Nagarjun hill forest on 20Feb2015

Early in the morning, me and my dad left off in public vehicles to Balaju bypass where we would meet my cousin brother Akhilesh Manandhar. My dad has always been the source of inspiration to me for making me walk, walk and walk. Hence, accompanied by him and brother, we went for hiking into the Nagarjun forest sector of the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. The Shivapuri and Nagarjun sectors of the National Park are not physically connected due to villages and a highway that runs through these patches, and moreover the Nagarjun forest was made part of the National Park later only much recently. There after we reached the main entrance gate, and paid the entrance fee of Rs. 56.5 each, we ascended for hiking through the trail. As soon as we enter the forest or in fact from the vicinity of the park itself, the sounds of the forests makes us feel so live and charming and brings adrenaline into our blood for the exciting hike.

Just in a short while, we were met after by a local man, who sells candles up in the monastery. He told us about rhododendron high up in the hills, and to hide them in your bags so that the army wouldn't find out about. We asked him along about any leopard sightings he has had, he was fast, he said yes he has had encounter quite often, but the big cat either runs or goes his own way. Being a regular person, he shortly paced and outran us. We kept on our own speed. As my brother and dad were climbing the stone-stairs paved along the trail, I was constantly trying to explore any signs of wildlife along the path we took upon. Shortly after, we thought of taking a shortcut way from outside the trail, as there we saw a small unused path aside of the main trail. Thinking that it would meet with the main trail later in the way, we went through it. It was quite steep-path, a natural path that would normally serve as a highly for any local wildlife specially mammals. As we went forward, we soon discovered that its taking us to a different direction from the main trail and we would have to cut through into the forests in order to meet to the main trail again. There was no point of returning as we had traveled long way, then as we were trying to find a way out, there I noticed some feathers lying on the ground. As I inspected, it seemed it was of a whole bird that must have been the prey of some animal. The feathers were all over lying concentrated in one region mostly, I felt it was a good sign of a presence of a mammalian predator. The color of the feather was dark black to blueish black, looked kind of shiny. I thought for a second, it should be a clouded leopard's kill. That was my mind's first thought as it is so much enthusiastic about clouded leopards. But most probably, it could be from other mammalian predators such as leopard cats, civets, martens, jackals, jungle cats, and who knows could also be that of a leopards. Anyways that was a nice breakfast or last night supper for some elusive wild predator of the jungle. Then we moved forward and then took an uphill turn through steeps to meet the main trail. And yes we were almost lost as we had been moving in a wrong direction through that out-trail. We met some army persons after we got into the trail and they asked us why we were coming out from there, and they showed us the hiking path to take again. And there we went again climbing the stone-paved stairs but now the man-made pavements were slowly mixing with the natural pavements of blocks of medium-sized stones to rocky and muddy hilly paths.

After walking for some time, we reached an open ground that much of looked like a view-point as we could see much of the kathmandu valley from there. As we were viewing down into the valley, Akhilesh detected a movement in a tree just about 300 m away down the hill, and pointed it to me. I too saw a glimpse of movements there but could not really figure out what it was as it vanished into the forest before we could sight it. But whatever it was, it definitely was not a human activity, the tree was tall and the ground it was standing was very steep. Most probably, it should have been some monkeys, if not at least other medium mammals. And from there as we looked above, our destination - the Jamacho gumba was still so high above the clouds. After resting in the terrain for some time, we headed uphill through the dense forests again. Again with the sounds of birds all around and the shades of trees along the paths made us not even realize that we had already reached the summit, it felt so short way as we had seen the monastery from the view point to be still so far. But we have reached the place now. Then we started to eat what we brought with us, saw the valley and took photographs from the view tower there. Then we lit candles in the stupa there and prayed. After sometime, we had to move on most probably the same way we came from. But we thought of going still ahead after we have come so far, why not going just another high-point we were seeing from there. My dad was insisting to go back, but we made him convince as we two had majority. So there was again another quite unused path, and we moved ahead, there were the flags of buddhists prayers lying along the way from the trees and branches. We reached the point and there was a old army barrack which had been destroyed my maoist during the decade long people's war. It was vacant and most probably been serving as a refuge to the wildlife of the area. After spending some time there, we headed back towards the end of our journey. We passed the stupa and downhill through the forest, there again with the feel of nature and live jungle all around us. As we kept on going down, I stopped at a point with an excitement in me. I saw a poop in the way, I got excited as it was looking pretty fresh, another indirect wildlife sign. My dad and brother were joking as I was inspecting so curiously into the scat, and then my turn I said that's of a leopard and the leopard might have just walked by here about an hour or less ago. But it was not of a carnivore indeed, must be of a primate, thats most probably monkey. Then we headed downwards and reached the open field again. We sat to eat some fruits that was left with us. After finishing it, we started moving quite faster this time, it was starting to get dark slowly, we had to move fast. Then reached pass the army post we had encountered on the way. And then finally the main entrance/exit gate after about half an hour walk from there.

This way, our journey came to an end. What a wonderful hike it was, into the jungles full of wildlife, birds, nature and above all the exciting feel of the real wilderness at its best. Due to weather conditions, we could not see the Himalayas, but we did got the feel of the wind from the mountains flowing through our veins throughout the journey. It was a very splendid moment I spent my day on. I pray this pristine natural heritages of this wonderful country be always preserved through generations and generations to come. May all the wildlife living in it could take the full enjoyment of the rich nature here for decades and centuries and we humans to live in harmony with all these beautiful creations of nature. I plan to make this exploration again and again in coming days to get the feel of wilderness away from the busy urban kathmandu life.

Save Tiger

if natural selection (or is it human induced "artificial" natural selection) is to favor tigers adaptation, then they need to evolve this way: no bones, no skin, no claws, no teeth, no penis. wait! they eat meat also, so no flesh too! well then basically nothing is left, would this mean extinction? so their only adaptation in order to evolve would lead to their extinction? fucking no! yes we are their main threat, but also we are their only hope! lets boycott poaching, hunting, traditional beliefs of medicines wines, captive farming, exotic meats, circus, exotic pets ... everything that's misusing these beautiful and magnificent largest living stripped cat today!

Unlucky kitten

It was early morning, I used to workout sometime up in the terrace, it so happened that day that when I was doing some warming up, a faint chirping sound started pinching my ears. I thought it was some rats and got scared, then after some time there it was, a tiny little kitten. Maybe it was just a day or two old. I was excited to see it, and I started to meow to him, he started to meow back continuously. After sometime, I thought maybe its thinking his mother is back and he is really hungry to have breakfast. But I was little worried too.

The day went by, and later I came to know from my mom that there were actually 3 of those kittens just few days back there. She hadn't told me about it, because she knew I would spend my whole day going there. But now I knew and started worrying me in that if the mother cat took two of her kittens, then why is this one left behind? Or maybe just that the mother was waiting for a right time to secretly transfer him during night in the cover of darkness. I thought by tomorrow, he would be gone. With the rising sun of the next day, I went to see there, and then there he was still lying alone, the tiny little kitten. He looked skinny than the day before. I tried to feed some milk with help of cotton cloth, but got really little success with it. I was completely inexperienced. I thought maybe, the mother cat was inexperienced too. I found this in google, while doing research. Some inexperienced female cat who is just going to rear her first litter might sometime leave her weakest kitten to lower her burden just because she is suddenly pressurized with so many kittens to feed for the first time. If this kitten is really orphan, then he is certainly going to die. I did not want that to happen.

I told my mom, I am going to see until next day and if its still there, then I am going to take him in, and try to do what I cam to save him. I started doing more research. I came to know then cow milk is not suitable for cats, especially kittens. There were no groceries that sell cat foods in Nepal. I went to buy a feeding bottle, but only found the one for human babies. I bought it. Next day again, the kitten was still there and even more skinny. I took him down into my room for some warm environment. I tried to feed him milk with the bottle but the nipple was too big. Then again used a cotton cloth to suckle him. At times, he used to suckle my fingers, I used to feel wonderful and at the same time sad knowing that he is thinking its his mother's nipple. I started realizing he is not urinating or defecating. Again after researching, I came to know that kittens need to be stimulated for that. In the wild, their mothers would lick their genitals to stimulate them to defecate, so we could use a towel cloth soaked in warm water (body temperature) to imitate their mother's tongue and rub their genitals gently to stimulate it. He did urinate, I was relieved, but he was not defecating. It seemed like it was going to come, but then it just stops there. It got me too worried, I just felt that I am really inexperienced and was not sure if I really can help this tiny little helpless kitten.

Next day, he was looking lot better than the previous day. His tummy was looking full, looked to me like he was healthy. I was happy. I fed him, then started making him defecate, but the same problem. He was urinating however, I thought it was fine. That day too passed and I thought that I might be able to see him open his eyes one day soon. The next day, scenario seemed completely different. The kitten used to show active movements and sweet meowing vocals those previous days, but this day he was very slow, inactive, silent. I was too scared. I tried feeding him again. He was not taking milk actively. I tried defecating him, and again unsuccessful. I could not help myself and ran looking for some animal clinics. I found one at New baneshwor, but they seemed to just know nothing about cats. They just told me feed him cow milk, and they even didn't seem to know anything regarding defecation procedure for kittens. I came home, discussed with my mom, thought of taking him to animal hospital. It was just too late, the office hours were already passing, but still I had no hopes that even they would know something about kittens. Because in Nepal, cats are not as popular as dogs in terms of pets. People just know very little about cats as pets, rather they are seen as pests most of the time. I was really really worried, I even had not met my then girlfriend for almost a week, and had quarrel with her for not giving her time because of the kitten-care. Well, I just didn't care of anything else at that time than of the kitten. My full dedication was on the kitten. I needed to save him. I wanted to save him. I wanted him to open his eyes next week. I wanted him to grow. I wanted him to be a cat one day. Unfortunately these dreams I saw for him never turned true. I cannot express about the feelings I had to go through that day after I came back from the clinic. Because if I do, then it would be really impossible to explain it here in short words. All I can say is I cried so long for almost an hour or more. He had taken his last breathe around 9pm that day in my palm, I even tried to do mouth-mouth resuscitation. He was already cold. I had seen somebody die infront of my eyes for the first time in my life. I cried wildly, didn't had any food that day. Then wrapped him nicely with some cloths and kept him in his box. I don't remember how I spent that night. It was darkest night for me.

Me and my mom went to a river bank early next morning, and buried him there. We kept some flowers and I prayed for his departed soul to rest in eternal cat heaven. I felt really sorry that I could not help save his life. I thought I did a huge sin in my life by not being able to save his life. God had given me the chance to do it, but I was just too weak to fulfill that job. I still remember that poor little kitten I loved so much like my own child. Though for just few days, he had already left an important place deep in my heart. I always remember him as my sweet little child.

The following night when I took the kitten in the first day, I had heard howls of cat for long time. I had thought it might be his mom, it was sounding like how lionesses calls for their lost cubs. Thought had came in my mind to put up the kitten out in the corridor, but then again, if its not his mom, that cat might just try to kill him, infanticide. I was just scared and too confused. Or maybe it was just my very greed that let all this happen. I just can't say anything. I just didn't knew what was right thing to do, because it all seemed so confused to me. If the mother was really coming for him, then why was he not shifted with other kittens? Many things circling my mind like a whirlwind of confusions and scary nightmares. I just didn't keep the kitten out because I thought the cat might not be his mom, and it might kill him or the kitten might just feel too cold outside and maybe die even. But if any of these decisions were wrong, I really blame on me for all this. I blame myself for taking his life. I don't know what to say. The kitten was just too unlucky I think and I was just too inexperienced or greedy.

I don't want anything as such to happen again. I would study these wonderful creatures one day and try to understand them better, and do my best to make their life wonderful. I have dream to do something for such helpless stray cats or orphaned feral/stray kittens. I don't want to see another kitten to die helplessly in front of me just because I didn't know better about them, and couldn't do my best. I will study these cats, small cats, big cats, wild cats, domestic cats, all cats. This is my life desire. I have always been fascinated by them since my childhood because I really really was scared of these little ferals that roamed our cities. They were just too fierce looking predator and they really are such. Cats are the ultimate predator any ecosystem has, be it jungles, grasslands, rainforests, swamp-lands, mountains, deserts or even urbans. They are just wonderful creations of nature. We should definitely conserve all cats that are facing threats due to ever increasing habitat destruction, encroachment, poaching, hunting, illegal trade, conflicts.

Admire the beauty of nature, don't desire it. Conserve all endangered cats. They are wonderful. Nature is just wonderful due to them.

Rest in peace my little kitten! I am really sorry I could not save you! If possible, please forgive me!

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