The Mystery of a Dead Shrew

Observing the natural world has its own share of thrills. In the rainy evening of today, after enjoying the special tea and mirchi at a favourite joint, my friend Mayank and I set off to Fateh Darwaza, Golconda. Sparrows and Mynas were returning to their roosting spots. The swallows and swifts were flying low and feeding on the flying insects. As the darkness grew, the bats replaced the swallows in the business of catching flying insects. I was seated on a stone along the boundary wall of the darwaza. A hairy caterpillar emerged out of nowhere and gave me creeps. Their hair is very irritating to touch. Young caterpillars appear in large number during the monsoon. In India, the Red-headed Hairy Caterpillar is a major pest feeding on the rainfed crops.

After all the awing observations, we were returning to our homes on my bike. After driving for around 50 metres along the boundary wall, we saw some movement across the road. We thought it could be a garden lizard but in the flash of a second, what we saw was something incredible. It was a very small animal that was crossing the mud road and as soon as the glare of the bike’s headlight fell on it, the fast running animal overturned in a jiffy and lied absolutely still as if playing dead. We stopped the bike and started walking towards the animal with intense curiosity. It was the Asian House Shrew (Suncus murinus).

Dead or alive?

We thought the animal is playing dead as a part of its defence mechanism. The Asian House Shrew, locally called chuchunder іn India, is commonly found in human habitations. They are nocturnal. As a kid, I was terrified of their sound of jingling coins. Although they are beneficial to humans, they remain very unpopular and are often killed if detected. They have poisonous saliva that  immobilizes small prey.

After cautiously approaching closer to the animal, we were making sure if it was acting dead or if it was really dead. We then observed an injury near its tail but on close inspection it was not very severe. Shrews have high metabolic rate and are nocturnal. They should keep on eating otherwise they will starve to death. We were clueless as to what caused the shrew overturn in a jiffy and lie down dead with no external factor acting upon it. I took a slender stick and gently touched it. It was very soft and there was no breathing. Then I pushed it gently towards some undergrowth, with so many questions in my mind lying unanswered.

Revealing the injury near the tail

We left the place then. This astonishing incident has left us intrigued. Did the shrew die due to exhaustion? or was the shrew simply acting dead? The mystery remains unsolved!!

Naya Qila : A Lost Paradise

Lost glory (Pic taken in 2012)

How often do we come across a place that boasts of cultural and architectural heritage along with undisturbed wilderness? Naya Qila (or New Fort) in Hyderabad, India is one such a place. It is an extended portion of the famous Golconda Fort. Built by Abdullah Qutb Shah as a defence against the Mughal armies, the place has other structures like Bagh-E-Qutb, an African Baobab tree, Mulla Kahyali and Mustafa Khan mosques, and the Naya Qila talab.

Since I stay very near to this place, I would often frequent it. After I have developed interest in birding, the visits have only increased. The place is an absolute paradise for birdwatchers. My friend Mayank and I have explored a great part of the place and have sighted more than 60 bird species that also include the migratory ones like the Common Sandpiper, Rosy Starling and Ashy Drongo. There are various habitats like scrub jungle, cultivation and marshes that provide home to many flora and fauna.

The place never ceased to thrill us and we were always mesmerised by the sightings of various birds like the Blue-faced Malkoha, Indian Thicknee, Indian Roller, Grey-bellied Cuckoo and Purple Heron etc. If Grey Wagtails descended in hundreds, the migratory Rosy Starlings would come down in thousands. The pleasure of seeing and listening to them was supreme. Their lively twittering would instantly soothe my soul and relieve me of stress. I am sharing some of the pictures of these winged beauties.

Baya Weavers were busy in their nesting activity. The male birds were done with building their nests and the females were inspecting them one by one. (March 2013)

Blue-faced Malkoha, the shy enigma.
(April 2013)

The marshy area near the lake hosted many aquatic birds. Common Sandpipers would always migrate to this place. I have also found the Indian Thicknee near the marsh.

The migratory, Wood Sandpipers.
(March 2013)

Naya Qila also has the biggest Baobab tree in India. The locals call it, Hathiyan ka Jhad (Elephant Tree). The tree was introduced by the African mercenaries who served in the Abyssinian Royal Guard. It is more than 400 years old. The aura around this tree is mystic.

African Baobab Tree ( November 2012)

Interestingly, the government in 2002 wanted to utilise Naya Qila as bird sanctuary. But later it was decided to develop an 18-hole golf course and the license was given to Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA). It was only a matter of time for this wonderful place to be pillaged and destroyed. Ever since HGA started its activities to develop the golf course, the place witnessed destruction.The contours of the heritage precinct were changed, land was ploughed and the lake began disappearing. Floor levels of the tunnel were lowered to provide easy access, the ancient water channel network was badly damaged. Trees were felled indiscriminately. Violations after violations continued to happen.

This picture depicts the trees felled during May 2013

Land around 50 acres belonging to the local farmers was taken away by the government.The displaced farmers have not been provided proper compensation. Despite protests from various civil society organisations, there has been little change. Hundreds of trucks and earthmovers deployed at the place, continue to ravage and degrade the ecology of Naya Qila. Fire set to the wild growth has charred the birds and animals to death.

The fire spread over hundreds of metres and burnt various life forms.

Today the entrance of the Naya Qila is fiercely guarded by many security personnel. Although visitor entry is still permitted, one is asked to write his/her name and mobile number in the book provided by the security guard. Many “instructions” and “warnings” are given before one enters the site. Cameras will be confiscated. One can only visit the Baobab tree and not the mosques and other beautiful heritage structures. It would be an understatement to term this as abuse of authority.

At a time when heritage preservation is a growing environmental concern, degradation of Naya Qila’s ecology presents a glaring example of undervaluing our heritage. A place of historical importance has now been reduced to “development”, termed here as “Golf course”. Isn’t it ironic that a haven of birds has now become a place where “birdies” are scored by the golfers? I have recently visited the site after a year. The peacocks, the starlings, the orioles, the nightjars, all have disappeared. The open forest is “missing” and the water resource has been destroyed. Environmental values and ethics have been damned. In totality, a paradise has been lost.