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| Photo courtesy : Google Images |
It was somewhere in the summer when he was traveling from
one of the UNESCO’S top ten Biodiversity
hot-spots “The western ghats”, in his big spacious white Scorpio, his attention
was drawn by two sparkling eyes behind a sapling.
“What was that?, a jackal?”
“No, it’s a wolf!” Now a complete frame gave him exact
specification.
He parked his car nearby where there was a plateau, took his
camera and returned to the place where he saw that wolf. He tried to find the
wolf in surrounding but it resulted in just waste of time. After roaming around
for more than one and half hour, he decided to search for some pugmarks, which
will at least provide some valid proof for existence of wolf.
“No one trusts human eye”; that’s
what he knew! After spending an hour or two, finally he found the pugmark. It
was becoming darker, so he took some photographs and decided to return with a
torch, after having a small nap. He was stubborn enough, that he won’t return
without getting a good shot of that wolf. But After returning to car he could
not realize, when his small nap turned into fast sleep.
The wolf was watching him from the hill.
“Such a stupid creature… I lost some of the best
opportunities of crossing the road because of him.
He seems harmless though…
But, then why he was following me? Now, I have to do it
in the night. It would be easier in the moonlight though. Whatever happens, I
have to reach at the other end. The pack is going to move tonight”.
It was a big challenge in front of him. He has witnessed
some other wolfs from the pack dying in the middle of that fast flowing road.
Crossing those 80 feet was a complete run in the hell. There is death standing
at every step. It was totally unpredictable when you will be hit by some Giant
speedy monster.
He spent few more minutes watching traffic and finally
started descending down the hill. He hid himself behind a sapling near road.
Every passing vehicle was raising his heart beat.
“Come on! You have to do it! It’s now or never…
Just a few steps and everything is going to be fine!” He
reminded himself.
He kept observing, but his feet were not ready to move.
It was something completely incalculable for him.
Finally after waiting for a long time there, he heard the
howl from the opposite side. It means the pack is on the move.
And then continuous howling started from the other side.
“That is a familiar voice! Oh yes, it’s her! And she is
not alone, our children are with her! It’s pretty long since our last meeting.”
That feeling raised some hidden energy
inside him and he started running with a heart full of courage.
“Yes! I have crossed half of it, now few more steps and it
will be over…”
He woke up suddenly with eyes wide open when harsh
vehicle horn struck his ears, followed by a weird wolf cry.
“What was that? Oh my god! How can I just fell asleep?”
He rushed outside his car, thinking he missed the ‘Wolf’s crossing’
.
After running for a few steps in the direction of that
voice; He stopped with a shock, when he saw the same wolf which he was chasing,
lying on the road covered in the blood and taking some of his last breaths.
“Such a poor fellow! He won’t survive till I find a vet.”
He turned on his camera for taking some fine clicks of
the fatal accident, when he noticed some movement on the other side of the
road.
“That’s a female! Oh, wow! There are her cubs too!”
He clicked a picture and suddenly his attention was drawn
by a big howl from the other side.
He looked again at the spot where he saw that female, but
they were gone!
He returned to his car with a sigh; but he has nothing to
worry about! He has got one of the best photographs of his life, where an adult
wolf is lying on the road, covered with blood and a female and her cubs are
watching from other side helplessly, dreaming how fascinating their lives would
be if he could have made it!
The photograph was enough for attracting a few wildlife
conservationists and a lot of wildlife photographers just like him.
While returning, he just thanked that full moon, without
which it could not be even visible!
-Niteesh Sane©
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