Jatinga Phenomenon: The Birds Mystery Suicides Occurs Every Year

Jatinga, is an Indian village on a ridge, is located in Dima Hasao District, Assam State, approximately 330 kilometers south of Guwahati. Jatinga is well-known for the phenomenon of birds "committing suicide". Even though the birds do not commit suicide and are in fact killed, the myth of the suicides has spread far and wide among common people. The village is inhabited by more than 2,500 Khasi-pnar tribal people and some Dimasa people. The Jatinga village is lush green and picturesque, beautifully surrounded by serene mountains. Nonetheless that’s not what it’s famous for. In fact, Jatinga is well-known for a completely different reason it’s Bird Mystery that occurs at Jatinga between September and November each year.

Although in the late monsoon months, a huge number of migratory & local birds commit mass suicide at the village. Just after sunset, between 7 to 10 pm. The Bird Mystery is a unique phenomenon starts when myriads of birds descend from the sky, plummeting to their deaths by crashing into buildings and trees. Meanwhile birds aren’t recognized to be suicidal; the wonder has mystified villagers, tourists and scientists alike. For many years, locals have strongly believed that evil spirits living in the skies were in control for bringing down the birds. Yes, the phenomenon isn’t true, because a number of scientific studies and experiments have been concluded that the birds are usually disoriented by the monsoon fog. Hence, they’re heavily attracted by the village lights and fly towards them, occasionally hitting building walls and trees during the descent. Therefore, some of the birds die, while the others are grievously injured, becoming easy prey for the villagers to capture. These birds are often dazed and disheveled, and do not put up any struggle when villagers attack them with catapults or bamboo sticks. 

Moreover, another research also reveals that the birds come in only from the North and land only on a well-defined strip in the village which is about 1.5 km long and 200 meters wide. Lights placed along the southern side of the village have failed to attract any birds. Furthermore, the victim of birds isn’t long-distance migrators. Almost 44 species have been recognized as “suicidal” and most of them come from adjacent valleys and hill slopes. These include Kingfishers, Black Bitterns, Tiger Bitterns and Pond Herons, among others. Furthermore, few more interesting stories were identified by experts and bird watchers. They say, most of the suicidal birds lose their natural habitats due to flooding during the monsoon season. So they appear to be migrating to other places, and Jatinga is in their migratory path. But it isn’t clear why the birds fly at night, or why they get voluntarily trapped at the same place every year. It is not suicide, to be precise but the fact remains that birds are attracted by light and fly towards any object with a light source. This phenomenon still puzzles bird specialists, and the problem deserves a deeper scientific study from various angles,

The local calls this phenomenon “avian hara-kiri” which was first observed by the Zeme Nagas, the inhabitant tribe of the region in the early 1900s. It scared them so badly that they sold their land to Jaintias and left the place in 1905. The new inhabitants also observed the phenomenon, but interpreted it as a gift from God. Hence The Jaintias isn’t entirely wrong, because the phenomenon has captured the interest of wildlife circles and sightseers, making the village of Jatinga world famous. The birds alone are responsible for a boost in tourism during the monsoon months. And they’re quite delicious; locals relish these exotic delicacies. The villagers purposely switch on lights and lanterns to attract the birds and capture them every year. Therefore, the mystery is the main event to promote tourism; district authorities have created a festival around the bird suicide, called the “Jatinga Festival”, held in 2010. If you’re interested in viewing the rare phenomenon in person, the nearest airport at the city of Guwahati is 350km away from the village. You will have to wait until next year, though! Source: Charismatic Planet

Bloodwood Tree is a True Example of Majestic Nature of Planet Earth

Bloodwood tree is also called Pterocarpus angolensis is a kind of teak native to southern Africa, known by others names such as “Kiaat”, “Bloedhout” “greinhout”, “Mukwa”, and “Muninga”. The Bloodwood tree normally grows 12 to 18 meters tall, has dark-brown rough bark, a stunning umbrella-shaped spreading crown and bears beautiful yellow flowers. The Bloodwood tree is remarkable dark red colored sap with a chopped trunk or damaged branch of the tree begins dripping deep red fluid, nearly like a severed limb of an animal. The bloodwood tree is a true example of majestic nature of planet earth. The Bloodwood tree is regarded as an indicator of well-drained soils, as it is sensitive to frost and having reputed to be fire tolerant, making it an essential species for enrichment planting in areas where fire cannot be excluded entirely. The Bloodwood tree grows in the warm, frost free areas in the northeast of the country, northern Botswana, Mozambique, extending into Zimbabwe, and Namibia and northwards into other parts of Africa.

The striking sticky, reddish-brown sap seals the wound to help healing. The red sap is used conventionally as a dye and in few areas mixed with animal fat to make a cosmetic for faces and bodies. It is also thought to have magical properties for the curing of teething troubles concerning blood, seemingly because of its close similarity to blood. The Bloodwood tree is also used for treating various medical conditions such as eye problems, ringworm, stabbing pains, malaria, Blackwater fever, stomach problems, headaches, blood in the urine, earache, mouth ulcers and to increase the supply of breast milk. The Bloodwood also consider in making precious quality furniture, as it can be effortlessly carved, glues and screws well and takes a fine polish. Moreover, it also shrinks very little when drying from the green condition, and this superiority, together with its high sturdiness, makes it for the most part suitable for boat building, canoes and bathroom floors. Therefore, due to its great value to the native peoples of the central and southern Africa, these trees are being harvested at an unsustainable rate leading to its decline in recent times. 

Rare snubfin dolphin spotted 'smiling' and playing in the water off the coast in Queensland

Don’t blink your eyes guys, A beautiful rare “snubfin dolphin” has been spotted “smiling” playing and jumping out of the water off the coast in Queensland. Emma Schmidt, a ranger for Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, said she saw the rare mammal frolicking with a pod of around 10 Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. I immediately took a photo of the “smiling” dolphin off Hinchinbrook Island, south of Cairns, and nicknamed him “snubby”. This is indeed very rare phot, so this photo was just pure luck, though we were heading to Sunken Reef Bay and I saw a pod of about 10 Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and between them was this cute little “snubby”. It was frolicking and mucking around jumping out of the water and in the photograph it looks like its smiling. I’ve been working in this area for twelve years, but have only spotted the infrequent mammals twice.

Ms Schmidt revealed the Hinchinbrook Channel was a “snubfin” pod hotspot because of the sheltered inshore waters. Therefore, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service posted a photo of the mammal on its Facebook page, saying: “Don't blink” it's a rare Australian snubfin dolphin “Orcaella heinsohni”. “Ranger Emma” just spotted little “snubby” here taking a relaxed backstroke off Hinchinbrook Island National Park. Anyone know anything about these defiant cetaceans? The “highly social” dolphins can only be found in the waters off northern Australia as far south as the Gladstone region in Queensland. Even, they can grow to between 1.5m and 2.7m in length and vary in color from brownish grey to pale white.
Snubfin dolphins have a very blunted, round head and they take their name from their small, triangular “snubby” dorsal fin. They live in minor populations of stuck between 50 to 100 individuals. 

Photographer catches the amazing moment seal went surfing on a WHALE

A photographer Robyn Malcolm has captured the unbelievable moment a seal was seen surfing on the back of a humpback whale off the NSW south coast. A pod of whales were in the midst of a feeding agitation when he captured the tremendously rare occurrence. On a recent whale watching trip out of Eden, NSW, we experienced dolphins, seals, birds and whales feeding on bait fish. At times there was so much going on, you didn't know which way to point the camera. The seals and dolphins were going crazy on top of the water, and then the whales would lunge straight through the middle. I managed to get some great photographs of whales feeding, but was astonished to find these photographs in amongst them, as I didn't see it at the time. I don't think he stayed there for long! This was not the only stimulating interaction she had with whales in recent times. We were “mugged” by the biggest group of humpbacks I have ever seen, who were pleased to play with us for a while. What expert to see a seal riding on a whale was really rare, and only knew of one other case. Indeed this was very rare instance and off course I've only heard of one of other occurrence and that was a seal that had climbed up on a whale to escape a killer whale.

A Cute Miniature Horse Give Therapeutic Benefits for People When They’re Really in Need of Them

Wow, a very cute Miniature Horses give Therapeutic benefits for People when they’re really in need of them. Probably you don’t know that animals can provide a potent form of therapy for those who have suffered a traumatic experience. As you know, that dogs are common companions, but there’s also a lesser-famous creature who makes a huge impact miniature horses. They are small equines at just 2 ½ feet tall, and they are famous for having a calm demeanor. Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses (GCMTH) is a non-profit organization who at currently works with 25 of these adorable animals, and more than past 20 years, they have supported countless peoples, including: survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting, victims of the 2013 Oklahoma tornadoes, as well as those in nursing homes and hospices.

The creatures’ lesser stature making a huge part of their attraction and ultimate achievement in providing therapy to those in need of a pick-me-up. Whereas a large horse can be intimidating to a small child or a flimsy senior, the miniature horses were at ease for them to trust and befriend," Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, co-founder of Gentle Carousel, told The Huffington Post. Actually one of the organization’s stars is named “Magic”, an all-black horse with a lovely white spot on its snout. She was acknowledged by Time magazine as one of the top ten heroic animals in history. Because their reason for including her on the list stems from the instant, potent connection people have felt with the horse. In one heartening instance, “Magic” was visiting a patient living in an assisted-living facility who hadn’t spoken to anyone during her three years there. As soon as the woman saw beautiful “Magic”, though, that all changed. Without missing a beat, she said, “Isn’t she stunning?” This instant was extremely affecting for all involved, and the activities director was so shocked to hear the woman speak that she start to cry. Hence, Gentle Carousel is headquartered in Florida, but has stretched across the world. They have bases in New York, California, and Greece, where each is run completely by volunteers.

Polish Photographer Uses Drone Camera to Capture Breathtaking Iceland Landscapes

Photographer Jakub Polomski has used a camera drone to depict a breathtaking scenic photo collection. He spent almost two weeks in July and most of his time capturing Iceland's unmatched landscapes. I must say, Iceland is a unique and rare landscape, as few locations are look really abstract in the bird’s-eye view.” The polish photographer using a drone camera, and he was able to showcase the terrain's fascinating patterns. There's the crystal clear white snow that breaks up the plainness of the mountains, the flowing curves of a deep blue river, and even the jagged roads that border an otherwise untouched area. However, Iceland is rich in lovely landscapes; and he also focused on great patience is the key to accurately capturing the splendor of any land. "You should be patient, he straightforwardly when asked about his advice for ambitious landscape photography.  He said you should have faith in in yourself but without overdoing it. You should learn from critiques, not refuse them.