Crocodile escapade !!

People throng to Zoo to see and enjoy animals – the one at Vandalur is sprawling and attracts huge crowds – far cry from those days when  it was housed in Lily Pond complex [Moore Market] nearer Central Station. In 1979, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department set aside 1,265 acres in the Vandalur Reserve Forest on the outskirts of the city to build the current zoo  and the zoo in its new premises was officially opened to public  in 1985  by the then chief minister of Tamil Nadu MG Ramachandran.

Recently read this news item that animals  in Vandalur zoo need no longer be tranquillized before X-ray as it has procured a stateof-the-art mobile X-ray device. Zoo director told the TOI that under the existing system, when a bird or animal is sick it had to be tranquillized and transported to the zoo veterinary hospital to carry out an X-ray. As far as pregnant wildlife is concerned, it would be more difficult .Due to this, the zoo had lost a couple of endangered wildlife. The new device can be transported to the enclosures and the animals need not be tranquillized. Similarly, the images can be seen live in the monitor attached to the equipment. Based on this the veterinarians can plan the treatment, the Director said.

May not be best attraction ~ Crocodiles are large reptiles found in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. They are members of the order Crocodilia, which also includes caimans, gharials and alligators.  There are 13 species of crocodiles, so there are many different sizes of crocodile. The smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile. It grows to about 5.6 feet (1.7 meters) in length and weighs 13 to 15 pounds (6 to 7 kilograms). The largest crocodile is the saltwater crocodile. The largest one ever found was 20.24 feet (6.17 m) long. They can weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907 kg). 

The conservation scheme to protect Australia’s saltwater crocodiles has been so successful that the animals are migrating hundreds of miles across international waters to kill locals on the impoverished island of Timor.  The crocodiles are embarking on a two-week sea journey to hunt and eat the locals in East Timor, the former Portuguese colony 370 miles north of the Australian mainland, according to a new study.   It is feared this is the first time an animal preservation programme, that has boosted numbers to 250,000 since wild crocodiles were first legally protected in Australia in the 1970s, has led to multiple attacks on humans in another country.

Following a nearly decade-long hunt, a massive saltwater crocodile has been captured in northern Australia, according to wildlife authorities. Rangers caught the crocodile Monday after setting a trap on a private property near Katherine, a town in Northern Territory, Australia.   The evasive crocodile is said to be one of the largest trapped in the region, which is not far from the Nitmiluk and Kakadu national parks. It was estimated to be about 60 years old, but it is the reptile’s size that is shocking — measuring more than 15 feet long (the average length of a car) and weighing more than 1,300 pounds (which is more than a grand piano), according to the Katherine Times.

Animal escapades from enclosures are nothing new ! ~ but can be quite scary !! - For the last few days, residents of Nedunkundram near Vandalur have been waking up to the sight of crocodiles basking in the sun on a rock in their lake. They’ve known for months that muggers have made the lake home, but it is only now that these crocodiles, some of them up to six feet long, have started showing themselves for any length of time. Residents say there could be half a dozen of them in the lake. How did they land in the lake? There are many theories including that crows could have picked up little ones from the zoo nearby as prey, only for them to fall to safety in the lake. Another theory is that many tiny muggers could have been washed into the lake during cyclone Vardah in 2016, which saw Vandalur flooded.

A resident of Nedunkundram village  said the crocs had been living in the lake for nearly a year. People who bathe or catch fish in the river were aware of their presence. “However, there was no conflict between the people and the muggers. None of the crocs has attacked people so far,” he said. Whenever people get into the lake to bathe or youths jump in with their nets to catch fish, the muggers move away from the area where the humans are. The youth continue to ignore warnings that the crocs are a real danger, he said. Forest range officer here  said several muggers had been rescued from the lake in the last five years. At present, there were at least half a dozen in the lake, one of them nearly six feet in length, he added. The villagers are waiting for the wildlife warden to send someone to catch the muggers and move them elsewhere.

The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (MCBT) on ECR near Mahabalipuram  is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station.  The  leading institution for herpeto faunal conservation, research and education,  is the first crocodile breeding centre in Asia.  It does not supply skin to any fashion manufacturer but was  established with the aim of saving three Indian endangered species of crocodile—the marsh or mugger crocodile, the saltwater crocodile, and the gharial, which at the time of founding of the trust were all nearing extinction. The photo at the start was taken at Madras Croc bank ..

A couple of years ago, had posted of another incident of crocodile encounter in Chennai .. ..  It was just another day for Venkatesan. He had taken his four cows for grazing near a lake in Nerkundram when suddenly the animals began running helter-skelter. He went closer and saw a crocodilein a corner of the partially dry lake in Sadanandapuram. “It was a male, about six feet in length. Four of us reached the lake around10.30am after a villager alerted us. We had a tough time handling it and tying its mouth,” said  a forest official.  Experts at the Madras Crocodile Bank identified it as a mugger or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris).

Environmentalists say it is pleasant to spot a crocodile so close to the city. “Crocodiles live near marshlands and river banks. It is good to know there is still space for these animals in thecity,” said  an environmentalist. Obviously residents and common public would have a different view ~ for it poses danger and threat and would not be pleasant to have one living nearby……… the mugger can grow up to five metres in length, has the broadest snout of any member of its genus.  Crocodiles eat animals, can attack and harm humans…..

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

26^th Dec 2018.

Tamil tinsel love for dadaism ~ rowdy falls into well !

White Heat is a 1949 film  ~  directed by Raoul Walsh, starring  James Cagney, Virginia Mayo& others.  Written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, White Heat is based on a story by Virginia Kellogg.  In 2003, it was added to the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress.  Do you know or imagine – what this movie was about ??

The trailer of Ajith’s upcoming film, Viswasam,  has raised rave  reviews.  Starring Ajith and Nayanthara the film is set to release on Pongal 2019.The trailer shows Ajith playing the role of Thookudurai, a local don from Theni. Clad in a white veshti and shirt, he is seen being greeted by the folks in town, suggesting he may also be a respected local leader. With the Madurai-accented Tamil and the moustache twirling, the makers seem to have made it clear that the film is directed towards what the industry calls ‘B and C centres’. ~ whatever it be, another addition to the long list of Tamil tinseldom’s love for violence and ‘dadaism’ – that gangsters are basically good people and there is lot about them that deserves appreciation !!

An orphaned kid (Karthik) helps Govindan (Vijayakumar) escape from a bunch of gangsters. The kid is named Amaran ('The immortal') by the grateful Govindan and is brought up by him. After Govindan's demise, his wife (Manjula Vijayakumar) raises Amaran who grows up to become a kind-hearted slum lord.  That was the storyline of ‘Amaran’ released in 1992 glorifying life of gangster that had Karthik and Bhanupriya in lead roles.   Adityan scored the music for the movie which is touted to be one of the first in Tamil cinema with many violent sequences and brutal scenes, some of which were censored. The movie had scenes inspired from The Godfather ~ similar reviews were written for Maniratnam’s Nayakan too and at that time it was hailed as a great movie.

Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola  based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel of the same name. It stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a fictional New York crime family. The story, spanning 1945 to 1955, chronicles the family under the patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando), focusing on the transformation of Michael Corleone (Pacino) from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss.The film was the highest-grossing film of 1972and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made. It won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola). Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema and one of the most influential, especially in the gangster genre.

Read today in Times of India that  a 44-year-old thief,  being chased by Police,  jumped into a well,  was trapped inside it for two nights before he was rescued by fire service personnel at Ambattur.   The report states that  John Jaisingh, a resident of Washermenpet, was treated at the government hospital exposure as he had been sitting in water for a long time, before he was sent to the Puzhal prison. With more than 22 cases, including three for murder, against him Jaisingh had come out of prison recently and was back to his old ways.

With two associates — Suresh of Chetpet and Kamal of Tiruvannamalai — he targeted the house of Vijayakumar of Indian Bank Colony in Ambattur and made away with Rs. 10,000 late on Saturday.While escaping when they jumped off the compound wall of the house some residents saw them and raised the alarm. Hearing the cries, a team from the Ambattur police station patrolling nearby rushed to the place.Seeing police, the trio panicked and ran in different directions. Two policemen went after Jaisingh. To avoid being caught, Jaisingh jumped into a well at Chandrasekarapuram Third Street in Ambattur. The two cops could not locate him and gave up the chase.Jaisingh, meanwhile, found he could not climb out of the well. He remained in it the whole of Sunday but the next morning he got nervous as he was hungry and sleepy. When he heard some noise close to the well he shouted for help.

He told a group of curious residents that he slipped into the well and requested them not to inform police as he came from a “decent family”. Their suspicions aroused by this statement, the residents informed the police who, along with fire and rescue services personnel, pulled out Jaisingh.Police said Jaisingh had made friends with those specialising in burgling locked houses during his latest stint in jail and decided to try his luck. Police have launched a hunt for his two accomplices.

Interestingly, the film Amaran was reported to have been based on the lifestory of a gangster of late 1970s in Triplicane.  He was involved in some petty crimes including taking mamool from shops – used to wear colourful lungies.  One night residents of Tank Square and Singarachari street were alarmed to see him roam around on the terraces of houses, jumping from one to another in a panicked state. He threatened a couple of residents – and later early morning, when police had made a cordon, he jumped from the terrace of a tall building near SMSO – even after jumping from such a height, he tried running but perhaps had sustained fractures in his legs and could not move much.  He survived that jump but was later killed by a woman affected by his earlier acts.. .. ..

White Heat  released in 1949 directed by Raoul Walsh had  James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, and others in the cast. Written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, White Heat was based on a story by Virginia Kellogg,  and was a gangster movie.  The theme revolved around Cody and his gang robbing  a mail train in the Sierra Nevada, resulting in the deaths of four members of the train crew. With the help of informants, the authorities close in on a motor court in Los Angeles where Cody, Verna and Ma are holed up,  Cody shoots and wounds US Treasury investigator Philip Evans and makes his escape. He then comes up with a scheme: to confess to a lesser crime committed in Springfield, Illinois, which an associate committed at the same time as the train robbery, thus providing him with a false alibi.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

2^nd Jan 2019.

Zimbabwean cash crunch ! ~ 3 accused of stealing crore of currency from Mugabe

Prescript :  1)  A couple of decades ago, the Nation was rocked by scandals -  According to a chargesheet, CBI investigations revealed that Narasimha Rao, Satish Sharma, Buta Singh, Suraj Mandal, Shibu Soren, Simon Marandi, Shailendra Mahto and other unknown persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy to defeat the no-confidence motion against the then Congress government.  In July that time, Mandal received three gunny sacks and one suitcase in the morning.  The sacks and the suitcase containing hard cash  were unloaded and taken to the flat of an employee -    and after counting the cash,  they were transferred to  four suitcases.

Years later,  former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, `Godman' Chandraswami and his associate K.N. Agarwal alias Mamaji were  acquitted of all charges by a special CBI court here in the 15-year-old Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case. Pronouncing his verdict in a courtroom set up at the high-security Vigyan Bhavan annexe, the special judge, Dinesh Dayal, said, "I find that Lakhubhai Pathak's evidence is not reliable and it has not been corroborated. His evidence has been constantly changing and there have been contradictions on vital aspects of the case. The inordinate delay in filing the case has not been explained by the prosecution."  - those days, the Q raised was can crores of Rupees fit into a suit case !!  ~ the currency and suitcase !!!

PS 2:  June 9, 1983. In one of the biggest upsets in the history of World Cup cricket, Zimbabwe, playing their first ever match in the tournament, beat Australia by 13 runs. They were unknown. They were unheralded. They were there to make up the numbers. They had won the ICC Trophy a year earlier, but who cared? Least of all the proud Australians. After all, Test playing nations were a different order altogether. West Indies remained the giants of cricket, England and Australia still balanced the power axis. Pakistan could be considered a dark horse and no more. Even India and New Zealand were not taken seriously.  But, therein lay an unnoticed caveat. Before gaining independence in 1980, Zimbabwe existed as Rhodesia, and it was in that guise they participated in the gruelling South African Currie Cup.  Their skipper was  Duncan Fletcher. A jovial 34-year-old left handed all-rounder, he was a far cry from the unsmiling, jowly, taciturn coach that he was to turn later.  India too were in spot of bother reeling at 17/5 before that great knock by Kapil Dev [epic 175 not out] saved them. 

Miles away, this politician was 73 when child, Chatunga was born.  If nothing else, he has always been an extremely proud man. He often said he would only step down when his "revolution" was complete. He was referring to the redistribution of white-owned land but he also wanted to hand-pick his successor, who would of course have had to come from the ranks !!  Robert Mugabe, who led the country's liberation movement, was in power from independence in 1980 until he was ousted in November last year at the age of 93. His years in office, first as prime minister until the switch to a presidential system in 1987, were marked by economic turmoil and the crushing of dissent.

For some, he will always remain a hero who brought independence and an end to white-minority rule. Even those who forced him out blamed his wife and "criminals" around him. But to his growing number of critics, this highly educated, wily politician became the caricature of an African dictator, who destroyed an entire country in order to keep his job. In the end, it was the security forces, who had been instrumental in intimidating the opposition and keeping him in power, who made him go. They were incensed when he sacked his long-time ally, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, paving the way for his much younger wife Grace to succeed him, fearing it meant the end for them as the powers behind the throne.

He had survived numerous previous crises and predictions of his demise but with his powers failing at the age of 93, his former comrades-in-arms turned on him, favouring Mr Mnangagwa. Before the 2008 elections, Mr Mugabe said: "If you lose an election and are rejected by the people, it is time to leave politics." But after coming second to Morgan Tsvangirai, Mr Mugabe displayed more characteristic defiance, swearing that "only God" could remove him from office. And just to be sure, violence was unleashed to preserve his grip on power.  The key to understanding Mr Mugabe is the 1970s guerrilla war where he made his name.

In modern day Zimbabwe, people are suffering. Inflation is too much. Every minute, every hour, every day, the prices are just changing," said a wholesale trader.  KFC has closed its local outlets citing "these difficult times," while supermarkets have been rationing some items, and mining companies and other key exporters are complaining about a lack of access to foreign exchange reserves. At a time, when currency crisis has hit people hard, three  people have appeared in court in Zimbabwe, accused of stealing a suitcase containing $150,000 (£117,600) (Rs.1.06 crores)  of cash from the country's ousted president, Robert Mugabe.

The suspected thieves allegedly spent the money on cars, homes and animals. A relative of the ex-president, Constantia Mugabe, is among the accused, government-owned media report. She allegedly had keys to Mr Mugabe's rural home in Zvimba, near the capital Harare, and gave the others access. The other suspects were employed as cleaners at the time of the theft, which allegedly happened some time between 1 December and early January. "Johanne Mapurisa bought a Toyota Camry... and a house for $20,000 after the incident," state prosecutor Teveraishe Zinyemba told Chinhoyi magistrates court. "Saymore Nhetekwa also bought a Honda... and livestock which included pigs and cattle for an undisclosed amount."

Mr Mugabe, now is  94, and had been in power for 37 years, first as prime minister and later as president. Once famously claiming that a country could never go bankrupt, he was accused of enjoying a lavish lifestyle while presiding over Zimbabwe's economic collapse. US dollars are highly prized in Zimbabwe. In theory, the local "bond notes" that banks dispense are equal to the US currency - but in reality they buy much less. Since retiring, Mr Mugabe has had difficulty walking and has spent several months in Singapore for medical treatment. It is unclear if he was at home while the theft took place.  The three suspects have been released on bail. The AFP news agency reports that a fourth is still at large.

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

14^th Jan 2019.

do you remember that car - entry of Radharavi in Muthu

Prescript:  though this post contains lot on movies – the central theme is a jeep that I saw at Marina beach this morning !  I am no great movie-buff – cinema is a mode of entertainment – it is also the ‘dream industry’ where one can reach very great heights by speaking some dialogues – and for some it also paves way for political outreach !!

Thenmavin Kombath (lit. On the branch of honey-sweet) is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy adventure film written and directed by Priyadarshan, produced and edited by N. Gopalakrishnan, starring Mohanlal, Shobana, Nedumudi Venu, and others.  K. V. Anand and Sabu Cyril won National Film Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design respectively.  The film is considered among audiences and critics to be among the best comedy films in the history of Malayalam cinema… … when it was remade in Tamil, it was still a good comedy but had some political tinge as well .. .. and .. the hero would throw out all his riches for the poor, walk away, keeping  nothing for his son – who would toil and be contented with whatever was earned by thyself !

In my school days, came – ‘Gaayathri’ directed by R. Pattabhiraman, starring Rajinikanth and Sridevi in the lead roles. In that  Rajini played a cruel husband of Sridevi. Jaishankar plays a guest role in this movie.  Later when it was aired on a Sunday in Doordarshan, I saw it because it was a movie  based on the story "Gayathri",  written by favourite  Sujatha Rangarajan. According to Panchu Arunachalam, this was the movie that turned Rajini's fortunes as seeing the audience's favorable response to Rajini (Villain) over Jaishankar (hero).  Years later, the tables were to turn in Murattu Kaalai ( Raging Bull) released in 1980.  It was  produced by AVM Productions, directed by S. P. Muthuraman, had  Rajinikanth, Jaishankar, Rati Agnihotri  in the prominent roles.  It film boasts of the highest budget ever for a Rajini starrer at that time – and this time, Rajni was the hero and famed bond Jayashankar turning villain for the first time. 

This morning paper has the news that - ‘Mrinal Sen, who along with Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak formed the very disparate troika of film directors who brought global critical acclaim to Indian and Bengali cinema, passed away at his Bhowanipore home on Sunday morning. He was 95.   Sen, the director of path-breaking films like ‘Padatik’ (The Guerrilla Fighter), ‘Akash Kusum’ (Up in the Clouds), ‘Kolkata 71’ and ‘Bhuvan Shome’, is survived by Chicago-based son Kunal and daughter-in-law Nisha. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was one of the first to offer her condolences.

The social media is flooded with rave reviews after the release of the  trailer of Ajith’s upcoming film, Viswasam, on Sunday. The film is his fourth collaboration with filmmaker Siva. Starring Ajith and Nayanthara in the lead, the film’s music has been composed by D Imman. The film is set to release for Pongal 2019.  The trailer shows Ajith playing the role of Thookudurai, a local don from Theni. Clad in a white veshti and shirt, he is seen being greeted by the folks in town, suggesting he may also be a respected local leader. With the Madurai-accented Tamil and the moustache twirling, the makers seem to have made it clear that the film is directed towards what the industry calls ‘B and C centres’. The trailer also plenty of farmer sentiment, family feud and violence. Nayanthara, the female lead, makes a fleeting appearance as a rural belle romanced by Ajith, with some help from Yogi Babu.

Interestingly, Viswasam makers are planning to release the film in Russia and Ukraine as well. Seventh Sense Cinema, who had released Rajinikanth’s 2.0 recently in Russia, will be taking care of the release of Viswasam in these two countries and the film is scheduled to release in more than eight cities. That takes memory back to Muthu (remake of Thenmavin Kombath), that hit the screens in 1995 – Directed by KS Ravikumar, it had Rajnikanth and Meena.  Released during Deepavali 1995, it was a grand hit.   The film became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films at the time, running for over 175 days in theatres across Tamil Nadu. A dubbed Japanese version released in 1998 , by the distributor Xanadoux, as Muthu Odoru Maharaja (ムトゥ 踊るマハラジャ) which means Muthu – The Dancing Maharaja and completed a 182-day run.   

Now to the original subject matter – saw this vehicle at Marina – had an acrylic bison on its front and a bow and arrow in its back .. .. the driver with a big mush got down with two black Labrador puppies as well ..  I was amused – when asked – what was the significance, the man said, ‘jeeps are rugged – and it is for the looks that I have this bison (acrylic made at a cost of 40000 approx by the same person who made it for the vehicle in which Radha Ravi would appear dramatically in Muthu)

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

31^st Dec 2018.