Leopard On The Loose

There is, or more probably was (by the time I post this), a leopard on the loose in a city in India ... the animal wandered into the Indian town of Meerut, where in response, all the local schools were shut, because it hasn't been killed or captured so far. The creature was probably driven to an urban lifestyle by lack of habitat, as the Indian population continues to grow in a frighteningly fast manner.

Attempts to capture it are at best amateurish, with the closest being when it was locked in a hospital room for a few hours before it escaped by clawing its way out. The whole process hampered by 'gawpers' who proved once again, if more proof was needed when you see the deaths at every Indian 'political protest' march, that in some cultures, 'life is held cheaply', and a few bystanders have been mauled .... none killed so far.

Leopard On The Loose - Gawpers Beware!!

There is no report on where the authorises were when it was locked in the room, but they obviously were not rushing. Population estimates for leopards in India, suggest that their number may be down to about 10,000 (from figures around 10 times that fifty years ago), so sadly this not a problem that we will see in a few decades ....

Keeping a little wild spot in the garden

Just a brief note on wild spots in the garden. I only have a small garden, and although I am not exactly a Percy Thrower I do look after it a little, but I have one 'wild spot' where I let nature alone rule, and this has now become the home of a wild bee colony. As well as serving my gardens flowers (or weeds, I am never sure) ... its allowed these endangered insects a safe haven. The mystery of the world decline of bee's to a an illness, is one that should be of great concern because mass starvation could result if its not reversed as they are the primary pollinators for most world crops, but as usual its gets almost comic coverage in the press. To show you how small the space can be, here's a picture of the tree area the bee's have resided in for the last three years ... four foot by four foot with garden waste (undisturbed) and a tree / bush for cover. So if you have a place where you can leave logs and twigs with grass coverings i.e. a wild spot, then I urge you to give the wild bees a chance, and let that small area get on without interference.