Ladybirds

One of Fiji's letter writers emailed me these observatons about life in Lautoka. I haven't seen ladybirds lately at all, in fact small creatures are few and far between these days and I wonder why they are absent.

Contributed by Allen Lockington, Lautoka
Life goes on....

I was traipsing around Lautoka on Monday in one of the more secluded spots on Tagimoucia Road I spotted Lady Birds.

I was surprised because I thought they had died out. I remember in my primary school days at Marist Suva Street there were Lady Birds everywhere. They seem to have disappeared like the butterfly that would seen everywhere. Many of our little insects can no longer be seen in urban areas because of what we call development. Their habitats have been destroyed.

And there are the pandanus trees that line Drasa Avenue adjacent to the Botanical gardens. As I walked pass I got a whiff of a sweet smell and saw the trees bearing yellow and orange fruit and birds were everywhere eating them. Pandanus usually grows on the coastal areas but there are many growing in the heart of Lautoka. Our coastal areas are making way for development also but it’s good that this costal plant is able to grow in-land.

As for mangoes they are not as plentiful as last year. But like the Lady Bird, life goes on in Fiji however humble and tough things may be. And my sighting of those Lady Birds, it tells me that there is still hope and life.