Adoring those animals!!!

Cows, dogs, monkeys, pigs, goats...these creatures, even if owned, roam freely. Granted, their diets are not to be believed, but they must have adapted in order to be able to exist on unimaginable--what we would consider--non-food items. The most resilient of all seems to be the cows, who almost always appear to be fat and happy. Not as much so for dogs, and as for the monkeys, who can tell? Those little rascals certainly seem to have amazing energy.

In any event, these are just a few of my photos, but are my favorites, either because I have grown fond of this particular neighbor, and/or because it was one of the most entertaining. Enjoy!

How could you NOT but love this face!??!

A well-fed bovine, he is enjoying the macaroni breakfast I gave to him!

This boy was a little reluctant to pet the calf, but I convinced him to for the photo. 

As for me, patting, feeding and scritching my bovine friends behind the ears is my favorite past time!

Adults, for the most part are also happy to pet and feed these babies. They are sacred, after all, and Nandi--a cow deity that guards many temples--is much revered. (I even saw an Indian woman whispering in Nandi's gilded ear at the Shiva temple today!) Surely it brings good karma, then, to feed and love these street wanderers!

This adorable fellow even gets his own bowl!

Yes, he was a great subject! What a face! 

Next, we have our street dogs. I am getting slightly more used to seeing so many everywhere,  but it still hurts my heart to see the ones that are malnourished. In Rishikesh, at least they don't appear to be starving, but they all perpetually scratch themselves, as they are surely home to massive colonies of fleas and other pests. They must have other maladies as well, for they are so often seen sleeping, or generally looking depressed and woebegone. I HAVE actually seen some people around here with pet dogs; they are distinguished by leashes, a wagging tail and a well-groomed look about them in general.

Definitely a healthy specimen! On would never think, to look at this handsome fellow, that he lived on the streets! He is, in fact, my favorite, neighborhood pooch. We basically adopted each other! He is a sweet and loving dog, cared for by my hosts, who feed him twice a day.... 

....and yes, dog lovers out there, make sure you are sitting down... on MILK and SWEETS!!! (this orange thing you see him eating is a ladhu.) I know it sounds insane, but this dog is energetic, with a nice sheen to his coat, and really does appear to be healthy! Go figure... does shatter the concepts of all you folks back in the good ol' U.S. of A, doesn't it?!?!

See how relaxed and contented he is?!

Noble creature that he is, pet show caliber, doncha think?!

Though an adorable puppy, this guy was, sadly, already street wise and wary. Side note: if you think the plants growing in the background are marijuana plants, you would be right! They are everywhere! I wonder if they are ceremonial, medicinal, recreational, or all of the above? I must ask someone soon!

This sweet, adorable little fellow was rescued from an almost certain demise by the young  man holding him. This poor, bewildered pup--probably barely 6 weeks old--was scooped up right before a huge tractor ran over him. If I was living here, no question--I would have adopted and taken him home!!!

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The cows are not the only street animals adapted to eat garbage. So are goats and...well, apparently pigs! This mama is teaching her baby about which morsels are the best, evidently. Yes, horrifying to a Westerner, but taken for granted in India. I would hope to see this change in a more enlightened age!

On to my last series, our primate brothers... and are THEY ever entertaining as well! Only thing is, I keep my distance... some can be quite aggressive, I have heard (and witnessed at the Haridwar railway station!), and I refused to get a rabies vaccination before leaving the States...

These guys hang out on the bridge railings that cross the Ganges in several places. Since there wouldn't be any food on this man-made structure, the myriad tourists must feed them. Then, the primates spread the news, and soon whole families come to occupy these prime real estate spots!

 Equally savvy are the temple monkeys, for the same reason. When devoted followers of the various deities make their offerings of fruit and flowers, these little furry robbers are quick to snatch them up and eat them!

This guy is sitting at the base of a Banyan tree next to the large Shiva temple I went to Friday eve (and again today).  He is waiting for people to leave their offerings before a few small deities based  outside of the main temple. Then, once the worshipers depart, he leaps up and snatched the offerings away!

I was of course rooting for this guy!

Here we have another fellow checking out the goodies in the trash can. After he tipped it over and grabbed some treats, a temple worker ran over and chased him away, looking distinctly peeved. I of course found the whole thing infinitely entertaining!

He didn't have to run far: just straight up the Banyan tree!

This little one found--and was feasting on--a banana! SO classic! Unfortunately, it disappeared before I got a chance to photograph it in his paws and mouth. 

The yellow blob next to this one is the remnant of banana...

My conclusion? If I have to come back as an animal in India, I would say it would have to be as one of these monkeys!