One day, when I was younger, I was woken up by the sound of people running and shouting, “The leopard has been trapped!” They were highly excited since most of them had never seen a leopard before. Soon I was on my way to the spot. A fully-grown leopard was growling and pacing to and fro in a cage in anger and agitation.
The animal’s presence in the village had been suspected ever since mutilated and partly eaten carcasses of cattle were found and the number of stray dogs had come down considerably. The head of the village had contacted the forest department who set up a cage with live bait at a strategic point.
The unwelcome guest from the wild was now in captivity and there would be a festive atmosphere in the village until it was taken away and released into the forest.
While the new generation has to visit a zoo to look at wild animals, we as children were lucky that dozens of animals like lions, tigers, elephants, horses, bears, monkeys, etc., used to be brought to the nearby town every now and then by circus companies. Since the only provider of entertainment in the village was the cinema house with a thatched roof and a generator screening black-and-white films, children as well as the elders used to be thrilled at the prospects of experiencing three hours of wholesome entertainment under the big top.
We used to watch with bated breath when a girl put her head in the mouth of a ferocious-looking lion and clap enthusiastically when a bear rode on a bicycle or an elephant stood on its head or sat on a stool. A dog would jump through a ring of fire or a monkey would ride on a horse.
Sometimes a girl in a sparkling costume would ride on two horses simultaneously, keeping one foot on each. We enjoyed these feats fully since we had no inkling of the torture these animals had to undergo while being trained.
Apart from circus animals, we also had street performers with monkeys doing all kinds of antics and snake charmers with cobras and vipers swaying to the tune of their flutes.
Circus companies have become extinct in our country thanks to the ban on keeping wild animals and employing children. Even the snake charmers and monkey buckers have all but disappeared. And, like the new generation, us oldies also have to visit zoos if we want to see wild animals.
Sivan Pillai
Email: pillaikss@yahoo.in