ELUSIVE Prowlers of the NIGHT

From the large sized spot-bellied Eagle Owls to the smallest scope owls, Sri Lanka is home to 12 different species of owls, with two of them found only here. Their large eyes are perfect for night time hunting. Rather bulky head, giving it a stout appearance and the ability to rotate 270^o, keen eyesight even at very low light conditions, a Sharpe beak and talons all perfectly merge to produce the ultimate elusive prowler of the night – the owl.

Although owls are considered as nocturnal birds of prey, very few such as the endemic Chestnut Backed Owlet hunts during the day time. It was indeed a rare sighting at Deraniyagala, quite rare species nesting not within the jungle, but in a hole of a wooden utility pole close to a home garden. In this man made habitat, it was astonishing to see that the couple seemed undeterred to all the commotion that was going on.

Owl’s peculiar head bobbing is a result of their asymmetrically placed ears, which help them to pin point their prey in extreme low light conditions. Above all, owls can fly without the slightest hum thanks to their in-built modified feathers. Their calls, all different from one another may repel many in fear of the many myths and legends that have lingered for thousands of years. The Devil Bird or the Spot-bellied Eagle Owl perhaps has the most number of tales, for possibly it is the only bird which possesses a more human like call in the deep jungles of Sri Lanka. Although one might hear their call, to see one in the darkness needs much patience and luck.  

Many owls feed on small mammals, or rodents, but the Fish owl as its name implies has specialized in fishing. As a rule of thumb, if you hear an owl, look for the tallest place possible – preferably an open area or even better a tall dead tree. ‘Owl pellets’ are one of the best ways scientists use to assess the diet of owls. These are in fact the undigested parts of the prey they consume such as bones, nails and fur, which they regurgitate and are often found close to their day roosting sites.

Seredib Scops Owl, one of the small owls recently discovered from the Island, is the last to be added to the list of endemic birds in Sri Lanka. The owl can be found in the lowland rain forest of Sri Lanka. It’s unusual ‘poo-ooo’ call was what helped to locate the bird, and interestingly is similar to a call of an amphibians found in the same habitat, called the Nagao’s ramanella, a type of pug-snout frog. Although till very recently Frog Mouths and Night Jars were considered to be owl- since they too are nocturnal hunters very much similar in appearance to owls, genetic evidences proved that they belong to an altogether different family but in Sinhala their native names still remains as “Bassa” for owls in Sinhala. 

Sacred Lotus        

This sacred lotus, unlike the royal rose, is not in the stately gardens of the affluent to be cared, watered, pruned and pampered and sung to high heavens. It finds birth in the marshy bog of nature’s sewers, amongst noxious weeds and poisonous reeds. It must struggle for sheer survival in the dark, murky, stagnant waters of earth’s unspeakable netherworld. But even in that gutters amidst the wretched and the depraved, the lotus is looking up at the sun.

Yet, with her roots tenaciously embedded in her muddy bed, she is no pushover. The toughness of her resilience as she fights for space in the stiffing stillness of her seemingly perennial pond of despair. If hope that come to all never comes to her at that exacting hour of her tender days when she needs it, she transcends the injustice of her birth. She rises above the lowly station in the watery ghetto that she was condemned to live in and die.

But she’s made of stronger stuff and the mettle of her stem, having undergone the submerged vortex, sees her through. Whilst her inferior mud mates, content to languidly float upon the water, she soars over the water mark to greet the inviting sun above.

In Sri Lanka some people believe that she is performing her suriya namaskaraya for three days, her worship to the Sun God., and will unfurl her many splendored pinkish petals one by one in his honor and before his radiant eyes. Touched by his warming rays and caressed by nature’s gentle breeze, she will open up her folded bud to reveal to heaven and earth, the divine beauteous blossoms that bloomed from below.

On the fourth day she will reveal her innermost soul and bask in beauty, bathed in the sun’s spotlight blazoning her loveliness. Her petals will gradually draw back pushing forth the yellow pod within her that encases her seeds. She will generate her own heat, so that when she blossoms her petals will be 30 centigrade whilst around her the air may even be only 10 C. The heat she expels creates an aroma, which draws bees and insects to her inner core to drink her nectar and feed on her pollen. In so doing she becomes a benefactor of nature, providing all creatures small and microscopic the where withal they need to eat, mat, live and propagate.  

Then her autumn dawns and its melancholic tinge brushes her petals grace, heralding the onset of her winter days. One by one, they wither and fall and she herself arches toward the waters to shed her seeds, to sow the nelums of the future, to procreate her species. Then with one last sad sigh at the inevitable cycle of life in this cruel world, she bids the sun farewell and droops to die in the watery grave that was one her cradle.

Elephant Orphanage

There’s something joyful about baby elephants. Just the sight of them lolloping about is heartwarming to see. At Pinnawala, there are plenty of opportunities to observe junior jumbos and their amusing antics and even reach over and pat their prickly heads or have a turn at feeding milk.

In the year of 2011 there were 15 births took place following a successful breeding program. The naming ceremony that followed was quite the occasion with tourists gathered to witness the christening of a lively jostling bunch of jumbos. The visitors even enjoyed the privilege of having a baby elephant's name after them. As a result, some of the youngsters today have names such as Elvina, Trinkie and Binuki – a diversion from traditional names such as Mahasen, Kumari and Kandula.

While there have been no births since 2011 the breeding program is set to begin again. Of the 15 youngsters, most have already weaned from their mothers, but still remain close to maternal protection and company. This is seen especially during bathing times, which occur soon after feeding times twice a day. The herds shuffle along in a long column and cross the road to reach Ma Oya- a sight that is reminiscent of some great migration. The youngsters huddle close to their mother or huddle close to their mother or hardly ever wander too far, except on a few occasions when the fun and frolic of daily ablutions become all too exciting.

With a timetable of feeding, bathing and more feeding and more bathing, the orphanage is haven for elephants to get about their daily routine. However, several babies remain in the enclosure while the herd sets out to the river. These few are some of the youngest in the orphanage and have been brought to the orphanage by the Wildlife Department. Orphaned in the wild these jumbos find safety and comfort at Pinnawala. Less than 1.5 years of age, they are fed staggering quantities of milk and feeding times are extended for longer periods than that of the rest. These moments are crowd favorites as the youngsters gulp down all too eagerly, liters and liters of milk, and the show of impatience involving shoving, and nudging each other makes for endearing moments. While the rest lounge around in the river the orphaned babies who are without an adult elephant to tend to them, instead receive the care and attention of a mahout who bathes them at the enclosure.

Aside from milk some youngsters have already begun feeding on solids, such as coconut palms. Kitul palm and logs, and jack fruit branches. Often, older youngsters use size to their advantage to block smaller members from reaching the piles of feed. The playground bullying leaves highly disgruntled baby jumbos who can only resort to antics of indignation. Some have learnt the virtue of patience early on, standing dolefully in blinking silence for a tidbit to come their way. There’s much to see around Pinnawala from one enclosure to the next, aside from one enclosure to the next, aside from the daily rituals of feeding and bathing. And the baby jumbos add much more character with their colorful temperaments.