Dangerous or docile, small and large, Andrew Drummond Law recalls some animal encounters.
I am staring at a solitary animal’s leg, lying on the desert sand.
“It’s a bharal’s leg,” says my trusted Ladakhi mountain guide. The bloodied limb is all that remains of a Himalayan blue sheep, so called because of its slate grey colour that looks blue under certain light conditions. “Looks like the remains of a wolf’s dinner from last night,” he explains matter-of-factly.
I’m in search of the Himalayan snow leopard in the snow-capped mountains of Kashmir. And now I am possibly downwind of at least one wolf hidden from view, looking for its next meal.
A few more hours trekking and we’ve ascended hundreds of meters up to the 4600-meter mark. My guide finds clearly defined paw prints in the powder-like sand.
We are not far behind the snow leopard, he says.
I suddenly feel very vulnerable in this isolated, yet heavenly part of the world, knowing that my guide and our three mountain ponies, are probably being watched by these two different predators from some vantage point.
We often forget that on our travels it is not just the different peoples, language and culture that make a foreign experience. There is also the wildlife that is often a part of a tourist attraction.
I’m sure you’ve had your sunglasses, an earring or hat stolen by those cheeky wild monkeys you find on some beaches in Penang.
Or been warned by the guides at Uluwatu temple in Bali not to make eye contact with its tree-swinging inhabitants as you walk up the hill.
There are many of us who have taken an elephant ride tour of the jungle. It is standard tourist fare for this region. I am often told it is better for then to be used as tourist transport, than suffer long hours in the logging industry, where the harsh living conditions would bring tears to your eyes.
Stuck in a typical bumper-to-bumper Asian city traffic jam is where you often see what is on today’s menu. Trucks and motorbikes with filled cages on the back.
Chickens, rabbits, dogs and cats. Live ingredients for local restaurants.
As tourists we also visit the region’s zoos, often showcasing endangered species that are on the brink of extinction, yet presenting them to visitors in a cage that is like a prison at best, with filthy, inhumane living conditions.
Imagine a beautiful wild animal that is used to having sometimes hundreds of square kilometres for its daily activities, suddenly imprisoned within 30 square meters. Or less.
Some animal souvenirs I have seen fill me with horror.
We all know where ivory comes from. Turtle shells, animal horns, furs and skins. Nearly always, the more expensive it is, the greater the status of owning it. And often, the greater the likelihood it is illegal.
I don’t apologise for preaching to you about animal welfare, their ethical treatment and the conservation of endangered species. Because it matters.
Malaysia’s elephants and orang-utans are increasingly threatened as logging, hunting, and plantation development envelope their environment.
I try to learn from my travel experiences. Educate myself and make up my own mind from information available from various sources, including Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Locally we have the Malaysian Nature Society (www.mns.my). I have experienced at first hand the good work they carry out in raising awareness of Malaysia’s endangered species and their habitats. It is our national heritage after all.
Another excellent NGO I have followed for more than 35 years is the World Wildlife Fund (www.wwf.org.my).
Did you know you can adopt an endangered species, like a tiger? It’s the perfect way to educate, inform and create awareness among others of the plight of endangered species. Today there are less than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world.
But there is one creature whose population continues to grow at an alarming rate that shows no signs of becoming endangered.
We are the ultimate apex predator with little respect for our environment, or its inhabitants. Read and learn about it. You can make a difference. Just don’t leave it too late.
