“I don't know what story to tell my daughter. You've travelled a long way to talk with us. I just got back from fishing. We've been fishing since I was a child, and we still do it because it's how we make a living. Seeing wild animals is common here, and we have to learn to live alongside them. I just hope I don't get attacked by any wild animals, and thankfully, I've stayed safe so far by the grace of God. Sadly, a few people in our village have been killed by wild animals.

We've been living by the river for many generations because it's our way of life. Our parents used to take us fishing with them and taught us how to stay safe from wild animals. We grew up playing in the water and the forest, encountering wild animals along the way. They only attack when they feel threatened. It's their home, and they'll protect themselves if they think we're a danger to them. Animals have feelings too; otherwise, why would they attack anyone? Humans often don't understand this and think we're more powerful and can do anything, but we're nothing compared to wild animals.

Let me tell you a story. One time, while we were working in the forest, a dog chased a baby rhino towards us, followed by its mother. Everyone else ran away, but I was closest to the rhino. If I had run, the mother rhino might have attacked me. The baby rhino was right next to me, and the mother rhino started coming towards me. I didn't know what to do until I saw a guy hiding nearby and asked him to pass a stick. With that stick, I managed to chase the baby rhino back to its mother, and they both ran away into the forest. The mother rhino was just trying to protect her child from what she saw as a threat. It shows that nothing can replace a mother's love, even among animals”. Sahuni Bote, Chitwan