Interview with Zeno the Green Bee-eater
Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Wilpattu National Park
Fun facts
Q: The burning question on everyone’s mind is, “how do you eat bees with being affected by their stings?”
A: Ah, well, I thought that would be quite self evident; we remove them, of course. We’re not some marauding barbarian horde that devours everything in our path. When it comes to bees (and wasps), we catch them in mid-flight and then take them to a place with a suitably hard surface, like a rock, and dash the stinger away. By the way, we eat other insects too; sometimes it’s easier to do this than to do all that dashing and bashing you see.
Did you know?
Q: Your species has a much higher success rate when it comes to safeguarding your young and increasing your population. What is the secret of your success?
A: It’s quite simple you see, it’s called putting yourself in someone else’s place; and in this case that someone else happens to be a predator. Before we construct the nest burrow, we look at the location from different angles, especially angles from which a predator could approach. We only construct the nest if we are quite satisfied with our safety.
Whereabouts
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about your family?
A: Yes of course. The extended family is global, as everyone’s family tends to be these days. We have relatives stretching from sub-Saharan Africa all the way across to Vietnam. Some eccentric branches of the family head up into the Himalayas from time to time as well. But you won’t catch me doing all that nonsense. My immediate family and I are quite happy in the Sri Lankan jungles, especially near the Mahoora Campsite in Wilpattu where they treat you with respect and leave you in peace.
