Smugglers on the beach
SUNILA GUPTE
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Raghu and Aditi were at a loose end with all their friends out of town. And then they decided to do some exploring.
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Aditi and Raghu were bored, bored, bored. Their friends had left Chennai to visit relatives and grandparents in cooler places.
"Here we are, because Amma and Appa want to check our new flat!" said 12-year-old Raghu. "All talks with stuffy contractors and carpenters!" agreed Aditi. "What a dump this is....only our building, no friends, and construction!" They wandered around, disconsolate, though the cool sea breeze made things better.
Aditi, said rebelliously, "Wish I could chop off these plaits. So much better for swimmimg."
"Wish I didn't have to continue with my tabla lessons. I'd rather do art now."
"Let's go to that old, deserted temple. After all, no one has said we can't go," suggested Raghu. Quickly, they ran down to the temple. It was much further away than they had thought. It was a small temple, surrounded by lovely trees, green and shady in front, with a side leading to the beach. Bright flowers bloomed, though it looked wild and untended.
"Ugh ! What a stink. There must be fish drying near the beach." Said Aditi wrinkling her nose. "Raghu, look down. This is so funny — a fish, but with a tiny horse head and a long, curving tail and no legs!"
Something fishy
Raghu picked it up and whistled. "Whew! This is a sea horse! We did a project. They are found in shallow coastal tropical and temperate waters. And they are either pink or blue. This is a dried one. That's where the smell is coming from."
They ran towards the beach and what a sight met their eyes! Rows and rows of fish being dried in the sun. But on looking closely they found that interspersed were rows of sea horses! A black scarecrow frightened off birds and two stout sticks lay on the sand.
"Hey, it's illegal to catch sea horses. The Wild Life Protection Act says so! Let's hide. Those sticks belong to a guard."
They hid in some bushes and just in time too. Two fishermen, wearing lungis appeared.
"Last day! The sea horses are dried, and the stink of drying fish has put people off the scent. No one knows we have illegal stuff here."
"Senthil Sir will come at 5.30pm, and what a fat pay packet we will get, Mani!"
"He's also carrying 500 star tortoises to Bangkok. He will get a lot of money for them. There is good market for them there, Abdul!"
They sat in the shade, playing cards. As quietly as possible Raghu and Aditi crept out of the bushes and ran home.
"Aditi! Do you know what this means? This is a big smuggling racket; they are taking star tortoises out of the country. It's against the law, as star tortoises are listed as `endangered species'.
"We'll tell Appa. He'll call the police," said Aditi, fearful yet excited.
Soon they were telling their amazed parents everything. The next day, the police praised them for their quick thinking and action. Senthil had been caught red-handed at the airport. The customs, wildlife officials and other people in authority were happy, as Senthil, spilled out the names of the whole gang, which had been operating from Orissa, Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The star tortoises were released into a forest, near a small pond.
Raghu and Aditi had a very exciting tale to tell their friends.
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