Dungeons and Lizards
I was sitting my condominium's shuttle bus back the other day and the driver stopped to show the passengers a Komodo dragon. It was basking in the sun on an open patch of my estate known as the golf putting course. Maybe it likes golf, although it wasnt carrying a club.
What ensued was a strange affair, as if my condominium had become some sort of safari bus in Africa viewing rhinos and mammoth elephants. In a mixture of mandarin and dialect, many housewife-y aunties were shocked and appalled that such a creature could actually be so close to their homes. Translation: "Why no one catch ah?! Is it dangerous? Why no one call someone to catch it?!"
Lest i remind human beings, we are the intruders with all our crazy condominiums, playgrounds and "golf-putting courses". Besides, my condominium prides itself in being close to nature, with a 'river' view and away from main roads. There are kind of jungle-like habitats close by so i guess its kind of ironic that we want the serenity but not the reptiles that have been enjoying it for centuries before us.
I watched a documentary on Aboriginals in Australia for a unit on Anthropology once. In it, the aboriginal family gathers around a habitat of a native lizard-like animal. They wait at different entries and exits of the burrows. Following which they all take turns to bang the ground and make excessive noise at their allocated burrow. In due time, the lizard runs out of one of the holes. In the film, the grandmother is the lucky one standing at the right exit. She grabs the lizard by the tail and swings it wildly, banging its head on a rock a couple of times. They then throw the dead lizard onto a fire and eat it after it is sufficiently barbequed. The lizard feeds the whole family of 5 as it is about 1 metre in length.
I do not advise my condominium residents to catch the Komodo dragon by its tail. Apparently i read in the zoo once that it has very poisonous saliva, hence its name. Instead i think we should show nature some respect, like the aboriginals do. Despite their seemingly cruel way of preparing their dinner they have actually preserved the land and its natural animals a lot better than when the colonists came. Who knows what occupied the land that my condominium's golf putting course now stands on. Maybe we should ask the Komodo dragon.
What ensued was a strange affair, as if my condominium had become some sort of safari bus in Africa viewing rhinos and mammoth elephants. In a mixture of mandarin and dialect, many housewife-y aunties were shocked and appalled that such a creature could actually be so close to their homes. Translation: "Why no one catch ah?! Is it dangerous? Why no one call someone to catch it?!"
Lest i remind human beings, we are the intruders with all our crazy condominiums, playgrounds and "golf-putting courses". Besides, my condominium prides itself in being close to nature, with a 'river' view and away from main roads. There are kind of jungle-like habitats close by so i guess its kind of ironic that we want the serenity but not the reptiles that have been enjoying it for centuries before us.
I watched a documentary on Aboriginals in Australia for a unit on Anthropology once. In it, the aboriginal family gathers around a habitat of a native lizard-like animal. They wait at different entries and exits of the burrows. Following which they all take turns to bang the ground and make excessive noise at their allocated burrow. In due time, the lizard runs out of one of the holes. In the film, the grandmother is the lucky one standing at the right exit. She grabs the lizard by the tail and swings it wildly, banging its head on a rock a couple of times. They then throw the dead lizard onto a fire and eat it after it is sufficiently barbequed. The lizard feeds the whole family of 5 as it is about 1 metre in length.
I do not advise my condominium residents to catch the Komodo dragon by its tail. Apparently i read in the zoo once that it has very poisonous saliva, hence its name. Instead i think we should show nature some respect, like the aboriginals do. Despite their seemingly cruel way of preparing their dinner they have actually preserved the land and its natural animals a lot better than when the colonists came. Who knows what occupied the land that my condominium's golf putting course now stands on. Maybe we should ask the Komodo dragon.
posted by efarmer at 6:04:00 PM
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