The Indian summer is back and so is the Corona Curfew! Staying locked up inside the house and entertaining a four-year-old is not always an easy task as you will be bombarded with loads of questions. 

Today morning, seeing a herd of cattle outside our window, my daughter asked me why doesn’t lockdown apply to animals? She obviously wasn’t convinced with any of my answers and kept asking more questions. One of her questions really intrigued me — Why does the “white bird” always gets to play with the cow but I can’t play with my friends? This question led me to do some reading on the “white bird.”

The “white bird” in question is Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis). They are a cosmopolitan species which can be easily spotted perching on the top of cattle or roaming around livestock. These birds follow grazing cattle and eat the flies and ticks that tend to bother the cattle, thereby helping the cattle avoid diseases caused by ticks. 

The movement of foraging livestock also dislodges various insects from the field, which Cattle Egrets feed on for survival. This type of symbiotic relationship is called commensalism — benefitting the need of one without posing any risk to the other.

Like the Cattle and the Egret, the current situation demands that we help  each other and our Government in all possible ways. Donate generously, feed the needy, spread positivity and do all these while wearing a mask. Remember, we are all in this together!

— H.S. Sreeranjini, Sharadadevinagar 1st Stage