Q1.
What does this story tell us about animals moving from one place to another?
Answer
It tells us that animals do not only travel by themselves — people carry them too — and that an animal taken to a new land can settle down, do well, and become deeply important to the people there. Indian cows went to Brazil on ships, and today more than three-fourths of Brazil's milk comes from three Indian breeds: Gir, Kankrej and Ongole.
Five things the story teaches:
- Some journeys are made by animals; some are made for them. The rosy starling in Story 1 flew here on its own. These cows were taken by Portuguese traders.
- An animal settles where the weather suits it. These cows were strong, gave good milk and did not mind the weather in Brazil — that is the whole reason they succeeded. Brazil, like much of India, is hot. An animal from a cold country would not have managed.
- A newcomer can become the most important animal in the country. Today Brazil's milk depends mostly on these three Indian breeds. Their pictures are found even on Brazilian stamps and coins — that is how a country honours something it values.
- The two countries stay linked long afterwards. Every glass of milk drunk in Brazil is a quiet link back to Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, where these breeds come from.
- It shows us the worth of what we have. Indian breeds turned out to be world-class. That is a strong reason to look after them properly at home instead of letting old breeds die out.
| Breed | Home in India | Why it did well in Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Gir | Gujarat (the Gir region) | Gives plenty of milk and stands heat well |
| Kankrej | Gujarat and Rajasthan | Strong and hardy; good for both milk and heavy work |
| Ongole | Andhra Pradesh | Large and powerful; handles hot, humid weather easily |
One honest word of caution: Moving animals is not always a happy story. If a new animal has no enemies in its new home, its numbers can grow out of control and it can crowd out the animals and plants that were already there. The cows in Brazil were taken to farms and looked after by people, so they did no such harm. But whenever a living thing is moved to a new land, it has to be done thoughtfully — that is a real lesson too, and a ten-year-old is quite capable of holding both halves of it.
Look at the picture on page 171: All three cows in it have the tall hump on the shoulders and the loose fold of skin hanging under the neck. Those two features help the animal lose heat, which is exactly why Indian cattle can live comfortably in hot countries. The picture is showing you the reason the story happened.