In the heart of a remote wilderness, hidden away from the prying eyes of urbanization, lies a small village shrouded in mystery and cloaked in an eerie silence. Tales of age-old curses and folklore have haunted the locals for ages.
Nestled in the foothills of the Borail Mountain Range, in Assam, India, lies the Jatinga Village. The small village offers beautiful views of the mountain ranges and valleys. Lush green meadows stretch as far as the eye can see, framed by a deep blue sky. Crystal-clear streams meander through, painting a tranquil picture of serenity in this idyllic haven. However, the picture changes as soon as the monsoon arrives. Something very weird and unexplainable starts happening, - mass bird suicide.
In the sleepy village of Jatinga, the eerie phenomenon of mass bird suicides occurs every year during the months of September, October, and November. It is a perplexing and haunting spectacle that occurs mainly at night, between 7 pm and 10 pm, casting a shroud of mystery over the tranquil village. Most chillingly, these incidents are more frequent during the pitch-black nights of the new moon, as if some malevolent forces are conspiring against the residents of the village.
Several birds, such as Kingfisher, Pond Heron, Black Bittern, Indian Pitta, and Tiger Bittern, would start their ill-fated flights just after dusk. They'd flutter in wild, looping patterns through the night sky, their usual grace replaced by a haunting confusion. As if drawn by some sinister magnetism, they would veer off course, away from their natural habitats, and toward the perilous allure of artificial light sources.
Streetlamps and campfires have become unwitting death traps for these bewildered avian visitors. Ornithologists and other researchers have visited Jatinga several times, seeking answers, but they never got a definite one, every answer was just an assumption or a folklore. The locals, however, held their own theories. Some believe that the land has been cursed in the past and many of the early tribe members have even fled from there. However, some locals do see a positive side to this incident, saying that this is nature’s way of blessing them with food. From a scientific point of view, some experts believe that the incident is happening due to electrical and magnetic interference. Others say it could be because of the landscape, which experiences heavy rain and strong winds during the monsoon.
The mystery of mass bird suicides in the Jatinga village remains unsolved to date. However, this yearly occurrence has made the village into a tourist attraction in recent times. Curious visitors often come here in the hope of catching a glimpse of the eeriness that continues to haunt the quiet monsoon nights of Jatinga.
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