Animals for Transport
Since olden days, animals are used for transporting goods and people. Bullocks, horses and camels are commonly used for transport. Villagers use carts pulled by animals to travel from one village to another.
Transport
Animals are domesticated and trained to perform different tasks. They are trained for logging, searching, hunting, riding and pulling. Some of them are also used to work in the agricultural fields. All through their lives, they serve human beings in various ways. Such animals are called beasts of burden or pack animals.
Animals for Pulling Carts
The carts pulled by bullocks are called bullock carts. The carts pulled by horses are called tongas or horse carriages. Oxen are slow in their movement. Yet they are strong enough to pull heavy loads. People are using these animals since ancient times.
Animals pull carts and carry loads. This is called pulling transport. Horses, mules and donkeys are also used for pulling carts and small wagons. In cold regions, dogs are used for pulling light carts, called sledges. Reindeer are used in cold regions to pull carts over the snow. These carts are called sleighs. Unlike other carts, a sleigh has no wheels. In Christmas cards, you would have noticed Santa Claus riding on a sleigh.
Elephants are used for logging in India. Camels too carry lots of loads in deserts. Hence, they are called ‘ship of the desert.
Animals Used for Riding
Camels, horses and elephants are used for riding. Horse-riding is one of the popular sports among people. Similarly, riding on a camel is an entertainment in the desert regions. People ride on elephants at tourists places and in forests. In hilly regions, like Kashmir, people use yaks for riding. Domesticated animals are our friends and benefactors. We should treat them with love and respect. Ill treatment towards animals is a crime.
People make horseshoe (a piece of U-shaped metal) to protect horse’s hoofs from wear and tear. They nail it to the hoof of the horse.
Animals Used for Their Senses or Instincts
A sniffer dog is trained to use its sense of smell and detect people, animals, explosives, etc. Dog is the best example of animal used for hunting. Dogs are trained to smell the nearby animals. Hunters use dogs for hunting animals in the forest.
Dogs are also used for searching people. You would have noticed dogs being used by police to smell and find criminals. Sometimes they are used to find people who are trapped under collapsed buildings.
Dog is also a guard. At homes, we keep them to guard the house day and night.
Animals and Special Occasions
Pongal is a harvest festival of Tamil Nadu. The third day of the Pongal celebration is for the worship of the cattle.
Elephant festival of Jaipur is well-known. People decorate the elephants with ornaments for a grand procession. In India, horses are also used during processions and marriages.
Sensitivity Towards Animals
Many people take care of these beasts of burden by keeping them clean and feeding them with good food. They are given proper treatment when they are sick. Especially, people take good care of their pet animals.
But some people are rude to them. Bulls are used to transport heavy things like fuel, rice bags, etc. They are forced to work until they are exhausted.
They are made to carry heavy loads in all types of weather. You would have seen some people whipping them with rod or cane. The wounds of the animals are sometimes inflamed and not given proper treatment.
We should be kind towards the animals. Give them good food for their growth and treatment when they are sick. They too feel hungry and pain like us. Always be kind and loving towards the animals as they deserve our sympathy.
