Wild Language—The Secrets of Animal Communication

WITHOUT a doubt, one of the most precious gifts humankind has been given is the power to communicate. With it we pass vital information to one another either verbally or by nonvocal methods, such as gestures. Freedom of speech is, in fact, a widely contested issue throughout the earth. Some have therefore assumed that communication is only the preserve of humans.
Yet, research shows that animals exchange information in intricate ways that often baffle humans. Yes, they “speak,” not with words, but through visual signals such as wagging tails, twitching ears, or flapping wings. Other forms of communication may involve the use of voice, such as a bark, a roar, a snarl, or the song of a bird. Some of the “languages” are obvious to humans, while others require much scientific study to detect.

Predators!
It is mid-July. In the sprawling Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, thousands upon thousands of wildebeests are heading northward toward the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya in search of greener pastures. The plains resonate with the sound of hooves during this annual migration. However, dangers lurk along the way. The route is lined with predatory animals, such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and leopards. The wildebeests will also take their chances by crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River. How do wildebeests ward off predators? To confuse the enemy, the wildebeest, or gnu, will run fast over a short distance and then turn around to face the enemy, all the while tossing its head from side to side. It will throw its legs about in a freakish manner, creating a rather ludicrous show. Even a hardened predator will not fail to stop in amazement on seeing this erratic dance. Should the predator insist on approaching, the wildebeest will do a repeat performance. This so confuses the intruder that the hunt may be abandoned after the concert. Thus,the ungainly dance has earned the wildebeest the dubious distinction of being the clown of the plains.
The wildebeest’s smaller cousins, impalas, are known for their gigantic leaps. To many, these high jumps could signify gracefulness and speed. In times of trouble, though, this antelope uses its soaring techniques to make it difficult for a predator to trap it by the legs. The leaps, up to 30 feet [9 m] in length, give the attacker a clear message, “Follow if you can keep up with me.” Few animals of prey are willing to do so just to bring down the unwilling impala!

A Time to Eat
In the wild many predatory animals have to develop their hunting skills in order to become good hunters. Young ones must pay keen attention as their parents take them through the paces. In an African animal sanctuary, a cheetah named Saba was observed giving vital lessons of survival to her cubs. After stalking a grazing Thomson’s gazelle for over an hour, she made a giant leap forward and then trapped and choked the hapless antelope—but without killing it. Moments later, Saba dropped the dazed animal in front of her cubs, which were strangely reluctant to throw themselves at the prey. These young cheetahs understood why Mother had brought a live animal to them. She wanted them to learn how to kill the gazelle. Each time the prey tried to get up and run, the overexcited cubs brought it down. Exhausted, the gazelle gave up the fight for survival. Watching from a distance, Saba approved their actions.
Some animals specialize in making as much noise as possible while searching for food. A pack of spotted hyenas will grunt, snort, and giggle while running after prey. Once the kill is made, other hyenas will be invited to the feast by the hyenas’ infamous “laugh.” However, hyenas do not always hunt for food. In the wild they are among the worst of the food pirates—using all methods of harassing other predators to get their kill. Why, they have been known to scare away lions from their meal! How do they accomplish this? Boisterous animals, they will work themselves into a frenzy in a bid to disturb the feeding lions. Should the cats ignore the noise, the hyenas will become more excited and bolder. Their peace disrupted, the felines often abandon the carcass and move away from the area.
Among bees the search for food is a complicated ritual. Complex scientific studies have revealed that by dancing, a honeybee informs others in the hive of the location, type, and even quality of the food found. On its body a bee carries samples of the food, such as nectar or pollen, back to the other bees in the hive. Doing a figure-eight dance, it is able not only to direct others to the food source but also to indicate the distance to be covered. Watch out! That bee hovering around you might be collecting some vital information to take back home. Your scented perfume could be mistaken for its next meal!
Keeping in Touch
Few sounds are as spectacular as the roar of a lion during a quiet night. Several reasons have been advanced for this communication. A male’s mighty roar is a warning to all that he is in the territory; intrude at your own risk. However, being a social cat, the lion will also roar to keep in touch with other members of the pride. This is usually a softer, less assertive roar. During one night a lion was heard to roar every 15 minutes until a cousin answered from a distance. They kept “talking” for another 15 minutes until they finally met. The roars ceased.
Such contacts not only enhance good relationships but also offer protection against harsh weather elements. A hen will utter several vocalizations that convey different messages to her chicks. The most distinct, however, is the long, low purring sound made in the evening, indicating that she has come home to roost. Heeding Mother’s call, the scattered young ones gather under her wings and retire for the night..

Finding a Partner
Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by the melody of songbirds? Are you not fascinated by their ability to sing the notes? Yet, did you know that entertaining you is the least they intend to do? Their songs are methods of passing important messages. Although at times singing is a means of establishing territory, it is also used in a large way to attract potential mates. According to The New Book of Knowledge, “the amount of singing drops by 90 per cent” once the male and the female have found each other.Sometimes, however, it takes more than just a good song to win a partner. Some female birds require that a “bride-price” be paid before they are won over by a male. Thus, a male weaverbird will have to demonstrate his nest-building skills before making further moves. Other male species will prove their ability to provide by literally feeding the female.
No doubt,the intricate ways in which animals communicate not only serve their physical needs but also reduce fights and promote peace in the wild. With more research being done on animal communication, we have yet to hear the last of this “wild talk.” Although we may not comprehend it fully, it does make us to wonder on this question: were they designed?

Nigerian Leaders and the country’s future.

Attitude begets dignity, dignity begets respects. Mental attitude encompasses thoughts, perception, world view, rationality and the likes. It is an essential ingredient necessary for the upliftment of a nation. Without it, life is meaningless and unrewarding, somewhat sluggish, if not stagnant. The core of a nation’s destiny is how her citizens think and act. If they act rationally, the nation is on course to eldorado, if not the nation is doomed.
Our leaders despair, people we call our leaders exhibit traces of leadership fatigue. Nigerian leaders smell no aroma of a yielding hope for the present and future fate of this country. So, what should the led do? There is in Nigeria, outright pessimistic complacency by our leaders who will always see, think and act nothing good about our great country Nigeria. Some Nigerian leaders from their speeches and actions appear to be waiting for Nigeria’s dooms-day. May God embarrass them. In Nigeria, leaders at local, state and federal levels in their various political nomenclatures-President, Governors, Senators, House Of Representative members, Ministers, Commissioners, Local Government Chairmen, Councillors etc heap senseless vituperation on the fate of this great country without any sense of remorse. They cannot defend, protect and uphold all that Nigeria stands for as they swore to do. What should the led do?
To them, nothing seems to work or will ever work as far as the Nigerian entity is concern, which is why they approach and tackle fundamental situations with an acute sense of cavalier. The aftermath of this is a creeping condition. Leaders who should be beacon of hope have now metamorphosed into harbingers of vacuum. Have they no shame? In 1976, the then Obasanjo regime came up with an altruistic policy popularly known as Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), it could not account for the purpose it was set up because cynics see no future in it; Shagari's Green Revolution did not see the light of day simply because Nigerians, nay even the formulators had doubt that it will work. Then military president Ibrahim Babangida (as he likes to be called) postulated yet another fine programme he called Directorate for Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) as well as his economic policy of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) geared towards reviving an ailing economy and improving the living condition of Nigerians both at the urban and countryside, but yet again, the negative thoughts, attitudes and words of most Nigerians crash-landed the policy. Remember, words are life with invisible powers. How on earth will i forget how the vindictive civilian, former president Olusegun Obasanjo who promised Nigerians the heavens, especially giving Nigerians stable power supply but failed to do so because Nigerians and even himself saw it as impossible, so it became a wishful fantasy. Last December, the Federal government targeted 6000MW of electricity to ensure an improved power supply for one hundred and forty million power- thirsty Nigerians, it turned out to be just a pipe dream because of sense of doubt from the leaders and the led (Doubting Thomases). Nigerians see Prof Dora Akunyili's pet project of branding and rebranding the nation as a child's play that will lead to nowhere. Whereas, professor Akunyili’s rebranding initiative has a long standing positive result on this country, just as it was experienced in Nyerere’s Tanzania,Sankara’s Burkina Faso and Rawlings’s Ghana. Overtime we have perpetually seen ourselves as corrupt, dubious and notorious because our mental values have been encoded with negativity. Sadly so, this is how the world sees us.
Sometime ago, I was privileged to watch live proceedings in the House of Senate on NTA, but was shockingly disappointed in how some hopeless and leaderless senators cunningly uttered blasphemous, guile and silly things about this country. A country they swore to protect, defend and uphold at all times. Have they no shame? I was however consoled by the patriotic and sagacious Prof.Jubril Aminu, Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs who rebuked their foul-mouthedness. There is no country in the world where the led, let alone leaders openly abuse their country, not in the US, South Africa, Ghana, Afghanistan, or even earthquake- torn Haiti. Why must Nigeria's case be any different?
Year 2010 presents yet another opportunity for change, Nigerians (leaders and the led) must learn again to fly. We must start now to shape and reshape our sense of values and attitudes. Our mentality and judgements should begin now to undergo refurbishing for posterity sake. As the English Philosopher William James rightly states: "Humans (Nigerians) can change their lives through their mental attitude". Nigerian must know that their thoughts dignify them. Despite recent happenings, Nigeria is the conscience of Africa and a land capable of germinating great transformation. Nigerians (home and diaspora) , should, this year and beyond consciously imbibe the words of the French Philosopher and Sociologist Edgar Morin which says: "in the core of our singularity, we(Nigerians) carry not all the humanity, all the life, but also all the cosmos, including its mystery, present in the heart of our being. We(Nigerians) are creators, creator being, and in all sense, we(Nigerians) can create and recreate ourselves "Let us put this to test.
Mr.Lexzy Ochibejivwie,

Jeddo, near Warri.

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Who Did It First?

Like one biologist once said, “I HAVE the suspicion,”“that we’re not the innovators we think we are; we’re merely the repeaters.”Many times, human inventors only repeat what plants and animals have been doing for thousands of years. This copying from living things is so prevalent that it has been given its own name—bionics. Another scientist says that practically all the fundamental areas of human technology “have been opened up and utilized to advantage by living things . . . before the human mind learned to understand and master their functions.” Interestingly, he adds: “In many areas, human technology is still lagging far behind nature.”2
As you reflect on these complex abilities of living creatures that human inventors have attempted to copy, does it seem reasonable to believe that they happened by chance alone? And happened, not just once, but many times in unrelated creatures? Are these not the kind of intricate designs that experience teaches can only be the product of a brilliant designer? Do you really think that chance alone could create what it later took gifted men to copy? Bear in mind such questions as you consider the following examples:

AIR CONDITIONING. Modern technology cools many homes. But long before, termites also cooled theirs, and they still do. Their nest is in the center of a large mound. From it, warm air rises into a network of air ducts near the surface. There stale air diffuses out the porous sides, and fresh cool air seeps in and descends into an air chamber at the bottom of the mound. From there it circulates into the nest. Some mounds have openings at the bottom where fresh air comes in, and in hot weather, water brought up from underground evaporates, thus cooling the air. How do millions of blind workers coordinate their efforts to build such ingeniously designed structures? Biologist Lewis Thomas answers: “The plain fact that they exhibit something like a collective intelligence is a mystery.”3

AIRPLANES. The design of airplane wings has benefited over the years from the study of the wings of birds. The curvature of the bird’s wing gives the lift needed to overcome the downward pull of gravity. But when the wing is tilted up too much, there is the danger of stalling. To avoid a stall, the bird has on the leading edges of its wings rows, or flaps, of feathers that pop up as wing tilt increases (1, 2). These flaps maintain lift by keeping the main airstream from separating from the wing surface.
Still another feature for controlling turbulence and preventing “stalling out” is the alula (3), a small bunch of feathers that the bird can raise up like a thumb.
At the tips of the wings of both birds and airplanes, eddies form and they produce drag. Birds minimize this in two ways. Some, like swifts and albatross, have long, slender wings with small tips, and this design eliminates most of the eddies. Others, like big hawks and vultures, have broad wings that would make big eddies, but this is avoided when the birds spread out, like fingers, the pinions at the ends of their wings. This changes these blunt ends into several narrow tips that reduce eddies and drag (4).
8 Airplane designers have adopted many of these features. The curvature of wings gives lift. Various flaps and projections serve to control airflow or to act as braking devices. Some small planes lessen wing-tip drag by the mounting of flat plates at right angles to the wing surface. Airplane wings, however, still fall short of the engineering marvels found in the wings of birds.

ANTIFREEZE. Humans use glycol in car radiators as antifreeze. But certain microscopic plants use chemically similar glycerol to keep from freezing in Antarctic lakes. It is also found in insects that survive in temperatures of 4 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. There are fish that produce their own antifreeze, enabling them to live in the frigid waters of Antarctica. Some trees survive temperatures of 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit because they contain “very pure water, without dust or dirt particles upon which ice crystals can form.”4
UNDERWATER BREATHING. People strap tanks of air to their backs and remain under water for up to an hour. Certain water beetles do it more simply and stay under longer. They grab a bubble of air and submerge. The bubble serves as a lung. It takes carbon dioxide from the beetle and diffuses it into the water, and takes oxygen dissolved in the water for the beetle to use.

CLOCKS. Long before people used sundials, clocks in living organisms were keeping accurate time. When the tide is out microscopic plants called diatoms come to the surface of wet beach sand. When the tide comes in the diatoms go down into the sand again. Yet in sand in the laboratory, without any tidal ebb and flow, their clocks still make them come up and go down in time with the tides. Fiddler crabs turn a darker color and come out during low tide, turn pale and retreat to their burrows during high tide. In the laboratory away from the ocean, they still keep time with the changing tide, turning dark and light as the tide ebbs and flows. Birds can navigate by sun and stars, which change position as time passes. They must have internal clocks to compensate for these changes. (Jeremiah 8:7) From microscopic plants to people, millions of internal clocks are ticking away.COMPASSES. About the 13th century C.E. men began to use a magnetic needle floating in a bowl of water—a crude compass. But it was nothing new. Bacteria contain strings of magnetite particles just the right size to make a compass. These guide them to their preferred environments. Magnetite has been found in many other organisms —birds, bees, butterflies, dolphins, mollusks and others. Experiments indicate that homing pigeons can return home by sensing the earth’s magnetic field. It is now generally accepted that one of the ways migrating birds find their way is by the magnetic compasses in their heads.

DESALINATION. Men build huge factories to remove salt from seawater. Mangrove trees have roots that suck up seawater, but filter it through membranes that remove the salt. One species of mangrove, Avicennia, using glands on the underside of its leaves, gets rid of the excess salt. Sea birds, such as gulls, pelicans, cormorants, albatross and petrels, drink seawater and by means of glands in their heads remove the excess salt that gets into their blood. Also penguins, sea turtles and sea iguanas drink salt water, removing the excess salt. Are all these designed?

THE OCTOPUS! How Clever Are They?...

Some suggest that when used in connection with animals, the word “intelligence” involves the ability to learn from experience and solve problems. In that regard, consider this comment by Cousteau: “The octopus’ timidity is a reasoned reaction, one that is based primarily on prudence and caution. . . . If a diver is able to demonstrate that he means no harm, the octopus quickly loses its timidity—more quickly than any ‘wild’ animal.”

Octopuses have the most highly developed brain and eyes among invertebrates. Their eyes, like ours, can be finely focused and can adapt to changes in light. The optic lobe interprets information received from the eyes and this, along with an acute sense of touch, enables an octopus to make surprisingly clever decisions.
Several scientists report seeing an octopus learn to remove a stopper from a bottle in order to reach a crustacean inside. Others have reported that an octopus can figure out how to unscrew the lid on a jar in order to get at the food within. In Canada’s Vancouver Aquarium, an octopus disappeared nightly up a drainpipe to eat the fish in the neighboring tank.
Regarding the cleverness of the octopus, the book Exploring the Secrets of Nature concludes: “We are inclined to credit primates with the highest levels of intelligence, but there is proof that octopuses, too, are among the most intelligent of animals.”
The cleverness of octopus behavior may remind us of creatures that the Bible describes as “instinctively wise.” They truly are a marvel of creation. Among scientists and divers alike, the “horror” of Victor Hugo’s imagination no longer taints the octopus. Those who study this creature are left with profound awe for this clever chameleon of the sea.
Only the blue-ringed octopus, native to Australia, is considered lethal to humans. Its bite can cause respiratory failure. What do you think about the octopus? Wast design?...

The Tree That Sings!..

In the most unexpected part of Africa stands a tree that often sings. The tree is of the acacia species and is known as the whistling thorn. Why? Because when the wind rushes through the delicate branches, the tree seemingly lifts its voice.
A lovely, lilting sound is produced when the tree’s unusually long and slender thorns vibrate in the wind. Adding to the melody of the thorns, the tree’s hollow galls produce a sound much like that of an empty bottle when air is blown across its mouth. These “instruments” are formed by ants, who are said to hollow out the galls, the ants’ spherical homes, and carve tiny entrance and exit holes in them. Because the galls and holes are of differing sizes, they produce sounds of differing pitch. These sounds add to the uniqueness and beauty of the whistling thorn.
This tree no doubt reminds us of the wonders designed in nature. Indeed, when the wind flows over the thorns and the flutelike galls, it produces sounds that are a lovely, emotive song of Africa.What do you think? Was it designed?

Bee-eaters! Multicolored Acrobats of the Sky...

Imagine a family of birds whose feathers reflect practically every color of the rainbow. In flight, they can outmaneuver some of the fastest insects. And some of them are among the few species of birds that can form family clans in which relatives help one another to rear the young. These are just three of the many fascinating traits of bee-eaters.

It is the colorful appearance of these birds, however, that first attracts the attention of bird-watchers. Many insect-eating birds have drab colors and pass unnoticed. But bee-eaters provide an unrivaled display of color and aerial artistry that few bird-watchers will ever forget. Their plumage comes in bright greens, blues, reds, and yellows. Some species, such as the European bee-eater, have all these colors and more! And an Australian species has been aptly named the rainbow bee-eater or the rainbow bird.
Bee-eaters perform their show in many parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, and southern Europe. Since they are rarely seen in captivity, this is a spectacle that must be enjoyed in the wild. “Watching these bold and energetic birds is hugely entertaining,” notes the online publication Wildwatch. “Because many species are quite relaxed in the presence of man, photographic opportunities come readily.”
Bee-eaters specialize in catching insects on the wing. And since they prefer large, fast-flying insects, such as bees, wasps, and hornets, they have to be both quick and agile. Keen eyesight also helps. The European bee-eater can spot a bee or a wasp a hundred yards [100 m] away.
To catch their prey, some bee-eaters use a dive-bombing technique, swooping down on the insect from above. Or more commonly, they perch on a prominent branch and dart out to snatch a passing insect. Other species employ an even more demanding technique. First they fly down behind and below the insect on its blind side—often almost touching the ground. Then they accelerate slightly, raise their head, and pluck the insect out of the air with their long beak.
What do you think? The bee-eaters, were they designed?

The Compound Eye!..

"Layer upon layer of perfectly ordered structures". That is how one professor of the universiy of California, U.S.A, describes the compound eye of many insects.
The compound eye of certain insects, such as the dragonfly and the honeybee, is made up of multiple optical units, each of which points in a different direction. The images produced by the individual lenses combine to create a wide mosaic view that is superb at detecting movement.
Scientists have continued to explore ways to mimic the compound eye of insects in order to make high-speeed motion detectors and ultrathin multidirectional camerals. No doubt, these could have a variety of application. One use would be medical- for example, to peer inside the stomach. This proposed medical device is described as a "tiny System" that can be swallowed by the patient. Once inside the stomach, the device would gather information through its compound eye and then communicate it wirelessly.
Furthermore, a team of bioengineers has already developed an artificial compound eye with more than 8,500 lenses that fit into a space no larger than a pinhead. This technology, however, pales in significance when compared with the compound eye found in the insect world. The dragonfly, for instance, has about 30,000 optical units in each eye.
What do you think? Did this optical marvel, the multifaceted eye of insects come about by chance? Or was it designed?