The Tree That Asked Not to Be Cut

There was a time in India when people stood between trees and the axe—not with weapons, but with their arms. In the 1970s, the Chipko Movement became a powerful symbol of this bond with nature. Villagers, particularly women in the Himalayan region, hugged trees to prevent them from being felled. Chipko means “to hug” or “to cling to.” Their message was simple: a tree is not merely timber. It is a living part of the ecosystem that supports countless forms of life.Looking at this photograph, I am reminded of that movement—but this time, it is not a human being embracing the tree.

It is a monitor lizard.

Clinging to the rough bark, its body almost blending with the trunk, the lizard seems to be standing guard. Perhaps, if it could speak, it would say:

“Please don't cut this tree. This is my home—and look closely… those ants are my food!”

And there is a beautiful truth behind those imaginary words.

A tree is much more than what we see above the ground. Its bark, hollows, roots, branches and surrounding vegetation create a miniature world. Insects live there. Birds search its crevices for food. Reptiles use it for shelter and hunting. Small mammals move through its branches. Fungi, lichens and countless microorganisms quietly participate in the same ecosystem. For this monitor lizard, the tree is not simply a tree. It is a restaurant, shelter, hunting ground and refuge—all rolled into one.The ants crawling across its bark may appear insignificant to us. To the lizard, they are dinner.That makes the message of Chipko even more relevant today.

When a tree falls, we often count only the timber we gain. We rarely count the invisible losses—the insects that disappear, the nesting sites destroyed, the food chain disrupted and the countless creatures that suddenly lose their homes.The people of the Chipko Movement understood something profound: protecting a tree means protecting everything that depends upon it.

And perhaps this little monitor lizard is reminding us of exactly the same thing.Yesterday, people hugged trees to save them from the axe.Today, wildlife is silently asking us to do the same.So before a tree is cut, perhaps we should pause and look closely at its bark.There may be a whole world clinging to it.

And someone may already be saying—
“Don't cut it. This is my home. And those ants… are my food.”

kamalsahansi photography

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