As wild as they come
NIMI KURIAN
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The films screened at the Wildscreen festival opened up a whole new world of understanding about animals and the earth.
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THEY SPEAK: We try to understand.
Have you heard of the Caves of Swallows? Have you wondered how pigeons carry messages over thousands of miles? Did you know that mice can be trained to detect mines? All this and more was answered at the screening of the three movies at the recently concluded Wildscreen Festival in Chennai.
The first film titled "Planet Earth: Caves" explored the vast mysterious regions in the dark caverns of the earth. The Caves of Swallows in Mexico is a 400 metre vertical shaft. Life exists inside these caves and the many glowworms inside light it up making it look like the night sky. The Deer Cave in Borneo on the other hand is the home of almost five million bats and amazing as it sounds, their droppings support millions of cockroaches.
Talk to them
Jane Goodall, in the film "When Animals Talk" says, "We want to know how much they truly understand what we say." The film covers a wide range of communication between humans and pets and humans and wild animals. But perhaps, the most endearing scenes are of Roberto Bubas and his friends, the large killer whales — orcas, in Peninsula Valdes in Patagonia. At sunset Bubas plays the harmonica to them. And the only sound you hear is that of the waves and the lilting tune he plays.
"The key is respect," says Goodall. A powerful wild animal like this (elephants) doesn't have to talk to us. It chooses to!"
The third film "Paranormal pigeons" explores the mystery of how animals are able to navigate thousands of miles without losing their way. Do they have some telepathic link? Do they navigate by sight, sound and smell?
Wildscreen Festival has been brought to India by the Wildscreen, the British Council and the British High Commission.
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