Reminiscences...

My holiday in faraway Assam ended in the most magnificent way possible. Meeting new friends, having fun and watching the crowd frolic...what better way to end a holiday?

First up, let me introduce you to the new friends I made in those last days of the vacation...
The two I am going to talk about now you have already seen the pictures of - Alex and Caesar. Leopard cubs whose story would have been really short and tragic, but for the intervention of my good friend, Dr. Gogoi... These two were found abandoned by their mother, mewing away pitifully in the forest, all of 4 days old. Destiny had other things in store for them, and they landed up in the house of Dr. Gogoi, where they get all the love and attention that one can possibly shower...

And then there is Pupli. She is a month and a half old, and is a wild cat baby. She looks currently like any other kitten, and is your first nightmare on a sleepy afternoon, running amok...generally going berserk as only a kitten can... but watch out when she grows big...killer little cat this!
The next is the shy Mithu. Mithu is a 3 month old barking dear fawn... Inquisitive to a fault, until you turn your attention to him. Then he is off with one giant leap. Very friendly generally, and oh! Is he graceful!!!

Shepherding all this is 10-year old Delphi. Delphi is a German shepherd who looks after all these wonderful little babies, ensuring they don't move out of bounds. A big bundle of joy with a perenially wagging tail, Delphi's favorite is Pupli. Delphi hates Mithu, though, because every time she goes near her, Mithu gives her a start with one of her fancy Bob Beamonish leaps.
On the fatter side, there is Laxman. Laxman is 25 years old and weighs a modest 2500 Kgs. This brutish looking but actually gentle rhino spends his day wallowing in a pool of mud and water, and is just content with the odd jog to keep himself in shape. Some shape!!!

Finally, on the scarier side, there is Aniruddh. Aniruddh is a nine and a half foot, 250 kg tiger. Currently safely ensconced in the Guwahati zoo, Aniruddh is awesome to behold, regal, and has a roar that can send shivers down your spine, even knowing that he is behind a fenced enclosure and can do no harm. Aniruddh has had a dubious distinction of being in the lock-up, actually, of Tezpur thana! But that is another long story in itself...

Anyone wants to listen to it, you know whom to come to...