This is News Too
‘Tamil Nadu government to frame dos and don’ts for beach resorts along East Coast Road in Chennai
The move comes following the death of a critically endangered Cuban crocodile inside Madras Crocodile Bank Trust allegedly due to high-decibel noise coming from a nearby hotel.’
The New Indian Express, Chennai, 07 April, 2019
(In 2019, a critically endangered female Cuban crocodile died inside Madras Crocodile Bank Trust allegedly due to high-decibel noise coming from a nearby five-star hotel. This crocodile was part of a critical breeding group of one male and four (now three) females.)
The thirtieth night of March 2019
All quiet at the eight and a half acres CrocBank
The inhabitant reptiles and amphibians
having been fed for the night,
Romulus, the “Snake Man”and his staff
retiring themselves to the restful confines of a tranquil night When, quite unannounced, a heavy sound-quake
rocked them.
A high profile party in the adjacent resort, a luxury hangoutAll of stars five for hospitality and personalised serviceHad called for bass music, an accompaniment to hard liquor—
The more the revelry in the spirited jamboreeThe higher the decibelsToxicity having dampened
Eardrums.
While rock flowed on rock
And the rocking spree built its momentumIn the neighbouring quietude, there began a rolling…
The crocodiles and the snakes pounded and slitheredThe aggravated aggression and terrifying tantrums
Distressing the frightened caretakers to concerned confusion!
Pathetic pleas and repeated requests for volume reduction
Fell on busted ears After all, it was not the CrocBank that gave the resort staff their salariesAnd so, fidelity to their guestsThe moneyed clientele They kept the hi-fidelity speakers blaring through the night
The morning that followed dawned upon a wasted scene ―
While an alcoholic delirium hung over the five-starred resortIn CrocBank, it was a state of mourning!
A healthy Cuban crocodile, its species having prime position
On the World Conservation Union Critically Endangered species list
had died: a female of a critical breeding group
Of one male and four females… now three.
When news of the tragedy reached the ears
Of the night’s revellers, all that was said
Devoid of any remorse was:
‘It was only one that died, there’s three anyway
That’s left.’
Footnotes:
Romulus, the “Snake Man”: Romulus Whitaker, the “Snake Man” of India and a Padma Shri awardee is the founder of CrocBank, or The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre for Herpetology.
Disclaimer: The comment of the “night’s revellers” at the end of the poem is fictitious, but purposefully included to show the callous and apathetic attitude of most people towards animals, especially towards those animals that are not part of one’s domestic environment.www.facebook.com
The move comes following the death of a critically endangered Cuban crocodile inside Madras Crocodile Bank Trust allegedly due to high-decibel noise coming from a nearby hotel.’
The New Indian Express, Chennai, 07 April, 2019
(In 2019, a critically endangered female Cuban crocodile died inside Madras Crocodile Bank Trust allegedly due to high-decibel noise coming from a nearby five-star hotel. This crocodile was part of a critical breeding group of one male and four (now three) females.)
The thirtieth night of March 2019
All quiet at the eight and a half acres CrocBank
The inhabitant reptiles and amphibians
having been fed for the night,
Romulus, the “Snake Man”and his staff
retiring themselves to the restful confines of a tranquil night When, quite unannounced, a heavy sound-quake
rocked them.
A high profile party in the adjacent resort, a luxury hangoutAll of stars five for hospitality and personalised serviceHad called for bass music, an accompaniment to hard liquor—
The more the revelry in the spirited jamboreeThe higher the decibelsToxicity having dampened
Eardrums.
While rock flowed on rock
And the rocking spree built its momentumIn the neighbouring quietude, there began a rolling…
The crocodiles and the snakes pounded and slitheredThe aggravated aggression and terrifying tantrums
Distressing the frightened caretakers to concerned confusion!
Pathetic pleas and repeated requests for volume reduction
Fell on busted ears After all, it was not the CrocBank that gave the resort staff their salariesAnd so, fidelity to their guestsThe moneyed clientele They kept the hi-fidelity speakers blaring through the night
The morning that followed dawned upon a wasted scene ―
While an alcoholic delirium hung over the five-starred resortIn CrocBank, it was a state of mourning!
A healthy Cuban crocodile, its species having prime position
On the World Conservation Union Critically Endangered species list
had died: a female of a critical breeding group
Of one male and four females… now three.
When news of the tragedy reached the ears
Of the night’s revellers, all that was said
Devoid of any remorse was:
‘It was only one that died, there’s three anyway
That’s left.’
Footnotes:
Romulus, the “Snake Man”: Romulus Whitaker, the “Snake Man” of India and a Padma Shri awardee is the founder of CrocBank, or The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre for Herpetology.
Disclaimer: The comment of the “night’s revellers” at the end of the poem is fictitious, but purposefully included to show the callous and apathetic attitude of most people towards animals, especially towards those animals that are not part of one’s domestic environment.www.facebook.com
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