Mong children trap birds to find joy in the mountains and forests

(Baonghean.vn) - For Mong children in the communes of Nam Can, Tay Son, Huoi Tu (Ky Son)... it seems that setting traps in the forest has become a profession passed down from generation to generation. The way they trap birds is mainly for entertainment purposes but also contains many interesting "inventions".

Whenever I have free time, Va Ba Na invites her classmates to go behind the empty land on the edge of the forest to set bird traps. In spring, the mist has not yet cleared in the border area of ​​Nam Can commune, but flocks of birds are already chirping everywhere.

A few rays of sunlight filtered through the dense, wet foliage, waking up the flock of birds. Bulbuls, larks, and larks were hopping around looking for worms and wild fruits to eat. Behind the foliage, two Mong children had set a trap waiting for them.

In their free time, Mong children often go into the forest to catch birds and consider it a form of entertainment. Photo: Dao Tho

The way these kids caught birds really surprised us. In the morning, while the birds were still hanging on the trees, Ba Na and his friends planted a branch about 2 meters into the open ground.²Then, a small parachute cord was tied to the end of the pole. The pole was pulled down skillfully enough to bounce up and stick to the bird's leg. About 5 cm from the pole was a bright red wild fruit that Ba Na had found to lure the bird in to eat. That was all, but he said he had trapped quite a few sparrows.

The way Mong children set traps is very simple, using only wild fruits, a trap pole and parachute cord. Photo: Dao Tho

After setting the trap, the children camouflaged the area with leaves so that the birds could not detect the trap. Whenever they had free time, they divided the work to go and look at the traps. Ba Na revealed: “Other friends also often go bird trapping like me. Everyone knows this method, but every now and then they only catch one bird.” Certainly, while adults are using modern nets and cages to trap large numbers of birds, causing the number and species of birds to decrease, these Mong children are still carefree with the traditional method of bird trapping just for fun.

The wild fruit is used as bait. When birds land on the trap to eat, their feet get caught in the parachute cord. Photo: Dao Tho

The silence of the morning in the highlands was torn apart by the cheers and laughter of a group of children when a warbler was caught in a trap. 5-6 children gathered around the trap to watch when they heard Va Ba Na calling. With its feet still stuck in the parachute cord, the little bird tried to escape but was caught and untangled by the children. They passed it around to watch and comment on Ba Na's "achievement".

The result of a bird trapping session. Photo: Dao Tho

Usually, these birds are kept separately by the children in simple homemade bamboo cages to raise. Each child contributes a few grasshoppers to feed the birds. Every day, they take care of them very carefully and find that joy. That joy is so simple and ordinary./.

Dao Tho