BIRD WATCHING--A FASCINATING HOBBY FOR EVERYONE?

 

“The bird-watcher’s life is an endless succession of surprises.” W. H. Hudson—The Book of a Naturalist.

AT Kosi Bay, near the border between South Africa and Mozambique, Keith, Evelyn, Jannie, and their guide walked 15 miles [22 km] to see a bird. This was not just any bird! They were in search of the palm-nut vulture—a large black-and-white bird with red skin around the eyes. It feeds on dead fish and the fruit of oil palms.

Keith relates: “After the long walk, we came home disappointed at having seen only one—and that at a distance in flight. Upon arrival back at our camp, what did we find? Three palm-nut vultures sitting in a palm tree above us! We enjoyed their company for about half an hour before they took off, giving us a wonderful display with wings fully outstretched. The same day, we also saw a Pel’s fishing owl for the first time. Yes, an owl that catches fish!”

A Thrill for Anyone

The world over, birds are beautiful to watch and hear. The more than 9,600 species provide opportunities for any alert watcher. Who does not thrill to see the darting flash of color of a hummingbird or a kingfisher? Who does not stop when captivated by the repertoire of a mockingbird, a nightingale, or an Australian superb lyrebird or by the distinctive call of the cuckoo or the musical gurgling of the Australian magpie?

Bird-watching (birding, as it is commonly called in the United States) is the observation of wild birds. It can be as vigorous as you decide to make it. You may have no desire to slosh through swamps or climb mountains to find rare birds. However, many people find birding in their backyard or garden to be satisfying and refreshing. Many put out water and a bird feeder to attract the local bird life. Each year the number of enthusiasts increases. More and more people believe that it is worth the effort.

Why Is It So Popular?

According to the book An America Challenged, by Steve H. Murdock, between the years 1990 and 2050, bird-watching is expected to grow at a faster rate than the U.S. population. New Scientist magazine reported that “more and more people in India are taking to the pursuit of the feathered bipeds.” And Gordon Holtshausen, chairman of the Publications Committee of BirdLife South Africa, believes that “in South Africa . . . [bird] books are second only to the Bible.”

Once you see a bird through a bird-watcher’s eyes, you will be hooked! Birding is contagious. It can be an inexpensive diversion that takes you outdoors into the open spaces and challenges your mind. It has the appeal of the hunt without the killing. Since children and adults pick it up quickly, it can be enjoyed by families or by groups of friends. It can even be enjoyed alone. Birding is a clean, wholesome, healthy pastime and can be done year-round just about anywhere.

Basics for Birding

Do you sometimes see a bird and wonder what it is called? A sense of satisfaction comes from learning the names of not just imposing eagles, peacocks, and swans but also the easily overlooked nightjars and earthcreepers. There are also the look-alike sandpipers and fall plumage wood warblers and all those in between.

In order to identify them, you will need a field guide to the birds of your country or region. This is a pocket-size book with illustrations and descriptions of the male and female of each species. The better guides also include immature and seasonal plumage.

What else does a beginner need? A good pair of binoculars is to a birder what a fishing rod or net is to a fisherman. You will be astonished by the details in your neighborhood birds when you see them through binoculars. For example, in Africa a huge hippopotamus is hard to miss. But unless you are using binoculars, you may not see the small red-billed oxpecker feeding on parasites while clinging to the hippo’s back.

Not all binoculars are designed for birding, and there is no substitute for actually comparing how various models perform. Among birders, two popular models are 7 x 42 and 8 x 40. The first number refers to the power of magnification, and the second, to the diameter of the large lens in millimeters. The National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America explains that “a ratio of 1 to 5 between magnification power and lens size is generally considered ideal for light-gathering capability.” This allows you to pick out colors even in poor lighting conditions. Thus, higher magnification is not necessarily better. Clarity is what you want.

Where to Start Looking? Your Neighborhood

The person who knows the birds in his own neighborhood will be much better prepared for a trip to some other place to find less common or less visible birds. Do you know which species are the permanent residents around your home? Which ones are the flyovers that never seem to land, perhaps on their way to a nearby lake or marsh? What migratory transients pass through in their seasonal travels? Christopher Leahy, in his book The Birdwatcher’s Companion, wrote: “In North America, [migration] involves about 80 percent of the approximately 645 species of breeding birds.”

Some of these migrants may make a stopover near your home to refuel and rest up. Avid birders in some areas have identified more than 210 species of birds in their own backyard! You will find it interesting and educational to keep a log of the dates when you see a species for the first and last time each year.

Ways to Watch Birds

With binoculars around your neck and a field guide in your pocket, you are now ready to explore beyond the backyard. Bird checklists are often available at parks and nature reserves. These usually indicate in which seasons species are seen there and what the likelihood is of your finding them. A checklist will be a useful tool to verify your sightings. If the bird that you think you have just seen is listed as rare, then it would be good to scrutinize it, especially if you are a beginner.(See the box “Basic Guide for Identification.”) On the other hand, if it is listed as abundant, likely you have identified it correctly.

Try to obtain in advance a map showing the trails and the types of habitats you will encounter. The bird life is usually richer where two or more habitats meet. Whether you walk around or remain stationary, endeavor to blend in with the surroundings, and wait for the birds to come to you. Be patient.

In some places there is a telephone number that enthusiasts can call to listen to reports of interesting recent sightings in the area.

Advance Preparation Pays Off

Targeting specific birds is rewarding, but it is to your advantage to read up beforehand on those that you would like to see. If you are in the Caribbean, perhaps your heart is set on finding the tody, whether it be the Cuban, Puerto Rican, or Jamaican variety. It is a chunky little jewel of brightly colored green and red feathers. Herbert Raffaele’s Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands tells us that it “is difficult to see, but is often heard.” The Cuban todies are known for their voracious appetites and the rapid rate at which they feed their young. After describing the bird’s method of feeding, Raffaele gives this advice: “Knocking two stones together will often attract them.”

You may want to time a field trip so you can witness a certain event in the life history of a species, such as the striking aerial display of one of the woodcocks in the early spring. Or it could be the impressive numbers of white storks at Gibraltar or the Bosporus preparing for their flight to Africa in the fall. Or the migration of birds over Israel.

Admittedly, planning to find a special bird is unlike visiting a historical monument that you know will always be there. Birds are constantly on the move. They are full of life. And variety. And surprises. But the search and the wait are worth the effort!

All of this is what makes bird-watching exciting. Despite your planning, the birds may not be there when you are—at least not the birds you are hoping to see. But no one can say what other unexpected discoveries await you. One thing is for sure, birds will never disappoint you. Just be patient. Happy bird-watching! And don’t forget their Designer!—Genesis 1:20; 2:19; Job 39:13-18, 27-29.

[Footnote]

Birds are divided into eight main visual categories: (1) swimmers—ducks and ducklike birds, (2) aerialists—gulls and gull-like birds, (3) long-legged waders—herons and cranes, (4) smaller waders—plover and sandpipers, (5) fowllike birds—grouse and quail, (6) birds of prey—hawks, eagles, and owls, (7) passerine (perching) birds, and (8) nonpasserine land birds.—A Field Guide to the Birds East of the Rockies, by Roger Tory Peterson.

 

Basic Guide for Identification

  When first spotting an unfamiliar bird, it may be helpful to try to answer some of the following questions:

1. What kind of coloration does the bird have—solid, streaked, spotted or speckled?

2. In which habitat is the bird located—water, swamp, marsh, meadow or forest?

3. What size is the bird? Compare with a familiar bird—sparrow, robin, pigeon or hawk.

4. How does the bird behave—darts after insects, soars, bobs tail, holds tail up or down, or walks on the ground?

5. What shape is the bill—short and pointed, short and stout, long, curved or hooked?

  By looking at these “Field Marks” and referring to a basic bird guide, even the novice can begin to recognize the common species.—Exhibit Guide, Merrill Creek Reservoir, New Jersey, U.S.A.

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Taken from AWAKE magazine at www.jw.org

 

BEAVER--THE ORIGINAL LUMBERJACK

  

The Original Lumberjack Is Still on the Job

HUMANS have invented many tools to cut wood, including axes, wedges, splitters, and saws. There are also tractors with knife-edged clamps that can cut through massive tree trunks. But the oldest woodcutting tools are not man-made. They are a good set of sharp teeth—those of the beaver, the original lumberjack.

An adult beaver can reach about four feet [1.3 m] in length and weigh upwards of 60 pounds [27 kg]. Because its upper and lower incisors grow continuously, the beaver must frequently abrade them. A layer of hard enamel lines the front surfaces of its incisors, giving them a sharp beveled edge. Curved inward and powered by very strong jaw muscles, these natural chisels cut the hardest wood with ease.

Warm Coat, Versatile Tail

People living in a cold climate appreciate the value of a warm, waterproof overcoat. Well, the beaver never has to shop for such outerwear, for it is endowed with a thick mantle of fur. Ranging in color from tan to dark brown, beaver fur has two layers. Ground hair, the dense undercoat, consists of very fine filaments lined with tiny barbs that lock together to protect the beaver against water and cold. Longer, thicker strands of guard hair shield the ground hair and aid the beaver in shedding water. Add a lustrous sheen and a plush feel, and no wonder many people prize garments made of beaver skin! Why, beaver pelts once even served as a form of money in Canada!

All beavers have two pairs of unusual glands at the base of the tail. One set furnishes a special oil, and the other produces castoreum, an aromatic secretion with a strong but inoffensive odor. The beaver puts these liquids to a number of uses, including waterproofing its fur and attracting other beavers. Castoreum is also of use to humans, for perfumers use it in some of their fragrances.

The beaver’s tail is unique. Shaped like a paddle, it is about a foot [0.3 m] long, and it has many functions. In water, for instance, the beaver’s tail acts as a rudder for navigation. On land it is used for stability as the beaver gnaws away at trees. When danger looms, the beaver slaps its tail on the surface of the water, alerting all beavers within earshot to head for safety. To clear up one misconception, though, the beaver does not use its tail as a mason’s trowel to apply mud to its dams.

Food and Water

What does a beaver eat? The tender inner bark and the buds of poplar and willow trees are at the top of its menu. Hence, while cutting down a tree for a building project, the beaver can also enjoy a hearty meal. Sometimes while one beaver is busy chipping away at a trunk, another will sneak up and steal some tasty bark from the other’s blind side.

During winter the beaver utilizes a unique food-storage system. First, it will dig a deep hole underwater—a feat that is not too difficult, since the beaver can remain submerged for 15 minutes at a time. Then, the beaver piles branches of aspen, willow, and other trees on the surface over the hole. As more wood is piled on, the stack eventually reaches the bottom of the hole. Later, when ice encases the pond and snow impedes surface activity, the colony has a well-stocked underwater “pantry.”

Speaking of water, few land animals are as comfortable in it as the beaver. Besides its dense fur, which is waterproofed with oil, the beaver also has a layer of subcutaneous fat that provides it with insulation in the coldest water. Why, beavers even mate underwater! Since water plays such a prominent role in the life of beavers, you will never find them living far from lakes and streams.

Beavers and Humans

Beavers are docile, and they readily befriend humans who treat them kindly. The animals groom themselves regularly and keep themselves clean. In bygone days, Native Americans often kept beavers as pets around their campsites. You will want to think twice, though, before letting a beaver into your home. The problem is that they never stop building. “When kept indoors,” writes environmental engineer Alice Outwater, “they will cut down the legs of tables and chairs and build little dams between pieces of furniture.” Trees and fence posts in the backyard might suffer a similar fate.

But even more serious problems have arisen between beavers and people. For example, some landowners complain that dams cause streams to rise, resulting in damage to property. However, scientists and others counter such complaints by pointing out the benefits of beaver activity. For example, the water-impounding work of beavers conserves and purifies water and provides life-sustaining conditions for many species. Some even say that beaver ponds have reduced the effects of drought.

Naturalists estimate that about 10,000,000 beavers now live in the continental United States. However, some estimate that more than 200,000,000 were living in that same area 500 years ago. Just think: Tens of millions of “lumberjacks” may have been working in the forests of North America before the first Europeans arrived. Yet, instead of finding a barren land devoid of trees, those early settlers beheld vast, flourishing forests. Clearly the beaver plays an important role in the ecology of our planet. Thus, we can be thankful that the original lumberjack is still on the job!

 

“Busy as a Beaver”

  The person who coined that phrase had likely observed beavers at work damming a stream or building their home. Indeed, these animals seem tireless as they cut trees and haul the pieces to the construction site. At times, they even dig canals for floating building materials to the proper location.

  But how do beavers build their dams? First, to anchor the structure, they set branches into the bottom of the stream. If the course is wide, the beavers bow their embankment upstream to strengthen it against the current. Using more wood, they fill the span up to the proper height, and then they stop up holes with mud and stones. To make the dam sturdy, the beavers will brace it on the downstream side by setting branches into the streambed at an angle. These industrious creatures even make regular repairs to their handiwork!

  A tranquil pond soon forms upstream. Here the beavers build secure living quarters—first a simple burrow in the riverbank while the dam is under construction and later an offshore, domed lodge of mud and sticks. To guard against predators, the beavers use underwater entrances. Safe inside, they rest and raise their young.

  The beaver is truly industrious. Scientists in Wyoming, U.S.A., released ten beavers—five male and five female—in an area where none had been seen for a long time. A year later, the researchers returned to find that they had established five distinct colonies and had built 55 dams!

Taken from AWAKE magazine at www.jw.org

THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM OF THE SEA TURTLE

Was It Designed?

 ● Researchers describe the sea turtle’s migration from its feeding ground to its nesting beach as “one of the most remarkable acts in the animal kingdom.” For decades, this reptile has intrigued them.

Consider: Every two to four years, the female turtle comes ashore to lay her eggs—numbering about a hundred in a single nest—and conceal them in the sand. Once hatched, the baby turtles make their way to the ocean. They then embark on an amazing journey that, all told, may cover a distance of some 8,000 miles (12,900 km). Years later, the female turtles, now mature, return to lay their own eggs—at the same stretch of beach where they were hatched!

How do sea turtles navigate? “It seems they inherited some sort of magnetic map,” says biologist Kenneth Lohmann of the University of North Carolina in the United States, quoted in National Geographic News. Research indicates that the turtle may determine its position by detecting the angle and intensity of the earth’s magnetic field. This amazing ability enables these tiny, defenseless hatchlings to embark on their 8,000-mile (12,900-km) migration around the Atlantic, “and they do it alone without following other turtles,” says Lohmann.

What do you think? Did the navigating ability of the sea turtle come about by chance, or was it designed?

FAST FACTS

● After laying and concealing her eggs, the female turtle abandons the nest.

● To break out of its shell, the hatchling uses a special tooth called a caruncle, which then falls off.

● Sea turtles spend 90 percent of their life in the ocean.

For more articles like this please go to www.jw.org and see AWAKE magazine

GO TO THE ANT

 

How Ants Survive Floods

What do ants do when it rains? Though not all ant species live underground, some that do employ remarkable flood-survival techniques, says The New York Times. Certain tropical forest ants “react to as little as a single drop [of water] placed in the nest entrance by making alarm runs through the nest, which often end at alternate entrances,” explain ant specialists Dr. Edward O. Wilson and Bert Holldobler. “They use odor trails to lead nest mates into the unobstructed entrance galleries and sometimes out of the nest altogether.” In no more than 30 seconds, they are able to mobilize most of the colony. And in the southwestern United States and northern South America, reports The Times, certain fire ants “move up through the nests to ground level, form large masses that include adults, the queen and her brood, and float on the rising waters. Many survive . . . The raft eventually anchors itself on grass or bushes, and the survivors may return to the nest when the waters recede.”

 

Go to the Ant

People are going to the ant these days for more than just wisdom—also to get healthy and rich. Prospectors have “found that white ants, or termites, could lead them to precious metals lying underground,” says The Daily Yomiuri of Tokyo. How so? As the insects dig deep in search of water, they bring soil to the surface. Analyzing the resulting anthills has led prospectors to the minerals lying below. One farmer in South Africa reportedly noticed small twinkles of light reflecting from an anthill. Inspection showed their source to be tiny rubies, which led him to a fortune in diamonds buried below. In China, though, interest is in the insects themselves. “Chinese health experts,” notes Asiaweek, “claim that powder made from the hard-working insects can cure rheumatoid arthritis and many other diseases.” The pulverized creatures are said to be high in protein and zinc. Additionally, “wineries in Peking and Jiangsu Province have been producing ant tonics for years,” says the report.

 

Be Industrious Like the Ant

“Go to the ant, you lazy one; see its ways and become wise,” admonishes Solomon. What wisdom can we gain from the ways of a little ant? The king answers: “Although it has no commander, officer or ruler, it prepares its food even in the summer; it has gathered its food supplies even in the harvest.”—Proverbs 6:6-8.

Ants are marvelously organized and remarkably cooperative with one another. Instinctively, they gather food supplies for the future. They have “no commander, officer or ruler.” True, the queen ant is there, but she is queen only in the sense that she lays eggs and is the mother of the colony. She gives no commands. Even with no foreman to drive them or supervisor to check on them, the ants keep tirelessly at their work.

Like the ant, should we not also be industrious? Working hard and striving to improve in our work is good for us whether we are being monitored or not. Yes, in school, at our place of employment, and while sharing in spiritual activities, we should do our best. As the ant benefits from its industriousness, so God wants us to ‘see good for all our hard work.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:13, 22; 5:18) A clean conscience and personal satisfaction are the rewards of hard work.—Ecclesiastes 5:12.

Using two rhetorical questions, Solomon tries to awaken a slothful one from his indolence: “How long, you lazy one, will you keep lying down? When will you rise up from your sleep?” Mimicking him in speech, the king adds: “A little more sleep, a little more slumbering, a little more folding of the hands in lying down, and your poverty will certainly come just like some rover, and your want like an armed man.” (Proverbs 6:9-11) While the lazy one is supine, poverty overtakes him with the speed of a bandit, and scarcity attacks him like an armed man. The fields of a sluggard quickly become full of weeds and nettles. (Proverbs 24:30, 31)  His business enterprise suffers losses in no time. For how long would an employer tolerate an idler? And can a student who is too lazy to study expect to do well in school?

For more information please see 'AWAKE' magazine at www.jw.org

THE WATER BUFFALO---FAITHFUL AND USEFUL

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN BRAZIL

‘Flee, flee! A tiger!’ shout the boys. They rush to their buffalo, jump on their backs, and gallop away. Suddenly, Saïdjah, one of the boys, loses his balance and plunges into the rice field—prey for the approaching tiger. Saïdjah’s buffalo, however, sees what happened. It turns back, places its broad body as a roof over its little friend, and faces the tiger. The big cat attacks, but the buffalo stands firm and saves Saïdjah’s life.

THIS encounter, described by Eduard Douwes Dekker, a 19th-century writer living in Asia, shows an endearing trait of the water buffalo: faithfulness. Today, fidelity is still its earmark. “The water buffalo,” says one expert, “is like a family dog. It gives you its lifelong affection as long as you treat it well.”

Children in Asia, even at four years of age, know how to do that. Every day, they lead their bulky friends into the river, where they wash them down and, with their tiny hands, clean the animals’ ears, eyes, and nostrils. The buffalo, in response, sighs in contentment. Its dark skin absorbs much heat, and because the buffalo has far fewer sweat glands proportionately than cattle, it has a problem cooling off. No wonder it loves these daily dips! “Immersed in water or mud, chewing with half-closed eyes,” notes one source, buffalo “are a picture of bliss.”

Their love of water, though, is only part of the picture. What other traits do they have? Why are they useful? To start with, what do they look like?

Muscular Globe-Trotter

The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) looks like an oversize ox and weighs 2,000 pounds [900 kg] or more. It has an almost bald, slate-gray skin. Standing up to six feet [1.8 m] high at the shoulder—with sweeping horns, a straight back, a long body, a droopy neck, and a muscular frame—it is the picture of strength. Its sturdy legs end in footwear ideal for mud treaders: large boxy hooves attached to extremely flexible joints. That suppleness enables the buffalo to bend back its hooves, step over obstacles, and plod through boggy fields where cattle lose footing.

The world’s 150 million domesticated water buffalo come in two varieties: the swamp type and the river type. From the Philippines to India, the swamp buffalo, with its four- to six-foot [1.2-1.8 m]-long backswept horns, forms a favorite postcard model. When not posing, it is slushing knee deep through paddies or hauling carts over trails that would make any truck driver shiver.

The river buffalo is similar to the swamp type. Its body is slightly smaller and its horns more modest—tightly coiled or drooping straight. But weighing in at 2,000 pounds [900 kg], it also looks impressive. In the past, Arab traders brought this variety from Asia to the Middle East; and later, returning Crusaders introduced it into Europe, where it is still thriving.

Though you will not find water buffalo in the fast lane—they trudge along at a steady two miles per hour [3 km/hr]—both swamp and river buffalo are circling the globe. They have settled along the coast of northern Australia, have walked ashore on the islands of the Pacific, and are even making trails in the Amazon forest. Amazon?

Thriving Immigrants

Ecotourists plying the Amazon often scan the riverbanks in vain for elusive jaguars or king-size anacondas. However, they do not need binoculars, or even glasses, to see the jungle’s new arrivals—water buffalo, by the thousands.

If you feel that these Asian immigrants wallowing in the Amazon are threatening the ecosystem, you may consider demurring to the police on Marajó, an island in the river delta. But beware! You will not get an impartial hearing when you arrive at the station, for the officer on duty may be about to leave for street patrol on the back of an intimidating federal worker. That’s right, a water buffalo—and a swamp type at that! Who wants to complain anyway?

Actually, the water buffalo is an asset to the Amazon region, says Dr. Pietro Baruselli, a veterinarian working for one of the two water-buffalo research centers in Brazil. He told Awake! that buffalo have a superb digestive system that enables them to fatten on pastures that leave cattle emaciated. Cattle farmers continually need to clear forest to create new pasture, but buffalo thrive on pastures that are already there. Dr. Baruselli says that water buffalo “can help to conserve the rain forest.”

To survive in the jungle, however, the buffalo has to be an improviser—and it is. The book The Water Buffalo: New Prospects for an Underutilized Animal relates that in the rainy season, when the Amazon drowns pastures, the buffalo adapts to its wet surroundings. While cattle, marooned on patches of high ground, look on with envious eyes and empty stomachs, buffalo around them, treading water, feast on floating plants and even graze underwater. When the pastures emerge again, the buffalo looks as sleek as before.

Queen Mother

Water buffalo in other parts of Brazil are flourishing as well. Since the early 1980’s, the country’s herd has jumped from four hundred thousand to several million head. In fact, buffalo are increasing at a much higher rate than cattle. Why?

Wanderley Bernardes, a buffalo breeder in Brazil, explains that a buffalo is ready to mate at two years of age. After ten months of gestation, it gives birth to its first calf. Some 14 months later, the second calf is born. With low mortality among calves and high resistance to diseases, buffalo enjoy a long and fertile life. How long? An average of more than 20 years. How fertile?

“I’ll show you,” says Mr. Bernardes as he strides into the rolling pastures of his 750-acre [300 ha] farm, some 100 miles [160 km] west of São Paulo. “This is Rainha (Queen),” he says with affection while pointing to an animal whose worn skin and chipped horns display a record of long buffalo life. “She is 25 years old, a grandmother many times over, but,” he adds, beaming, “she just gave birth to her 20th calf.” With grandmas like Rainha, it is no wonder that some experts predict that in the next century, the world’s largest buffalo herd may be grazing in Brazil!

A Living Tractor and More

For now, though, that claim belongs to India, home of nearly half the world’s buffalo. There and in other Asian countries, thanks to the buffalo, millions of poor farm families are surviving on marginal land. Without needing diesel oil or spare parts, their “living tractor” pulls, plows, harrows, carts, and supports the family for over 20 years. “To my family,” said an old Asian woman, “the buffalo is more important than I am. When I die, they’ll weep for me; but if our buffalo dies, they may starve.”

Besides being a farmhand, the buffalo is also a caterer. Some 70 percent of all milk produced in India comes from river-type water buffalo, and buffalo milk is in such demand that cow’s milk can be hard to sell. Why do many prefer it? “Buffalo milk,” explains the book The Water Buffalo: New Prospects for an Underutilized Animal, “contains less water, more total solids, more fat, slightly more lactose, and more protein than cow’s milk.” It gives a lot of energy, tastes good, and is used in making mozzarella, ricotta, and other delicious cheeses.

What about buffalo meat? “We can’t keep up with the demand,” says rancher Bernardes. In taste-preference tests in Australia, Venezuela, the United States, and other countries, buffalo steaks were preferred over those of cattle. In fact, millions of people around the world are often savoring buffalo meat while thinking they are nibbling on a juicy beefsteak. “Often people have a prejudice,” observes Dr. Baruselli, “but buffalo meat is as good as, and often better than, beef.”

Shrinking the Buffalo

Though the buffalo is growing in numbers, it is in trouble. “Large bulls that would be best for breeding purposes,” notes Earthscan Bulletin, “are often selected as draft animals and castrated, or sent to slaughter.” That way, hereditary traits for large size are lost, and the buffalo are shrinking in size. “Ten years ago in Thailand,” say experts, “it was common to find buffalo weighing 1,000 kg [2,200 lb]; now it is hard to find 750-kg [1,700 lb] specimens.” Can this problem be solved?

Yes, says a report compiled by 28 animal scientists, but “urgent action is needed . . . to preserve and protect outstanding buffalo specimens.” So far, they admit, the buffalo has been neglected, but “better understanding of the water buffalo could be invaluable to many developing nations.” More research, they say, will help its “true qualities to emerge.”

At last, scientists worldwide are discovering what Asian farmers have known for centuries: The faithful and useful water buffalo is one of man’s best friends.

 

Mistaken Identity

“IT IS widely believed,” notes the book The Water Buffalo: New Prospects for an Underutilized Animal, “that the water buffalo is mean and vicious. Encyclopedias reinforce this perception.” In reality, however, the domesticated water buffalo is “one of the gentlest of all farm animals. Despite an intimidating appearance, it is more like a household pet—sociable, gentle, and serene.” How, then, did the water buffalo end up with this undeserved reputation? It may be confused with the African Cape buffalo (Synceros caffer), which is indeed mean-tempered although a distant relative. Yet, water buffalo will not breed with them. They prefer to keep such cranky relatives where they are—at a distance.

For more information on creation please go to www.jw.org

VANILLA----A SPICE WITH A LONG HISTORY

THE Aztecs called it tlilxochitl, “black flower,” alluding to the color of the cured fruit. They used vanilla to flavor their cacao-based drink xocoatl, or chocolate. Montezuma, the Aztec emperor of Mexico, is said to have served it to the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1520. Cortés then introduced cacao and vanilla beans to Europe. Vanilla-flavored hot chocolate became the rage in European courts, but it was not until 1602 that Hugh Morgan, apothecary to Queen Elizabeth I, suggested using vanilla as a flavoring for other things. Then, in the 1700’s, vanilla began to be used in alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and perfumes.

However, long before the advent of the Aztec Empire, the Totonac Indians of Veracruz, Mexico, were growing, harvesting, and curing vanilla beans. It was not until the early 1800’s that the vanilla plant was taken to Europe for cultivation and from there to islands of the Indian Ocean. But attempts by horticulturists to produce fruit from the plant were largely unsuccessful because of the absence of its natural pollinators, bees of the genus Melipona. So Mexico had a monopoly on the vanilla trade from the 16th century until the 19th century. In 1841, Edmond Albius, a former slave on the French island of Réunion, perfected a practical method for hand-pollinating the flowers so that the bean could be produced. This led to the commercial cultivation of vanilla outside Mexico. Today the main producers of the vanilla bean are former island possessions of France, such as Réunion and the Comoros, with Madagascar being the major producer.

Cultivation of Vanilla

The vanilla bean is actually the fruit of an orchid. The vanilla orchid is the only one among over 20,000 varieties of orchids that produces something edible. The plant is a climbing vine that must have some type of support and partial shade. In the wild it usually climbs on trees in wet, tropical lowland forests. In Mexico traditional plantations use native plants such as the pichoco as props, but orange trees have recently been used for this purpose with some success.

The vanilla orchid produces waxy greenish-yellow flowers that grow in clusters. Each flower opens only one day a year for a few hours. It is fascinating to watch the Totonac Indians do the delicate work of pollinating the flowers. They pollinate just a few from each cluster so as not to sap the energy of the plant, which could weaken it and make it prone to disease. The resulting long green pods, or beans, containing diminutive seeds, are harvested by hand from six to nine months later, before they are fully ripe.

The Curing Process

Interestingly, fresh vanilla beans have no taste or aroma. They must undergo an extensive curing process that results in the release of vanillin with its distinct aroma and flavor. This processing and the need for manual pollination make vanilla one of the most expensive spices. In Mexico the traditional curing process involved spreading the beans on dark blankets in the sun for an initial killing, called sun wilting. More commonly today, oven wilting is used for the initial dehydration. Then the vanilla is placed in special boxes wrapped in blankets and esteras, or mats, to sweat. Next, the vanilla is alternately sunned and sweated for several days until the beans turn a deep chocolate-brown. Afterward, they are deposited in the sweating boxes or in beds covered with waxed paper to dry slowly at ambient temperature for some 45 days. Then they are conditioned for about three months in closed containers to develop their full aroma. Thus, producing vanilla is quite a labor-intensive project.

Natural Vanilla or Artificial?

Vanillin has also been produced synthetically from wood-pulp by-products. Reading the labels of products supposedly made from vanilla may surprise you. In the United States, for example, while ice cream labeled “vanilla” is made from pure vanilla extract and/or vanilla beans, ice cream labeled “vanilla flavored” may contain up to 42 percent artificial flavorings, and ice cream labeled “artificially flavored” contains imitation flavorings only. But as gourmets will attest, there is no substitute for the flavor of true vanilla.

While Mexico is no longer a major producer of vanilla—its production being affected by such factors as destruction of the coastal rain forest and, more recently, by flooding—it still possesses a valuable treasure, vanilla’s genetic base. Mexican vanilla has traditionally been regarded as superior in aroma and flavor. Tourists seem to agree, as they often frequent border stores and duty-free shops at Mexican airports to buy natural vanilla extract at comparatively low prices. The next time you try ice cream made of natural vanilla, think of its long history and the work involved in producing it, and enjoy the flavor!  Simply one of the many marvels of Gods creation!

[Footnotes]

The vanilla bean is native also to Central America.

The vanilla plantations in Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles are said to derive their vanilla from a single cutting introduced into Réunion from the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.

 

By AWAKE! writer in Mexico

 

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