Beesakopie, a village in the eastern most corner of Assam’s Tinsukia district, is a safe haven for frogs.
The residents of the tiny hamlet never kill a frog and teach their kids from early childhood not to kill them.
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“Our grandparents taught us to be kind and tolerant towards each and every creature especially towards frogs. They give indication of rain by croaking and play an important role in ecosystem. Moreover, we believe from early that one who kills or hurt frog becomes deaf or suffers from ear disease,” said nonagenarian Rongi Tanti, a local resident.
Being kind and generous towards creatures is a common nature of people in Assam since long.
Even when many believe that the coronavirus pandemic began from bat, there are reports from across the state where people are protecting thousands of bats living in trees.
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“Truly speaking, the peasants’ new year begins with monsoon as the harvest season starts now and the weather is synonymous to frogs’ romance. Moreover, we never kill birds, snakes or any other animal. Recently, a python was rescued from our farming field. Later, we released it after feeding well in nearby wild habitats,” said 93-year-old Rongi.
And this can be clearly observed when a stranger visits this place finding frogs hoping on the village streets and hundreds of birds chirping on the peoples’ orchards.
“Croaking frogs have long been regarded as indicators of good rain. Good farming. Croaking is their way of finding mates, and frog mating activity in India typically intensifies around the monsoons,” Abhishek, a zoology student, said.
“Beside Polypedates Leucomystax there are hundreds of rare varieties of frogs found in our northeastern region especially in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,” Abhishek added.
The male frogs croak to entice females. Females prefer loud and long calls because these calls take a lot of energy and hence indicate a healthy male.
Studies have found that the number of frogs showing up on rainy and cloudy days can be three times the number appearing on sunny days.
“The villagers are an example of inspiration. If the net of a spider is drag from one side the whole net starts shaking. The universe is like that. Each creature tiny or huge is of equal importance. We should care them,” Dheeraj Dubey, a science teacher of Learners’ Educational Institutions, told Northeast Now.
“Let’s spread love and compassion for each and every creature,” Dubey added.