“With no hands, with no feet, the gentle snail climbs the tree”. Yoruba proverb.
This cute life form was spotted one afternoon – July 7th, 2019 to be precise – trying to climb the rough railings of the ramp to the dining hall. I was fascinated. With tiny hands, or are these its feet? and carrying its home with it, just by small body contortions it was climbing, millimeter by millimeter. Where to I wondered? Where from I wondered? For how long I wondered? Seeking whom I wondered?
Then suddenly, came the raindrops. Very slowly, it withdrew into its nest with just a hint of its head visible. When when the rain stopped, it emerged from its home and began its climb to “mount Svanir”. I went on clicking just to ensure that I do not miss different angles and sharpness.
I am keen to show this creature to the world for I have not been able to identify it. Maybe it is an undiscovered life-form? Would my ever favourite wildlifer Sir David Attenborough come to read my blog and be interested in studying it? Would he recommend his researchers to rush to Svanir and find out more about it? Would it still be around when they come or does it appear only during the monsoons? So many questions….
Svanir, being next to a wildlife sanctuary must be teeming with undiscovered or partially studied beauties like this. We would welcome researchers to come and do a complete study of its surroundings and record its wildlife population, its seasonal variations and so on…I am so hopeful of getting a species named Svanir mukherjea or something like it.
Please help spread this information around…and thank you.
13th October 2019
GB