Few months ago, I was on a pleasant evening walk till the main gate of my campus. A flock of Shikra maybe, as well I can jog my memory, was struggling to cross the road. The elder members of the flock had already crossed the road. Also some younger ones had courageously crossed the road. But two of their flock members were very afraid of crossing the road.
The other members were crossing the road in a straight line. The last two birds in the line realized that two of their flock members are missing. I was walking slowly towards the patch where this activity was taking place. I deliberately slowed down my pace to not disturb them. Just after I passed the space, the birds went inside dry bushes and hid behind grass. After I reached quite away, 3-4 of them returned to the other side of the road to persuade them to cross it. After much efforts, the two birds in the security protection of the others, marched along the road shivering..
Just then a car zoomed along. The birds scared out of their wits flew back to the same side of the road. Their 10 minutes long efforts of persuasion and encouragement was proved to be in vain. The two birds were then left on that same side and the ones that had come to receive them walked away sadly, leaving them in misery
However, as one thought would have crossed each mind that read this tale.. Why they didn’t fly to the other side rather than walking? The answer is still unknown to me.. Observation of animal behavior could teach us a million lessons. Alas! only if we care..
Comments