Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak)
Rahimus Capanelli Bashir

Javan ferret-badger (Melogale orientalis)
Josephine Leilani Clearriver

Sulawesi babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis)
Omar Adnan Greyarc

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Another slice of life from The Jungle Lands of Truhaven

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“Any idea who owns that land over there?” Josephine asked.


“Well just so happens,” Omar smiled, “The fella' brought a machine into my shop last week.”


“So we’ve finally got our foot the door,” Rahimus laughed as he adjusted his pack. He looked across to the plantation an the modesty large house that sat cozily in the middle. “ The neighborly thing to do would be to bring your new customer a nice dinner.”


The three friends had been admiring the place for years now. It was half way between Josephine's family’s land and the market town where Omar and Rahimus lived. The place was picturesque, it bordered a forested slough to the east and the land rose northward in a gentle hill. The road through the property ran from West and bent towards the south where the town was located just past a man made lake with a tilapia farm. The land was divided into seven fields with the home and equipment sheds located in the center. The home and central field was separated by two groves of fruit trees that extended from the jungle. These were mostly bananas, almonds, and honey locust trees with a few other ornamental varieties selected for the flowers. The fields were mostly planted with taro and ginger, another had been planted with cowpeas and clover, likely to fix nitrates back into the soil. One of the fields was left fallow.


“That’s a Sabbath plot over there,” Josephine pointed to the unplanted field, “He keeps the Book.”


“Well a religious fellow is obliged to hospitality by the scriptures,” Rahimus said, “A few friendly folks looking to pick some weeds and help him with his bird problem would probably be welcomed.”


There were some scare crows erected along the edges of some of the fields. Chimes were placed in some of the trees while others has nets over them. These measures would do little to abate the flocks that lighted the trees in the mornings and evenings from the surrounding jungle. Peacocks and pheasants strutted and called along the wood line. A large colorful dule of fruit doves were congregated in the trees as well as a vocal abundance of great tailed grackles and parakeets.


To the three friends these would be a blessing rather than pests. The farmland was a perfect place for hunting and foraging. Their minds were on game pies, barbeque, and dove stuffed peppers. They imagined happy afternoons sitting under the banana trees waiting for the birds in the golden light of the evening. Also hunting there wouldn’t put them back home as late in the evening as the seven mile hike out to Josephine’s family plot. The regrowth of the jungle there was making the previously cut timber land to thick for doves and quail.

“He’s an older fella,” said Omar, “starting to have hip trouble. That’s why he’s turning to machines to do some of the farm work now. Doesn’t feel like sitting out in the weather to deal with some bothersome birds.”


“Nice pheasant pie and some home brewed beer might make his evenings better,” Josephine smiled as she leaned against the fence to look at the humming birds in the ginger flowers.


Rahimus was examining the plants along the fencerow, “good forage here too, look there is sage and chives growing everywhere. There’s even cardamom, rue, and star anise all growing feral along the fence. I’ll bet there are mushrooms and truffles my pigs could find in the woods behind the place.”


“I’ll try to get us a dinner invite when I return his equipment,” mused Omar as he watched more peafowl land in the taro field, “you two think of something nice to bring when I make your introductions.”