Spots and stripes with a dash of trunks

Lakshmi (Lucky), the voluptuous elephant, and Siddhant (Sid), the rebellious one, stood in their corner of Kuno National Park, deep in the heartland of India, chewing grass and swatting pesky flies with their ears. They kept a watchful eye on their charges, the eight cheetahs who had arrived in the park from Namibia last week and their masters, Captain Pathak and Officer Desai of the Indian Forest Service.

Lucky nudged Sid with her trunk as the two officers emerged from their quarters, binoculars in hand, to watch the eight cheetahs being released from their enclosure. The men would have some discussion while the cheetahs were allowed to stretch their legs before lunch. As they always did, Lucky moved closer to the officers to find out what was planned for the day while Sid hurried to catch up with his charges who had started sprinting with abandon in different directions the moment they were let out.

Lucky walked towards the tent pretending to look for a stick until she was within earshot of the officers.

Captain Pathak asked Officer Desai, “How are the cheetahs doing? Any aftereffects of the flight or the tranquilizer?”

“No Sir. They seem okay and have adjusted well to the camp’s routine. I think we can release them in a month's time after seeing how they adjust to the new environment."

Lakshmi's eyes shone. Just one month more in this hot and dusty place! She had to tell Sid about this immediately. She hustled towards Sid as fast as she could, ears and tail swinging wildly.

“S...S...S.....id, S....S.....S...id ..... g......g......good....n.....n.....news..... Th...th....ose b...b...brats," huffed Lucky breathless after the dash from the officer's tent.

"Lucky, calm down. You are going to have a heart attack if you don't start working out. Look at you huffing and puffing from just that five-minute walk."

"Sid, I have some great news. But first, raise your trunk to salute the officers. They have to believe we are happy here or we will be back in obedience camp. No, don't turn and glare at them. Look at the cheetahs, like we are supposed to, and listen to what I have to say. Those brats are going to be released into the wild in a month. Then we will be free, free, free." Lucky couldn't resist dancing bumping Sid's hip playfully.

“Lucky, you can suck up to them but I will not do it. What kind of job is this–babysitting a bunch of stuck-up cats? So what if they have come all the way from Africa? I am not afraid to say it even if you are - they are insufferable and arrogant and the government should not have brought them here. Look, here they come, swaggering as though they own this forest.”    

"Sid, quick, stop that cheeky cheetah Anba or something from going near the river or we will be in trouble."

"Why should I care? Let him drown or get bitten by the crocodiles in the river. Will serve him right for never following orders and obeying us.”

"Stop this whining and go after them before they cross over into the stripes territory. Run, run, he has almost reached the bank. Shit, he has triggered the alarm. The uniforms will be out now and there will be hell to pay.”

Sid, the fitter of the two, ran behind the nimble and fast cheetah, Anba, who had been causing problems ever since he arrived. Anba seemed to take particular delight in tormenting him.

“Hey you, yes you Anba. I am talking to you, “yelled Sid as he hastened towards the river. He could hear Anba encouraging the others to jump into the water at the count of three.

Anba turned around and noticed the uniformed humans joining the two elephants and retreated, smirking at the huffing and sweating Sid.

After a hearty lunch, the eight settled down under the large shady trees for their afternoon siesta while Lucky and Sid stood guard in the blazing heat, occasionally squirting water down their backs to cool off. Baba, Anba’s partner in mischief, gave them a mischievous wink before settling down on his paws with a content purr. 

Under the tree, Anba, the self-appointed leader of the eight, sniggered, “Did you see that fat lout running to stop us? Wasn't it funny?”

Cara, one of the five females and the voice of reason in the group, piped up, "Anba, I think you are being mean. They are just doing their job. And both Lucky and Sid are decent sorts. Helpful and pleasant. If they get dismissed, we don't know who they will send. So just lay off, okay?"

The other cats groomed themselves, watching the exchange with mild interest. Baba, annoyed at having his siesta disturbed, growled, “Don’t be a pussy cat, Cara. This may be our new home, but that doesn't mean we have to change our spots. It’s been a week since we got here and they still haven't let us go out on our own. Are we kids that we have to be guarded so closely?"

The other cats looked up sharply, tails twitching. This was getting interesting. They hoped Cara and Baba would fight. It would be a delightful change from just watching Anba play his silly pranks on those bumbling, clueless elephants.

Cara said calmly, "Look guys, this is our home now. They can't keep us locked up forever. Soon we will be out of quarantine and free. Let us bide our time till then."

***

The tigers, or stripes as they were referred to behind their back, hunkered on the other side of the river, eager to check out the new arrivals. The cheetahs had thrown the entire big cat community into a tizzy. Simian spy networks had reported unconfirmed talk of some prey privileges being granted to the newcomers. Avian and apian communities' chatrooms were full of speculation on where the cheetahs would settle, when the unpredictable and moody Rosettes, as the leopards liked to call themselves, would arrive, and what the tiger’s leadership team would do if challenged by the cheetahs. Even the lions, two counties away, had demanded daily updates on the goings on in the park. The tiger leadership team had announced, “We are keeping a close eye on the developments across the river. Our team is in touch with various friends from the other side for regular information and will report any interesting news. We urge everyone to carry on with their normal routine and not believe any unfounded rumours.”

***

As twilight cast its cooling net, Lucky and Sid sat near the water tank, showering off the dirt and grime of the day.

"One day, I am going to get hold of that Anba and swing him till his head falls off. He is doing all this just to irritate me."

"Cool it, Sid. Remember, if we do this job well, we get our freedom. You will meet your parents and siblings again."

"Pst, pst, "came a sibilant whisper, followed by a small pebble hitting Lucky on the head.

"Hey, who's that? Show yourself quickly if you don't want any harm to come to you." Lucky swung around, willing the offender to materialize

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't know any other way to get your attention. Can I ask you a few questions?" A wild cat, an insignificant minion from the stripes camp, slunk from the undergrowth, followed by another straggly one streaked with dirt. They were sneaky and good at camouflage and useful spies because of their acute hearing.

Sid gave them a disdainful look. He sneered, "Oh, so it's you. Sent by the stripes as usual to do their dirty work."

The minion glared at Sid but kept mum. He was right, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Lucky, Sid, what's the plan for the cheetahs when they are out of quarantine? Is it true that the suits will give them this side of the river to settle in? You know how insecure and territorial the stripes are, and this recent development has them worried."

"Minion, who told you all this? If you know what's good for you, then you better tell those striped bosses of yours to worry about themselves and not poke their nose into other people's business," said Lucky with a glint in her eye. The minions slunk away with a sly smile. Lucky had not denied the information. The tigers would reward him handsomely for this information.

"Lucky, do you think we should warn those brats about the stripes' interest? They will be out of quarantine soon and left to fend for themselves."

"Sid, you softy. I thought you didn't like them and couldn't wait to get away from here."

"I don't like them, but I don't want any harm to come to them. Remember when we were young and used just like them? You were lucky you found a good place, but I suffered and have many scars to show for it. I wouldn't wish it on anybody."

***

"Hey, kid. What's your name?"

"Cara,"

Cara turned around, surprised. Lucky had never spoken to her directly before this. She spotted Sid keeping a wary eye on Anba and Baba, who were prancing close to the periphery of the camp just to irritate him. The others were lounging in the shade of an immense tree. It was hot here, but not as hot as it was from where they originally were.

"Look, there's something you should know. Your arrival here has attracted some unwanted attention. You see that river over there?" Lucky pointed towards the south of the camp.

In the sunlight, the river shimmered blue. Cara nodded. She had been meaning to have a leisurely bath in the river when their quarantine was over. Fresh water was a luxury in their homeland.

"The stripes, the tigers claim the river and the west bank as their territory. Don't stray there, ok. On principle, they don't like strangers, and especially foreigners like you all."

"Hey, who are those tigers to tell us where we can go and what we can do? Do they think we fear them? Do they even know what we are capable of?" Cara bristled.

Lucky grunted. "No, you fool. All I am saying is you eight have created quite a stir among the local big cat communities. The extra attention you are getting from the humans is making the other cats edgy. They are wondering if you all will get special treatment.”

Cara sniffed. “Well, we are special! Why shouldn’t we get attention? If the other cats are insecure, then that’s their problem. Why don’t you go tell them to stay away from us if they are so scared?”

Lucky harrumphed noisily, “Look, Cara. I only told you this because I thought you would be more mature about this than your leader, Anba. Looks like I was wrong.”

“Who said Anba is our leader? Only Baba listens to him. The rest of them follow me.” Cara growled.

Lucky walked closer to Cara and said in a low voice, “Cara, good leaders know when to fight and when to walk away. If you are the true leader of this pack, don’t go looking for a fight until you understand this land, its rules, and its culture. Stay on this side of the river till then. There is plenty of food here. Don't be foolhardy and stir up conflict with anyone before you know how to handle them. Learn to live and let live."

Cara looked at Lucky thoughtfully. Was Lucky playing games with her and Anba? She opened her mouth to speak when Lucky tapped her gently with her trunk and walked away ponderously.

Cara looked at Lucky walk away. She didn’t know what to make of the talk. Was it a threat couched as a warning? Well, the eight of them knew how to fight and would not back down if someone came looking for one. She would tell Lucky that when she saw her again. 

Just then, she heard a loud purr and an amused trumpet. Baba was lying, purring on the ground, while Sid appeared to be tickling him with his trunk. Anba was prancing around Lucky, asking for the same, and she was laughing and dancing away from him. The other cats sat languidly watching the entertainment.

Cara looked over her shoulder and saw the two uniformed men watching the cats and elephants with avid interest. They seemed to be having an intense discussion. She crept noiselessly close to the tent hoping to hear what they were saying.

“Officer Desai, getting the two elephants, Lucky and Sid, from the Satpura Natural Reserve was a masterstroke. They have really helped in settling down these cheetahs. We should keep these two around here to help when the next lot of cheetahs arrive next year. "