they exchanged looks with the elephants. Dudul khura patted one of the larger ones on the trunk and then continued talking.

“This population has become separated from the south bank-western population due to the expansion of Guwahati, clearing of forest, placing of railway tracks, ‘jhum' cultivation and settlements along the National Highway 40 of the Guwahati-Shillong Road, in the Rhi-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. The habitat in the western range supports a significant population of elephants in parts of Assam and Meghalaya. It extends from near Guwahati through the foothills of the Meghalaya plateau (Garo and Khasi Hills) including the districts of Kamrup and Goalpara in Assam and Rhi-Bhoi, West Khasi Hills, East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills of Meghalaya. They also occasionally move to forests of Balpakram in Bangladesh, from the forest areas of Baghmara in Meghalaya.”

Tirus looked very disturbed by now. How could we humans lose sight of preserving this gentle giant?

“As if this is not enough, look at what these people are doing now?” Dudul Khura pointed towards a stone quarry. There was a lot of activity going on. The loud noise that resounded across the hills and valley was actually the sound of stones being blasted. The area was milling with several trucks, now being loaded with these huge stones.

“Can you see what’s happening Tirus? The elephants, because of all this chaos, are now too scared to go to their watering hole, which they have to reach by crossing this stone and the sand quarry. And if they do so, they are chased down by the village people, sometimes beaten to death! They are now confined to a small space. They are unable to move through their natural corridor to other places. These are some of the reasons why the genetic quality of our elephants has reduced to a great extent. Also, due to in-breeding, the elephants are now smaller in size.”

Tirus, sad like never before, whispered in a broken voice, “What can we do now?”

“Well, there is a lot we can do at various levels. You as a young person can get together with friends and start an awareness campaign. Speak about this grand animal. The more you speak, the more people know. Elephants are the gardeners of our forests. They are constantly on the move to maintain a harmonious balance. Scientists call it transhumance, which is not exactly migration. During transhumance, elephants encounter man-made barriers. When the corridor is completely blocked, they make an effort to get through human habitat which leads to conflict. While we may not be able to turn the human development clock backwards, we can think of solutions.  At a governmental level, we will have to try and maintain large unfragmented landscapes. We have to try and do everything in our capacity to save this most loving animal.”

Tirus, soaked in deep thought, watched Dudul khura walking back to the herd of elephants. They welcomed him with their flaying trunks and Tirus could bet he saw them smiling.