Shepherds usually come across as simple minded folks, not at all given to any education of the formal sort. However I have never had any reason to think of them as a bunch of uneducated ignoramuses, even though, at first sight, given their weather beaten demeanor and their shabby attire, one would almost always end up thinking so.
For these shepherds their flock is all that they seem to care about. As they move from one graze land to another their biggest threat are the wild cats that often make a meal of the weak or the laggards. So shepherds often combine their flocks. Seeking safety in numbers, i guess. Up in the mountains it is a common sight to see a huge herd of sheep tended by a common band of shepherds. These herds can get as large as 2000 odd sheep and since a typical shepherd has about 250 - 300 sheep, its obvious that almost 8 - 10 shepherds have pooled in their flocks. A herd as large as that, tended by a common pool of the fiercely protective bhutias and the of-course the ever alert shepherds themselves, does have a much better chance of minimizing the losses. Very sensible, to say the least, but what amazed me most about this arrangement was what happens at the end of the grazing season. Once the herd is back in the plains its time to redistribute the herd back to the respective owners and since none of the sheep are usually marked, i assumed this would be a rather acrimonious task. To my utter surprise the way it is done is most amazing. A shepherd would wade into the herd and unerringly pick out his sheep, just on sight. Its amazing to see his roam about and seemingly randomly weaning away some sheep. It seems they know each and every sheep of theirs by face !!!
I feel that's damn intelligent.
For these shepherds their flock is all that they seem to care about. As they move from one graze land to another their biggest threat are the wild cats that often make a meal of the weak or the laggards. So shepherds often combine their flocks. Seeking safety in numbers, i guess. Up in the mountains it is a common sight to see a huge herd of sheep tended by a common band of shepherds. These herds can get as large as 2000 odd sheep and since a typical shepherd has about 250 - 300 sheep, its obvious that almost 8 - 10 shepherds have pooled in their flocks. A herd as large as that, tended by a common pool of the fiercely protective bhutias and the of-course the ever alert shepherds themselves, does have a much better chance of minimizing the losses. Very sensible, to say the least, but what amazed me most about this arrangement was what happens at the end of the grazing season. Once the herd is back in the plains its time to redistribute the herd back to the respective owners and since none of the sheep are usually marked, i assumed this would be a rather acrimonious task. To my utter surprise the way it is done is most amazing. A shepherd would wade into the herd and unerringly pick out his sheep, just on sight. Its amazing to see his roam about and seemingly randomly weaning away some sheep. It seems they know each and every sheep of theirs by face !!!
I feel that's damn intelligent.
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