Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Learning to co-exist

We have read folk stories where most of the time donkeys are portrayed as silly and stubborn however they are sensitive too. They like companionship of other donkeys and can get lonely very easily
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It was a khareef holiday in Salalah and the location was Ain Hamran drenched in monsoon. The natural springs of Dhofar are beauties to watch and enjoy the ambience. One feels the lungs full of fresh air generating happiness so much that it makes you smile even if there is no one to reciprocate it. The rock formations are artistic galleries in their own right and it was while walking through nature’s theatre set when I came across the subject - a reptile that was sleek and shiny all I could do was scream and run across the rocks, slipping but managing not to fall. I had startled the poor creature so much that it slithered and high-walked or rather ran under the immense stress of wanting to save ourselves from each other. Other visitors stood still not knowing what the commotion was about only to see a human run from one side of the rock and something on the ground spurting out scattering tiny stones onto all directions. That was a classic example of flight, fright or fight. The fear of the unknown or was it the eyes that were looking into mine?


There are 111 species of reptiles in the Sultanate of Oman, but out of them there are some of which are endemic to Oman. Most of them merge into the surroundings, but then there are ones with vivid colours and combinations.


They have every right to be where they are and enjoy the weather as much as we do. They are part of the natural ecosystem with an important role to play.


There is so much of wisdom one can learn from the the animal world. A friend from Bangladesh said that you can rest assure where a cat sleeps is a clean place, what a horse drinks is clean water and a donkey may not be willing to move if the load is light, but willingly to walk when the load is heavier.


We have read folk stories where most of the time donkeys are portrayed as silly and stubborn however they are sensitive too. They like companionship of other donkeys and can get lonely very easily. Horses too are known for life long relationships and have great memory. Separation causes great distress in them. We have chosen to enter their world in most cases initially for our own benefits as in the case of horses and donkeys. While horses continue to have a special place would the donkeys ever gain back their importance?


They were important in the past for transportation and economically too they played a significant role. So what happened to those donkeys? People rode donkeys patiently as they went about peacefully from one wilayat to another as a friend recollected travelling from Muttrah to Ghala, which took days not hours. They also used to go up Al Jabal Al Akhdhar and back.


Now of course we are looking at futuristic means of transport and electric vehicles.


Over all we have come far away from nature it would seem but this month of August has given us immense opportunity with khareef Dhofar and now the Al Jabal Al Akhdhar Tourism Festival happening from August 23 to 27, 2022. And guess what, the festival will be featuring the horse trail up on the Green Mountain.


Now going back to the reptiles, the Al Hajar Mountains are home to a variety of reptiles and about five endemic species as per the book ‘A field guide to reptiles of Oman.’ While we enjoy the beauty of nature we should also respect their habitats and maybe what we need is more awareness on them. The more we know about the importance of reptiles in our ecosystem more we would want to take personal responsibility in conservation.


Of course one obsession has been about the Arabian horned viper that likes to hide underneath the sand in the desert. You can imagine what crosses the mind. But this viper too is part of the existence. The land might look plain and arid or salt flats or lush green and mountainous and coastal but these living creatures have learnt to adapt and survive and if they can and others can too.


They could tell us more about their journey through the centuries but most importantly 16 of those 111 reptiles are only found in Oman as they are endemic. And to safe guard them is a responsibility.


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