animals – Page 2 – TV Smith's Blog

Only The Lonely

Behrang train station is strangely deserted. There is not a single person around. No passengers, no workers, not even a guard in sight.

Only soul that greeted me was one very lonely cat. A very skinny and young cat at that. Poor stray (probably dumped here) must be wondering why there are no humans to give it food. Or why it is so hard to find leftovers.

I usually carry a bag of dog food and another bag of cat food in my car. Many strays will not eat kibbles though. Luckily, I also have Whiskas wet food packs.

Need to relocate the animal after feeding or talk to the the Indonesian wrecking crew nearby. Hope I can persuade one of the guys to give it regular food.

The Rohingyas On Land – Compassion

A Muslim Burmese lady was feeding abandoned kittens by the roadside. She declined to have her face photographed.

As I photographed the kittens, a busybody stranger remarked that she’ll be getting massive ‘pahala’ points (based on the concept of receiving blessings as reward for good deeds).

I thought the man’s Malay accent sounded like that of a Bangladeshi migrant living in Malaysia. When I met him later inside a Toto shop, he told me he is Rohingya as well.

The lady seem annoyed by his remark. She declared: “I’m doing it because I can’t bear to see a living thing die of hunger. Not for any reward.”

Compassion. It reminds me of a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi:

“It ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of God, the Compassionate, if we in turn will not practice elementary compassion towards our fellow creatures” .

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 320, f4, 1/200 sec.

The Rohingyas On Land – Lost & Found

We found the kitten in a drain, eventually. The kind man retrieved the fallen stray and it was reunited with the mother.

It was my lucky day. Further down the street, I was to stumble upon another animal lover and witnessed another good deed.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 320, f4, 1/200 sec.

The Junkyard Dog Sleeps Tonight

The faithful junkyard dog finds a comfy spot different from the usual rusted metal, cardboard and other junk.

Saw this dog during my exploration of Hulu Bernam area recently. The junkyard dog is a popular movie trope often used to set up a scene with impending sinister activity or hostility.

For all its movie reputation of aggressiveness and alertness, it possesses a less-recognised attribute in real-life. Unconditional loyalty to owners who provide scant creature comforts.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/160 sec.

It’s A Jungle Out There

The inhabitants here are of the Temuan tribe and indeed there is a dog at every turn. Aboriginal dogs were originally kept as hunting dogs and were lean and mean.

Acting also as guard dogs for those staying deep in the jungles, they alert human companions to approaching wild boars, bears and other aggressive wildlife. Importantly, they provide endless fun and companionship for Orang Asli children growing up without toys, gadgets and electricity.

Here at this village, the dogs are mostly lethargic and sleep in the middle of the road. So do be very careful if you drive through the village.

I was enchanted by the rustic settings and asked a village elder if there is some kind of homestay hut. Although he speaks impeccable English, just like the aboriginal character in Crocodile Dundee, he didn’t understand the term ‘homestay’. I mentioned ‘hotel’ and he smiled.

Me, him and the dog ended up hiking up a steep jungle trail. Panting under the weight of my equipment, I stopped him to ask if this mysterious, fabled jungle place has a porter to help with my luggage.

Not surprisingly, he said “No!”. But then he added: “They have a Nepalese sherpa”. Haha. What unfolded next is mind-blowing.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 125, f4, 1/500 sec.