Wild Life Jobs
Policing is life
Every living individual is inherently conscious of the other one. The older individual often looks younger one with a caring instinct. Too young ones are under excessive vigil of mothers and this is true for all species, may be reptiles, birds, and mammals. The mother snake never allows any one to approach even nearer when eggs are cracking to expose a new life; so does the mother bird. She takes "vigilant rounds" around the nest. In order to feed, there is an honest sharing of such rounds between male and female parents when either one goes for gathering food. Any one can see the behaviour of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus) in his/her household. Not only the place of overnight stay in your corridor is fixed, the male bird takes a round before landing at the point. Recent ecological and behavioural biological studies in African safaris have proved beyond doubt that be it a tiger, panther, a herd of any animal species, there are internally "agreed upon" monitors whose job is also to take vigilant rounds and make sounds or cries cautioning other individuals of their group. And above all, there are hawks flying on our heads, far away though, who take extra care of informing about required food for their flock. Often vultures reach animal earlier than the death.
Prevalence of such humane instincts among animals is only a proof that all our basic instincts have been animate in origin. I have stood almost motionless on many occasions in the wild, on the road side or in the garden to see the extra caring and vigilant behaviour of small animals.
One such immediately striking incidence is of a wounded big rat (In Bhopal we have big rats resembling a small cat in size, living underground, technically called Bandycoot( Bandycoota bengalense ). This big rat was trying to run sluggishly in the Arera colony road side garden around 9.30 AM when I was just riding my bicycle to go to the university. As a natural observer, I stopped and looked on that slow moving limping bandycoot. With in a minute, a black crow attacked on its face by piercing beak, fell like an arrow; and before the big rat could even scream in pain, the same crow again attacked like a jet plane on the neck. This was almost an end for the rat, neck was bleeding and it lay in blood. I looked above on the trees where many crows made inviting calls; to my surprise, the only attacking warrior crow tried to lift the big rat catching it on the tail and attempted flying. Hardly the crow could take it to the height of 4 feet above the ground but fell on account of rat's weight. In about ten seconds a street dog which was by now, probably behind the bushes, jumped on the crow.
Hey!! as I could not even pause, in another 2or 3 seconds, flying-waiting crows above the scene, near the middle of the tree, fell on the dog like rockets and the poor dog started typical crying, bleeding on the eyes and ran away.
"What a grand display of love for own creed", I realized, but then a few crows flew away while a few sat near the kill and started sharing the feast with the first one ( I think so?)."
"I must witness the whole episode which was not over," I thought.
Yes, I was right. Within two minutes, one crow ( probably, the original hunter ) lifted the big rat holding the tail and flew comfortably to the next building side across the road. " How can one alone go away with his own prey without sharing"!! I thought.
Soon then, I noticed about two or three crows were still taking rounds and with a different noise (probably sending message----that's all, its over--) they went away. Temperamentally a behavioural biologist, I must have witnessed in the past fifty years, a dozens of natural episodes on (natural sites) many grasshoppers, mantids, moths, wasps, bees, snakes, lizards, Varanus (a rare reptile), birds, rats, kittens and monkeys which had exhibited superior intelligence, collaboration and cooperation, hatred as well as love and fight, but never had had such a glimpse of "team work of supervising protection, sharing and legalized distribution" among crows. House rats( Rattus rattus ) are well known for stealing and eating with full cooperation. Many such incidences become unforgettable.
A curious mind is like a wet soil, everything leaves an impression on it.
I have often thought of inherent biological philosophy inside many such natural instincts and community response therein. To keep carefully vigilant is the prime attribute of intelligence. But why be carefully vigilant, and what for? Because there is always action dependent counteraction at all levels of living and even in the non- living systems. While teaching various science subjects at schools, college and university levels I have had realized that the concept of "watching for protection" is inherent everywhere guided by uncontrolled missionary instincts; even inside the cells of our body; all biological activities are efficiently controlled, monitored and adequately reported to the superior "boss".
For example, there are certain normal functions with a definite route, point to point accurate and timely operative mechanisms underlying the simplest form of action at the level of molecular actions inside a living cell, inside tissues, organs and organisms; behaviour of organisms and their social organizational patterns. One of the most glaring examples of sensory regulation and signals' role is observed when we see, sense, or touch a thing. Within a fraction of a second nerve impulse informs the brain which according to individual's basic understanding identifies the thing. An object seen, information passes through optic nerve finally reading the object; all this action and dependent reaction involve chemical actions, signaling pathways and release of compounds with used up energy molecules. An interesting story is that a frog's eye does not pass all information to the brain. This has a capacity to selectively transmit the message and biophysicists and physical scientists have made this as a model and developed the radar system; helicopter models were developed with the help of grasshopper flight mechanisms.
Ants, birds, lions and monkeys have code of conduct to be faithfully followed; violations are often wild and volatile. Plants themselves are governed by natural inner and external factors controlling many of these events triggered inside their cells. The concept of careful vigil and regulatory mechanisms prevail everywhere and are under strict control. Defaulters and out laws are punished by policing mechanisms inside the cells and tissues. The apparent truth emerging out of deeper studies does point out that vigilant actions, taking rounds to keep supervision on ongoing process, getting ready for help and repairing mechanisms are inherent in the biological system. Age old scholars, several centuries ago must have perceived and conceptualized the scientific philosophy in to social practice.
Social relevance
In ancientIndia, we had several kings and rulers of the states who considered "going on rounds" as their prime duty to their civilians. Doing so, they often changed identity (dresses etc ) with one or two trusted personnel during nights, mid days and also at the time of festive occasions in order to find out problems and day to day obstacles their citizens were facing and about which, the administrative machinery was ignorant or deliberately silent. These kings wanted first hand information and believed in rather hearing from the horses' mouth; by such courageous efforts they also could gather unbiased public opinion and find out if there be any kind of oppressive activity of high state officials. This activity, in olden days was an ethical-moral duty of every head of the state or organization and was never the expression of lack of trust or faith on lower order.
Even in educational institutions world over we have had a tradition for head of the institutions to go on "rounds with a vigilant eye", what for ?, to take care of students, teachers, teaching schedules and "face the unforeseen problems first". No breeze even, should venture disturbing the ongoing disciplined activities. And above all, one who goes on "round", realizes his identity in depth and attaches it as a part and parcel of his way of life. Higher the position, greater was the load share of responsibility, and both by heed or deeds, this was never underestimated.
To be more descriptive, even in outer space, there is "vigil activity going on to "watch and see" among orbiting planets. There are numerous stars and earths, according to astronomers whose very presence is just to "watch and see" the orbiting routes. But this can not be termed as "policing". Taking rounds or orbiting is not policing any way!! For several decades now, we have installed numerous orbiting satellites which are serving multipurpose observations. These man made machines are capable of commands and be commanded but the natural space system has only one concept, revolve or die. Hundreds of stars die and many of them get sublimated in the space above, never reaching the area where their demise could have been known.
Polcing in the Living System !
Philosophy of Biological- Policing is to "keep watch on ongoing natural or monitored activity, help or offer instant support, nurture the right and weed out the interfering". Watch and see is the first dogma of a functioning system !! And the first modus operandi is taking " rounds"
Taking "rounds" is not only space bound truth but a practical dogma of life. Many shortcomings or lapses are corrected before causing severe losses. I will again venture in bringing this ideal dogma more at the levels of molecular mechanisms.
We all know that the structural unit is a cell; all organisms are made up of cells. A pin head tissue may have ten thousand cells. Each cell has an outer membrane and within this bag "life fluid' is filled up. Each cell has a nucleus which contains mainly Chromosomes and each chromosome has genes. A gene is essentially a part of DNA molecule and each chromosome has many to many thousand genes. How does a foreign body or an infecting agent enter a cell ? This is not a joke, to begin with. A fungal or a bacterial cell or any foreign material at the smallest level for entry has to face the defense mechanism of the cell membrane; a big fight goes on and a cell undergoes a tough test. Even it enters the gateway, the cytoplasmic structures send small tubules which encircle ( round up) the attacking material and transport the culprit to the outer boundary, and throw it out, still encircled by a trap. In humans what we call infection is the best way to understand entire machinery of policing and defense. There are molecules which take rounds inside the boundary line of the cell membrane. As a bacterial cell approaches numerous chemicals are secreted which bacterium may tolerate; somehow "infecting" toxins go ahead making a pathway, blood cells have white corpuscles as " soldiers" which exchange chemical war with the infecting cell. This is like, any ship can be sunk in a war. If the bacterium dies out, the debris is very efficiently dumped off by engulfing tubules. In order to fight the enemy within the cell there are "suicidal " bags (lysosomes) which arrive on signaling and are loaded with enzymes. The cell membrane of lysosome is self dissolving, enzymes are released on the enemy and infecting object may be demolished. White blood cells in the human blood are particularly rich in lysosomes; but when the infecting bacterium wins, it disrupts the cell synthesizing machinery, and uses cell reserves for its multiplication. White blood cells turn out to be pus cells then. When an antibiotic is administered, the molecules are carried by transporting elements which finally overpower the infecting population and released toxins there of. Very efficient transporting system is one of the greatest acquisition of immunogenetic system in side the cell.
Efficient information system, vigilant survey of competent molecules, proper signaling through coded language and very powerful defense artillery are built in the cell system in order to maintain big factories, energy reservoirs, energy producing power stations ( respiratory mechanisms) and replicating molecular mechanisms inside a living cell. Is this not the modern concept of policing?
Not only the vigilant supervision system is installed but also even very efficient guards are recruited to take care of genes and their activities in the cell. Most pertinent examples in this context are molecules designated as "gate keepers" which act as inhibitors for certain compounds and their dependent reactions. The p 53 tumour suppressor protein is a cell's principal guardian against cancer . Obviously so, most cancers eliminate p53. Among many genes there are proteins ( each protein produced by one gene) whose job is policing to keep protein synthesis going in order.
At all levels of an organism, we have a mechanism of policing for protection and support( help).
Vigillance is Intelligence
As the number of people are on enormous increase, all dimensions of the problems have also multiplied and such a multidimensional load on human population progresses at the cost of decency, truth, rules-regulations and so called honest love and unity. Might is right becomes a working practice. This competition, present also in world of animal and plants, is a natural phenomenon. During last one thousand years or so, another effective tools " manipulation and money" have been appended in the ill-support of natural competition; so, now modus operandi has become " might, manipulation and money". None of these singly or in combination recognize truth, honesty and faithfulness; all such words are meaningless therefore, are now redundant.
Go to a graveyard, there may be dozens of people but all sound silent and sorrowful silence. Then, go to a novel school and see that all children are in class rooms, no noise out side, there is none to talk to, yet you experience the rhythm of noise, a buzzing sound like a bee buzzing around its nest. To the earlier silence, you took it as heavy or unpleasant, to the silence in a school, you took as pleasant and most welcome. And while experiencing the difference, you come across a principal coming towards you, and then you realize that "he is on round". Sense of duty involves anticipatory care, he is careful enough because he is dutiful !! Taking "rounds" as often termed in social practice, generates force of attraction/ force of adherence by reviving faith in the system; compels one to adhere to the functional orbit and feel secure. Everyone wants to feel secure; has to be vigilant, despite the fact that "other species on hunt needs a prey" this is a biological truth.
But we as human beings belong to the same species; why are we then hunting own species? This is unlike a living rule; hence, meaning of policing have changed in the context of modern humans. For us "policing" is assuming as an indication of unpleasant otherwise obligatory duty crisis. But the hard truth is that policing is an integral part of our qualitative behaviour; a natural way of elderly life style and is one of the residuary powers of an honestly civilized and unselfish citizen since antiquity.
I remember a silent lesson of policing concept probably from the innermost fold of childhood memories. My grandmother was in her 80s during 1952 and I was around 11. Though she was blind but was extraordinarily conscious of foot steps and used to pronounce incomer by name. My father then was a magistrate and use to attend judicial court even up to the late evening. When too late, one day I witnessed that my father took out his shoes in the verandah and came in gentle barefoot inside the room, but alas !! my grandmother shouted " Hey Lakshman you are again late ?" and we all including the peon carrying the court box laughed with big noise. This kind of elderly policing happens with everyone and the echoes of the past guide us with love and care.
Must not we ransack our human memory for peaceful survival?
About the Author
what do wild life photographers do?
like, what is their job besides taking pictures of wildlife.
other than the obvious, they provide us with entertainment and education. have you ever watched PLANET EARTH or BLUE PLANET? thats some pretty amazing stuff- thanks to wildlife photographers.
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How to date several different women at once...and why you should...all without losing control
What to do to stay out of the "Just Be Friends" zone...and when to put a woman there instead
The disarmingly simple way to know whether a certain woman is right for you or not...before you make a potentially bad decision
The secret to transforming even the pickiest and most unapproachable woman into your smitten, lovestruck sweetheart...all without resorting to "black hat" tactics, techniques or routines.
And you'll get a FREE subscription to Scot McKay's unique newsletter, packed with character-based attraction and seduction secrets.
PLUS, receive a FREE 8-Part Mini-Course called "16 Generally Accepted But DISASTROUS Dating Principles". Can you guess what they might be? Arming yourself with this knowledge alone may change your life.
About the Author