The Indian Desert Jird, one of my favourite rodents

It’s not a bird, it’s a jird

Good morning, 2015. It feels like a fine time for burrowing in the past, shucking out the dirt and ruminating on the future. Nothing like a little video to set the tone.

On a winter morning in Jaisalmer, I was cycling around the grounds of the magnificent hotel Suryagarh and watching birds when I came upon a series of burrows in the ground. The holes were large and evenly spaced, usually in the shade of a shrub and surrounded by tussocks of straw-dry grass. And that’s where I found this adorable colony of jirds, who allowed me to film them quietly, one leg resting on the bicycle (so excuse the shakes, please).

The Indian Desert Jird is a fossorial (burrow-making) rodent that, in appearance, is equal parts squirrel and rat. But those endearing eyes quickly dismiss any fear one might have of rats. Here, in Rajasthan, I gathered rodents are not treated with fear. After all, as the raven flies, Jaisalmer is not far from the rodent-worshipping Karni Mata temple near Bikaner.

Happy 2015! Dig deep into your past to find the key to the future.

Also see our Encounter post on the Indian Desert Jird 

Beej
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