Jumbo… The Super Animal

Jumbo is a teeny weeny happy being
It curls its trunk and flaps its ears as forests sing

It grows up real fast, feeding on its mother’s milk and then on the grassland
Smiling through its ivory tusks, it trumpets as if the member of some joyous band

A big boon for the environment, Jumbo is the savior of the nature
Keeping the ecosystems balanced is the calling of this humble creature

Jumbo goes around dropping massive mounds of dung, no wonder, it eats a lot
Full of nutrients and seeds, these mounds make new plants grow on every spot

New bushes, plants and trees and eventually jungles grow from this fertile shit
A chunk of Jumbo’s dung is enough for the Dung Beetles and their babies to feast

As Jumbo and the herd explore lands less travelled, they make beneficial discoveries
Using their feet and tusks, they dig for water, unearthing water repositories

As they wander more and more, and trample the bushes and trees on the way
Unknowingly, they make the sunlight reach the forest floor as they create these pathways

Flora and fauna bloom and grow, thanks to Jumbo and the herd
As they maintain biodiversity and support the ecosystems of the world

Sadly, some Jumbos are killed for the ivory trade, and some are never born
As their mothers succumb to death after being fed with the Pineapple bomb

As we celebrate the Biodiversity Month, let’s do small acts for the ecosystem preservation
Let’s care for each creature that maintains biodiversity along with the Elephant Conservation

– Sayalee Laxman Vadnerkar, Mumbai