Taman Rimba Kiara is a little green gem located in a corner of the TTDI residential area. The above flowering tree, the firmiana malayana or mata lembu, flashes in testimony to man's care-less-ness - it's one of only two trees in the park that had flowered, since then the tree had been chopped down.

Tuesday 19 November 2019

Nasty Crows

When I saw the pair of Jungle Crows descend to the vicinity of brahminy kite's nest, I feared the worst.  And true enough the pair was seen raiding the nest.
For days after the kites were no where to be seen but soon after it was heartening to see them return to reoccupy the nest.  It's hoping that the taman will soon welcome additions to the taman.





This scowling Jungle Crow did indeed carry the dark and sinister image associated with a crow.
However, crows do have contradictory significance. On one hand the crow can symbolise bad omen and death, yet it can also symbolise life and intelligence.
An interesting anecdote occurred in the Manchu tradition about how offerings were placed on a post to feed crows as a way to worship the God of Heaven.  It was said to have come from the legend of Nurhaci (1559-1626) of the Qing Dynasty, who as a youth was hunted and to escape his pursuers, he hid in a ditch and a flock of crows descended on him covering his body closely which enabled him to elude his pursuers.  When he later founded the Manchu dynasty, one of the things he did was to order the Manchu people to erect a wooden post in their courtyards, atop it with metal and offer sacrifices to the crows.

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