I think humans call it natural selection.
Well, that's whats happening here with my kits. Jigme is breathing fine here in the thin air. However, the upper mountains are not going easy on Kitsi. She's old enough to start eating solid food, but she is too weak to digest. I don't have enough milk to keep feeding her. I can't bear to see her in such a pitiful state.
The shepherds never bring their sheep up here so this is a safe refuge, but should I sacrifice Kitsi's health and comfort for the safety of all three of us???
What do you guys think? What should I do?
Love, Tara.
<$BlogItemAuthor>lived on11:28 AM
You sometimes experience things that are beyond your grasp of understanding. Like waking up one day and finding the sea sponge you were sleeping on has moved away. Or finding yourself lost in a small, tight area. Even odder for an animal who has fought all her life to find food and protection, to feel no appetite for the corals or organisms. Then noticing with wonder how for the past few weeks, one has not once felt hungry.
I've told some people of the accident in the tank where the Shark Bruno bashed himself through the tank walls, and I'm glad to say that he is in a good condition now. But there has been some talk bubbles in some groups and I think that some fish are planning to escape.
A slug can't blame them, but I've become more at home here than in the open seas. Sure, its stifling and there are no currents or waves to toss me around, but its safe from the wild predators and I always have enough to eat. I have no problems with shifting temperatures here, no worries of oil spills and what other mischief man does to my home.
Yet, I feel like going back. But no, I will die if I attempt anything. In a plastic bag, trying to make my way into the ocean I will die on the sand as I can never push myself as quickly as the other fish. Once they decide to detoxify me and my natural defence system is removed, I can got to the petting pool. They say the environment is very much like a rock pool.
But what more can a sea slug want? The groups and factions are quarreling and trying to decide. They confuse me so much. Telling me to do this or not do that, altogether disbanding me from their plans. But it doesn't matter. If I can't travel out, at least my friends can, and I'll do everything I can to help so long as its in this tank.
Etana Chromodoris
<$BlogItemAuthor>lived on7:49 AM
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Hey Fang Yin's back! I apologise for my emo-ing the other day. I don't like people lying about us, but I still question if Zhou Zhenglong intended to lie in the first place.
Anyway, Li Quan was instructing the workers to put flyers about Save China's Tigers around the district. It was something about normal people being able to save us. You know, like you don't have to be famous to do your part in saving us. It's just like global warming. Every little thing counts.
Right now, the organisations helping us are keeping the work to themselves, selfish people. So currently the only thing we can actually do now is tell other people about us. Maybe, you can even adopt us! But that would require a whole lot of money...
Never mind! You can still tell people about us, and maybe just ask them to adopt us. Here's the website:
http://english.savechinastigers.org/I'm sure we can be saved! Positive! Yes we can!
Fang Yin
<$BlogItemAuthor>lived on10:07 PM
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Hello, Tara here
Bad news. I just discovered 3 new villages surrounding the cave in my territory; MY hard earned territory!!! The shepherds are bringing their flocks uphill to graze now. They are driving away the other prey and are cornering me and the cubs.
The winds are also bringing more and more stories of leopards in their final battles against these men and I have a feeling that it will be my turn soon, at least to save the cubs.
My prayers are more frequent, and every meal is truly a blessing from the heavens. I feel pity that my cubs have to live like scavengers at such a young age. I had always dreamed of raising my cubs to be noble strong leopards that I could always be proud of. I had dreamed of giving them the best cub life I possibly can whatever I had to sacrifice. My dreams are shattered; survival is the only mantra constantly ringing in my head. I just want all this confusion to end!
I cannot go a second without having to rush my cubs into hiding because a shepherd might have seen me. Jigme is being very strong, for all three of us, I am so proud. However, Kitsi is struggling to survive. Her little body is becoming more and more frail. More often than not, my little Jigme gives up his portion of food for his sister. If only these men could respect us a little more; I would be so thankful.
There is little time left. I fear that my cubs and I are entering the darkest hour as we speak. My end is near, I just don't know when or how I will go. My destiny awaits me. Until the time comes I will just have to stay strong. Right little Jigme, that's a good cub! I am so proud of you! (Oh no I can't start crying in front of my cubs)
I feel the Gods will be kinder to me in my next life, I have not done any wrong... but if in my next life I encounter the same fate I would rather not come back to earth. I would still want the legacy of my kind to live on.
Please go to this site and spread the word about snow leopards to the rest of the world, at least for my sake.
www.snowleopard.orgMy blessings to my cubs...
Farewell my comrades, you have been wonderful company.
Until the darkest hour,
Tara
<$BlogItemAuthor>lived on11:09 PM
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Yeah, Fang Yin's back. And no I'm not going to sugercoat anything unlike some people.
Yes, the lie. The irritating lie. You know what, I'm not going to elaborate much on it. Upset, getting emo; deal with it. Just look this up:
www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-06/29/content_6803353.htmand you'll be on your way.
Have a good day.
Fang Yin
<$BlogItemAuthor>lived on11:06 PM
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I'm starting to get used the environment in the tank. The lab-coat people occasionally walk around to check on us and all of us agree that they don't mean us too much harm. Kidnapping us is one thing, but there's word that each one of us helps the men document something about our species and help save the marine life.
I know many animals in captive life feel wronged and denied of their natural environment, perhaps its because sea slugs don't need much space. But if my folks can live a better life with me as a living example to the people, I wouldn't mind too much.
There are plenty of people out there who sell and buy us and put the wild into even more horrible situations. I've heard that people kidnap fish to sell to pet shops, forcing us to live in glass bowls without corals. Without living substance, we die, very quickly.
Even then, I heard from the sharks (these sharks are fed, and since I've been here, I've discovered that no fish would want to eat a toxic defense slug like me) that they are brutally killed to be served as delicacies. In the chain of things, everyone recognises that everyone is eaten and will die. But the men kill not for their survival, but in excess. They have something unheard of in the animal kingdom, leftover food.
There is always a balance maintained in nature, if it tilts, it levels back out, when given the time. If only everyone kept in their place, there wouldn't be this flux in hazards to the sea. The fittest would survive, but now the fittest can hardly survive. I saw the crabs scuttle when the tide went out, they were dying in the heat. The ocean can destroy toxins and dilute pollution, only problem is, men take more than they give back, unless you count their trash.
I suppose we could go against the men, but its their sheer size. They can trample on insects, small animals, kill the large ones in a single blow. Marine life just needs to be rid of water and we would just die out. If only what we did by letting ourselves be pawns could really benefit us all. But I don't see any of the men making any sacrifices. Sure, they complain about attacks from wild animals, but whatever is done is done out of absolute necessity.
We all dream of the sea, us here in THE TANK. No one can live in a captive life. I'd like to see the humans try it themselves. Late at our presumed night, we feel the waves and currents of the ocean brush against our skin and gills. We hear the dying plankton in the water around us speaking of the world they were taken from.
Even now, I feel myself tiring from captivity, the endless rapping of the boisterous children's fists against the glass, the men coming in and the dolphins and sharks pretending to enjoy their company, only because it relieved the monotony of swimming in the enclosed space.
How did a little sea slug know so much? Knowledge from the little television set the security guard turns on can be very dangerous.
For perhaps the last time,
Etana Chromodoris
<$BlogItemAuthor>lived on11:20 PM
Hello there.
Tara here. I must say, without the blue sheep, or bharal as they are commonly called here, as easy prey, there isn't much to catch. Small pikas and hares now and then. I'm being careful not to exhaust the number of prey here. Yesterday I was lucky; I caught a chukor partridge!
I'm just glad I'm surviving. Its been a few days since we arrived here. Usually, it would be time to move again for another home within the territory but I think I should stay here for a while and let the cubs get familiar with the area.
The cold winds bring with them stories of fellow leopards. Scary stories come from both east and west, north and south. It is like the leopards have nowhere else to go. I can't stay here forever, and I don't feel comfortable taking my cubs to where my territory overlaps with that of other leopards. Thw winds tell stories of how snow leopards cannot have that vast and large territories anymore. What now? What can I do that's best for my cubs?
<$BlogItemAuthor>lived on2:25 PM
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