The Magical Childhood With the Adorable Monsters

As a daughter of a forest officer, I had plenty of privileges. For starters, I had a zoo. Yes, I literally had a zoo as my playground!

My father used to be a Zoo Director at Padmaja Naidu Himayalan Zoological Park. I loved that place with all my heart. It could be a childhood illusion but I think we had the best house in Darjeeling. From the French windows in my parents' room, we could see the entire Kunchenjunga range. From my room, which my sister and I used to share, we could see the garden with its beds of bright red poppies in the spring and summer on one side and a jungle, which probably only had jackals, from the other. Even though I knew from the beginning that I would have to leave this magical place - my very own Narnia - someday, it did not stop me from being friends with the diverse animals that lived there. And of course, I had my favourites too.

The zoo campus was my fortress. I surveyed it everyday, stopping to admire the beauty of the clean and green environment that came alive with the chirping of exotic birds and the roar of Siberian tigers. Everyday, the zookeepers and the guards would tell me stories and happenings that went on in the zoo. Trust me, it felt exactly like being in the fairy tale of Narnia. Only these animals did not speak English.

My favourite anecdote was one where the leopard broke a visitor's umbrella. Some tourists got excited after they saw the leopard. But they were soon disappointed when it wouldn't act in a way a carnivore is supposed to. I guess they expected it to be growling and inflicting fear on passersby. So they poked it with an umbrella until the leopard got angry and snatched the umbrella and broke it. After that incident, Achilles (mispronounced as Ac-chilis by the zookeeper) became my favourite leopard.

I also enjoyed playing with the fluffy looking snow leopard. Each time I was near his cage, he used to mirror my movements. If I ran, he ran. If I walked, he walked. At times, he used to hide and watch me from the corner of his eyes and then surprise me by suddenly jumping out of his hideout. Sometimes, under supervision, I even stroked the back of his furry ear. I could say that he really enjoyed it by his throaty purrs.

I used to love how I had found secret hideouts in the zoo. On every holiday, if we were not out on a family getaway, I would walk all the way up to the Siberian Tigers enclosure, which was at the far end of the zoo. And even though they were not very friendly, I enjoyed looking at them. I was also very jealous about the fact that they had a nice looking cave where they could nap.

I did not like the deer family and mountain goats too much because they spent all their time eating. Nonetheless, I did make a friend. A little mountain goat called Pooja Bhatt. I gave the goat this name since it had a cute little fringe that was sported by the popular actress. However, I'm not sure if the goat was even a female. But I loved feeding it grass and it definitely had a big appetite.

Like I said, there were plenty of advantages of being a zoo directors' daughter. One of them was being able to play with and care for the cute and helpless looking cubs that grow up to be majestic yet fearful looking creatures.

The tiger and leopard cubs were extremely cute. If you kept a stuffed toy right next to them, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart, until the real one moved. It's funny how everyone is so scared of these carnivores. Each time a cub was born, we would wait excitedly for it to grow up and play with us. Sadly, cubs abandoned by their mothers did not do very well despite all the warmth and nourishment we tried to provide to simulate the care it would have got from its mother. It was heartbreaking to watch them die. When you looked at the scared and shivering cubs with their wide-eyed innocence, you forgot that when they grow up, they could kill you with a casual flick of their paw across your face.

But if I had to pick a favourite, then it would definitely be the bear cubs, Sunny and Mani. I don't remember how they ended up staying in the guard room outside the house when they were first brought to the zoo hardly a month old, but I do remember them biting the bottom of the wooden door with their moderately sharp teeth.

I wouldn't say we had the best garden but we did have some nice looking poppies, petunias and fuchsias among a few others. However these adorable yet destructive pair of cubs hardly took half an hour to ruin our gardeners' hard work. But how could we be mad? These cuddle worthy cubs never let us get angry with them by being so lively and funny.

My memories about my stay at PNHZP have faded a little over the years. But what I still remember and will never forget is that I only had friends and no enemies. I had a good day everyday. I was in Darjeeling a little while ago and made it a point to visit the zoo. The place looks much grander now. But sadly, it's no longer my Narnia. I saw Sunny again. He is old now and of course, didn't remember me. But that doesn't matter because I have the best memories of him and they will always stay with me.

The Danger of Exotic Species

What are exotic species? Exotic species are species that are not native to the environment. They can be plants, fish, or animals. The reason they are dangerous is that they can invade a native environment and take over because the native species, whether plant, fish, or mammal, do not have the means to defend themselves against the exotic introduced species.

One exotic species, that is not really so exotic, but comes under the heading of harmful or potentially harmful and can overtake an environment and affect the ecosystem is the common goldfish. Goldfish are plentiful. They are easily obtained. And they may be dumped into a local pond or lake where they can grow and crowd out native species as they eat food meant for the native species. Another fairly well-known example is how pythons have been taking over the Everglades in Florida, even able to consume alligators.

Potentially harmful plants include water hyacinths, giant salvinia, and hydrilla. Exotic fish include Asian carp which go by the names of grass, silver, and bighead; tilapia, and zebra mussels. Harmful plants and animals are regulated by strict state laws. Permits are required to transport them. There are fines if these species are found. There are some permits given to zoologists or for research purposes, but outside of that there are strict controls against exotic and potentially harmful species. Texas alone has a 370 page book that presents information on the various species and similar species. If you do a Google search for "exotic species regulated", in conjunction with a specific state's name, such as "Texas exotic species regulated", you will find the different states have information and links specific to their state regulations. The point is, the issue of exotic species and dangerous species is an important topic.

For example, in the case of the zebra mussel, it is required that boats be drained of water as they leave or approach public fresh water. Plus, these mussels cannot be found clinging to the vessel. Other regulations cover the clinging of vegetation to the boat, or regulations on live bait. The only way to know the regulations for the particular state where you live or vacation is to search out the regulations of that particular state. People in tournaments are covered by special rules and documentation that the tournament organizers possess.

Another form of regulation concerns transporting live, non-game fish in specific geographic locations. In other words, certain geographical locations have specific rules covering only them. These will be better known by the locals, but if you are going into a certain location, it is worth searching out these regulations so as not to be in violation. The purpose of these regulations is to keep the native species alive and well, and keep the non-native species from overcoming the native species and destroying the natural ecosystem.

Cheryl Jones is a copywriter, and online entrepreneur. She authors on a variety of topics, including writing for outdoor businesses such as http://LochowRanch.com and [http://TrophyExcursions.com] Whether the topic be niche or expansive, she has the ability to construct knowledgeable, quality copy.

Capybara Learn Well and Are Trainable

Due to their high level of intelligence, a capybara can learn almost anything from a patient owner with an understanding of how to train an animal. These creatures certainly can assimilate what is and is not acceptable behavior.

If they do not receive gentle correction and consistent discipline, a capybara with "inside" privileges will chew the carpet, gnaw the table legs, yank down the curtains, and come up with a whole host of equally creative and destructive "projects."

They are remarkably anxious to please, however, so discipline really need be little more than obvious verbal disapproval.

If this is countered with loving praise for things done well or correctly, a capybara can acquire good "manners" rather quickly. This does not change the fact, however, that they do ultimately grow too large to be exclusively indoor pets.

Try to think of all communication with a capybara as a two-way street. They have a complex communication system within their groups built on vocalizations and body language.

When you become part of their "group" in captivity, a capybara will give as much information as they receive, asking for things they want or enjoy.

In teaching a capybara to do anything, consistent, patient repetition is best. They will respond to whistles, verbal directives, and treats.

They easily learn their names, and will perform various dog-like actions to get food including "twirling," and standing on their hind legs.

House Training

There are many owner stories online about house training capybaras complete with photographs. There's more than enough evidence of success in this arena to silence even the worst naysayer.

When you show one of these animals what to do, and are consistent with your instruction, they are typically quite happy to accommodate you.

It also does not hurt that they are, by nature, very clean and prefer not to soil their habitat, which is excellent if they're living in the house with you!

Having a housebroken capybara works best, however, only when the animal is still small enough to practically live inside. As your capybara grows, it really does need to take its "business" outside.

Since some capybaras will only defecate in water, the growing scope of the potential problems should be readily apparent.

Owners can opt to offer their pets both wet and dry litter trays, but if the capybara wants to be in the water, you automatically have problems.

You're talking about an animal that will weigh 77-146 lbs. (35-66 kg). A "pan" of water may actually be more like a "tub," which means splashing, potential water damage to your home, and difficult clean-up and maintenance for the owner.

Again, just because the capybara can be taught to do something does not mean the doing of it is actually practical in the greater scheme of husbandry.

Ultimately, if you have a capybara, you will have to have outside space to keep the animal. This is not an apartment pet!

Capybara learn well and are trainable plus more information here!

The Bee - Nature's Perfect Creature

Hollywood has never been known to produce factually correct movies, from historical events to the intricacies of animal interactions. Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie is a case in point. In Bee Movie, Jerry Seinfeld plays a young bee, male of course, who wants a life beyond the beehive. He joins the "pollen jocks" - the male bees who leave the hive to collect pollen, which the male and female bees in the hive, in their dull jobs, turn into honey.

Real life is quite different. It is the female bees that leave the hive in search of pollen, the males who remain as drones to do the work of the hive. The plot of Bee Movie could have been so much better if this little fact had not been obscured, but that's a topic for another article.

Let's get back to the truth about bees. Bees produce honey, which has long been considered nature's perfect food, and bee pollen products and honey based products are becoming increasingly popular with today's consumer.

Bee pollen products

Bees (female ones) leave the hive to find pollen from a variety of flowers. When they return, the worker bees (males) take the pollen and pack it into granules, adding honey (otherwise known as nectar), which is used as food by the hive. Humans harvest this bee pollen, otherwise called bee bread or ambrosia.

What's interesting about bee pollen is that no two batches are alike. The "pollen jockettes" (if I may so term them) bring back pollen from many different sources, and this alters the composition of the pollen.

So, what do bee pollen products do humans make?

Bath and body products enriched with bee pollen are very popular today. They include products for moisturizing, for exfoliation and even shampoo.

Honey based products

Again, honey has long been considered as nature's perfect food. Indeed, people have been eating honey since practically the beginning of time - it's even mentioned in the Bible.

Today, people consume honey as a condiment on bread, on ice cream, or even on its own. It's also used as a sweetener in honey barbecue, and honey mustard is very popular.

All bees produce honey, but only the honey produced by honey bees is edible by humans. Bees create honey by a process I won't go into here (well, if you must know, they transform nectar (pollen) into honey by regurgitating it), but it is then stored in honeycombs as part of their food supply.

Honey based products include honey, of course, and even mead. Some of today's beers also use it as a flavoring ingredient. It is also used to make aromatic candles. 

Why we need bees

Lots of people find bees annoying and will kill them on sight, which is a pity because all bees perform an important service for mankind. Because they go from flower to flower collecting pollen, they also deposit pollen on these flowers, "pollinating" them, and insuring that flowers themselves survive!

So treat bees well!

5 Uses of a Chinchilla That You May Not Know Of

Some of you might know that a chinchilla is a rodent that people keep as pets. Although keeping chinchilla as a pet has been done for decades, the practice is getting popular only today. People do keep exotic animals like reptiles as pets. Yet, keeping a reptile as a pet can be dangerous, if not for you, then for your guests. However, a pet like chinchilla posts no such worry.

If you are still unsure as to what a chinchilla is, here is some general knowledge for you. Chinchillas are rodents that are found mostly in South America. These cute looking rodents are found in the Andes as well. Generally, the little ones are larger than squirrels and smaller than rabbits and are found mostly in Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The Chinchillas are basically wild rodents and therefore, taming those take quite an effort and time.

Chinchillas are used in many ways. Here is a look.

1. Pets: Chinchillas are exotic pets that need good care and handling. Since these are basically wild rodents, they need a good amount of time to get adjusted to their surroundings. These make good pets mainly because they are low maintenance pets. They are extremely inquisitive and boisterous in nature and also do not make too much noise.

2. Fur Industry: Chinchillas are quite popular in the fur industry. These little rodents have a soft lush fur which is in demand in the fashion industry. The chinchilla furs are ideal for small garments. The rodent derives its name from the Chincha people who wore its fur.

3. Scientific research: The chinchillas are used as an animal model in research. These little rodents have an auditory system which is similar to humans and therefore these are used in labs. These rodents are also used to study bacterial and viral diseases.

4. Breeding: A lot of people breed these rodents, some for the fur, others to sell them as pets. These pets are expensive.

Chinchillas are not used as food since they are small and do not have too much flesh. Whether used as pets or for their fur, the Chinchillas need to be handled with utmost care. These little ones can be aggressive and get irritated easily. When ticked off the female Chinchillas are known to spray urine. While this rodent doesn't have too many uses, it is still an expensive pet and the benefits it reaps are also rich.