Why animal lovers should avoid visiting India

If you are an animal lover then it might be best you avoided India altogether because some of the things you might see on the Indian roads will break your heart. I want to point out to some of the atrocities inflicted on the ox. If you are travelling to the rural areas of India, you are bound to encounter the ox cart (called bullock-cart in India) used mainly for agricultural purposes. It’s not just the farmers who use these animals; it’s used extensively in urban areas too mainly for transportation.

The ox is much sought and prized animal in India to do the things exactly as seen in the photos. In the cities, it is used for transportation, while in the rural area it is used to plough the land not to mention that it is a source of cattle dung for fuel.

The reasons for the survival of the ox cart in India is due to the fact that many farmers in India are poor and it does not require hard-to-get petroleum based high-priced fuels and the lack of decent roads in many areas of rural India. I remember my grandfathers’ village in Monger district of Bihar state it still does not have paved roads. You need an SUV (we call it jeep in India) to get there or one of these bullock carts.

These oxen have to go through a lot. Take a look at this photo, where the load is lighter, the ox may look a little skinny but seems to be fine but unfortunately in the second photo, it really breaks the heart.

The trouble is that the life of an Indian labourer is sadly not much different to an animal either. If the sweltering heat, or the congested streets, narrow lanes, wandering cows, crowded bazaars, cycle rickshaws or Indian traffic does not slap you in the face than scenes like these will certainly hit you hard almost like a full smack in the face. Try to stumble into any back alley or street in any Indian town and you’ll soon stumble into an India of grinding hard work. The old man seen in the picture pulling below seems to be struggling.

The brutality inflicted on these animals causes disease especially cancer of the neck that significantly reduces their life span then they end up in the slaughter houses.

Just as the horse wagons in America were eliminated in the USA, don’t you just wish that these carts too were eliminated from India?

It’s not a pretty site. This abuse of bullocks is in direct violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. But no one cares in this country. There are no human rights to speak off let alone animal rights. The only thing some people care about is protecting the cow and preventing people from eating beef.

I wonder how many of these animals are often deprived of food and water too?

Elephant on the road

India is one of the very few countries in the world where you will find an elephant walking down the road. We as Indians don’t find this surprising but as a tourist to India, you might find an elephant strolling down the road quite amusing or even frightening. Don’t worry, most of these elephants are domesticated and are used to being watched, photographed and ridden on. Elephants are of special significance in India as an animal that resembles Lord Ganesha (god of luck) and for being the mount of Goddess Laxmi (goddess of wealth).

The swimming elephant of the Andaman Islands, India

Can elephants swim?

Can elephants swim? Yes they can. They are known to be good swimmers. New evidence suggests that elephants may have evolved from sea creatures. The discovery of “nephrostome” in elephant foetuses similar to what is found in freshwater fish, frogs and egg laying reptiles suggests that they have common ancestry. The ancestors of the modern elephant went through a variety of harsh environments and were able to evolve to environmental changes quite fast. This gave them remarkable physical and mental agility.

Havelock Beach. Source: Wikimedia Creative Commons

Wildlife of India

India is a land of splendours and has a bit of everything on offer-from the colossal Himalayas to the stunning beaches of God’s own country; from the amazing tribes of the north east to the beautiful desert forts of the west.

For a connoisseur of wildlife, there is a lot on the platter too. There are innumerable attractions that are world renowned and a must on the list of the wildlife aficionados. An approximate figure would be 80 national parks, 23 Tiger Reserves and 441 Wildlife Sanctuaries. It is also home to about 1250 different species of birds. Quite a number of rare and endangered species can be found in the country. The marine life is equally fascinating too. But there is not only a diversity of species but terrain too and that is what makes the experience more intriguing.

The wildlife of India

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Bengal tigers, one horned rhinoceros, elephants, black bucks, Asiatic lions, cobras and peacocks are among the prime wildlife attractions in India. A wildlife escape to India will let you have an experience worth cherishing for the rest of your lives. Seated on a jeep or the back of an elephant or on a boat you could see these animals moving around safely in their natural habitat. You could come face to face with the Asiatic Lions in the Gir National Park or the one horned rhinoceros at the Kaziranga National Park.

Bird watching, Tiger Tours and special Wildlife packages are on the offer online and you could choose from a variety of options. You could go for Bird watching in Sikkim, Uttarakhand or Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Tiger watching in the Golden Triangle or the Sunderbans; spend exclusive weekends in Ranthambore or Corbett National Parks. The options are varied and one better than the other.