Who does the earth belong to? The evolutionary process makes us, human beings, brag boastfully that Us Lordships are the one and only owner of this gorgeous planet. This stupidly utilitarian answer can never be far away from the truth.
Do not you believe me? Well, look at the bee. It is such a tiny creature. Absolutely important it is to the sustenance of us, the humankind. Well, if bees were to have vanish, within tops three months, we would perish, too.
Yes, bees are unique and simply superb. Why? They have their own communication system. In the Linguistics classroom, while talking about communication, I always begin with general characteristics of the process. Next, I compare and contrast the non-human with the human patterns wherein my students meet the bees' communication system which is highly advanced for such a tiny creature.
They have, moreover, a very organised civilizational behaviour pattern. Most types (there are very many, believe me) are socially advanced creatures. They together build their unique colonies. Every bee in the beehive has a given function. Each follows it without any grumble because they know that 'united we survive'!
Not only are they social but their family structure is quite matriarchal. The queen bee is the centre of the worker bees' existence, while drones are thrown out during winters, the survival wise critical era, as their reproductive role is no longer relevant. Man-(h)aters they are, like that terror, the tiger!!!
They provide us with honey and bees wax, to many so it may appear. Actually, they provide us with food as they are the major agents of the pollination process. Hence the urgency of artificial apiaries as non-sustainable development is progressively a witness to the fact that like sparrows, these tiny wasps, too, are disappearing due to the concrete jungles encroaching their habitat! To (protect) bee or not to (allow the sting of the) bee can never be the question, in brief. If we are to be, bees must be!
Pratima@ The food web weaves us all in, small to big, non-human to human(e)! 'Live and let live' is hence the only real SDG!
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