Of Western Foxes and Air Pollution

It is clear that, apart from incurring the wrath of Mother Nature, who has since decided a new name for her punishment— Climate Change— for the most part the African plays the protagonist in the film of self-destruction.

CLEAN AIR: Brighton and Hove City. Photo credit: Richard Chirombo

Come to think of it. Any edible animal that comes into contact with people in the village has just encountered death. Literally.

In countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) things are different. Wild ducks mingle with people without attracting ire. Admiration is the prevalent emotion.

In fact, it is ironic that my first sight of a fox should be in the UK and not Africa. Did I say fox? No, I mean foxes. I have come across 20 foxes since September 23, 2019 and I am still counting.

Actually, there is one brown fox at the University of Sussex that grabs food from my Serbian friend once or twice a night. It catches him unsuspecting, although, in truth, he suspects it anyway.

“A fox attacked me yesterday,” this has become his song.

I always tell him he is exaggerating because foxes do not attack people. At least they do not attack me. Instead, they are friendly, if not because they scavenge for food in people’s residential areas, it could be because they are striving to be as friendly as most of the dogs.

Of course, not all dogs are affable. Some three of them have barked at me, culminating in the unfavourable scenario where their ‘masters’ apologise to me. I say, “no worry. African dogs bark all the time.”

Talking of human-wild animal interaction still, Brighton and Hove Albion has become a good point of reference. At the home ground, namely the Amex Stadium, I know two Kalulu-the-Hairs that feed at night, looking people in the eye while munching grass.

And, goodness me, those who tend the outside do not tamper with its habitat, for they know where nature flourishes good feelings flow ceaselessly. Maybe that is why the team is doing better than last season in the Premier League.

Last season, the hopelessness of relegation hovered round-about the place. Others say this is because the then coach, Houghton, was playing negative football away from home.

It could be that the Kalulu-the-Hair was not happy.

One more thing. While investors have taken over Lake Malawi, stopping local people from swimming in front of the investors’ tourist attraction sites, the situation is different in Brighton and Hove City, where people spend only their breath going to Brighton Pier and the sea museum close by.

If one spends money on transport or food going to the tourism attraction places, it is as good as they have paid cash to appreciate the good things there. This must be common sense but it is not.

In Africa, Malawi in particular, the situation is different. Accommodation is expensive.

Talking of pollution, the impact of climate change is being minimized here more than in Africa. Zero-emission buses have become the in-thing in cities.

Of course, some buses that emit environment-friendly gases and in negligible quantities are still on the roads, but the situation is better still anyway, and I can bet that the buses will be off the streets at least by 2025, maybe shipped to Africa to pollute the air round-about.

So far so good.