The Howl in the Moonlight

The story is about road kills of wild animals

The Howl in the Moonlight

It was somewhere in the summer when he was traveling from one of the UNESCO’S  top ten Biodiversity hot spots “The western ghats”, in his big spacious white Scorpio! His attention was drawn by two sparkling eyes behind a sapling.

“What was it, a jackal?”

No, it’s a wolf!” Now a complete frame gave him its exact specification.

He parked his car nearby where there was a plateau, took his camera and returned to the place where he saw that wolf. He tried to find the wolf in surrounding but it resulted in just a waste of time. After roaming around for more than hour, he decided to search for some pug marks, which will at least provide some valid proof for existence of the wolf. No one trusts human eye; that’s what he knew! After spending an hour or two, finally he found the pug mark. But, it was becoming darker, so he took some photographs and decided to return with a torch after having a small nap. He was stubborn enough, that he won’t return without getting a good shot of that wolf, But After returning to car he could not realize, when his small nap turned into fast sleep.

The wolf was watching him from the hill.

“Such a stupid creature… I lost some of the best opportunities of crossing the road because of him.

He seems harmless, then why he was following me? Now, I have to do it in the night. It would be easier in the moonlight though. Whatever happens, I have to reach at the other end. The pack is going to move tonight”.

 

It was a big challenge in front of him. He has witnessed some other wolfs from the pack dying in the middle of that fast flowing road. Crossing those 80 feet was a complete run in the hell. There is death standing at every step, and it was totally unpredictable when you will be hit by some Giant speedy monster.

 

He spent few more minutes watching traffic and finally started descending down the hill. He hid himself behind a sapling near road. Every passing vehicle was raising his heart beat.

 

“Come on! You have to do it! It’s now or never… Just a few steps and everything is going to be fine!” He reminded himself.

He kept observing, but his feet were not ready to move. It was something completely incalculable for his brain.

Finally after waiting for a long time there, he heard the howl from the opposite side. It means the pack is on the move.

 

“That is a familiar voice; Oh yes, it’s her! And she is not alone, she is with cubs! Our cubs! It’s pretty long that we haven’t met.”  That feeling raised some hidden energy inside him and he started running with a heart full of courage.

“Yes! I have crossed half of it, Now few more steps and it will be over…”

 

 

 

He woke up suddenly with eyes wide open when harsh vehicle horn struck his ears, followed by a weird wolf cry.

“What was that? Oh my god! How can I just fell asleep?” He rushed outside his car, thinking he missed the ‘crossing of wolf’.

After running for a few steps in the direction of that voice; He was shocked when he saw the same wolf he was chasing, lying on the road covered in the blood and taking some of his last breaths.

“Such a poor fellow! He won’t survive till I find a vet.”

 

He turned on his camera for taking some fine clicks of the fatal accident, when he noticed some movement on the other side of the road.

“That’s a female! Oh, wov! There are her cubs too!”

He clicked a picture and suddenly his attention was drawn by a big howl from the other side.

He looked again at the spot where he saw that female with cubs, but they were gone!

 

He returned to his car with a sigh; but he has nothing to worry about! He has got one of the best photographs of his life, where an adult wolf is lying on the road, covered with blood and a female and her cubs are watching from other side helplessly, dreaming how fascinating their lives would be if he could have made it!

The photograph was enough for attracting a few wildlife conservationists and a lot of wildlife photographers just like him.

 

While returning, he just thanked that full moon night, without which it could not be even visible!

 

 

 

-Niteesh Sane©