A friend in Kathmandu recently brought a Bhote Kukur (Himalayan Sheepdog) puppy down from a remote village in Rasuwa. He gave it the best care possible, but despite the breed’s legendary strength, the puppy didn’t survive two months in the city.
This heartbreak serves as a stark reminder: No matter how resilient a species is, every member of the animal kingdom has strict biological limits.
Humans are the ultimate “generalists.” While we evolved on the African savannah, making us naturally heat-adapted, our true edge isn’t physical; it’s behavioral. We have fire, air conditioning, and insulated clothing. If it gets cold, we put on a coat; if it’s hot, we turn on the AC. Our adaptation happens in minutes.
In contrast, an animal’s adaptation takes generations. They rely on instincts and physical traits evolved over millions of years – fur, feathers, or blubber. When a species is suddenly relocated, they cannot simply “will” themselves to cope with a new climate.
Interestingly, humans are world champions at one specific thing: sweating. With a high density of eccrine sweat glands and minimal body hair, we dump massive amounts of heat through evaporation. Most mammals rely on panting, a much less efficient cooling mechanism that can lead to rapid exhaustion.
I’ve been thinking about this because of the recent news of Nepal gifting two elephant calves to Qatar. These are two countries with vastly different climates. While I trust that government officials performed enough due diligence and ensured Qatar has state-of-the-art facilities, it still feels unsettling. Those calves are our babies.
Moving them from the lush, humid greenery of Nepal to the extreme, arid heat of the Middle East is a massive biological gamble. Relocation is never just physical. Elephants are deeply communal. Moving them to a new country often means breaking social bonds, which weakens their immune systems.
Some adaptations aren’t about better facilities or good intentions. They’re written deep into biology. And sometimes, nature doesn’t care how noble the gesture is.
Picture: The Kathmandu Post