Rudresh Uttam Mhamal

On a sun scorched patch of land, where the earth lies cracked and dry for most of the year, a small hole in the ground is easy to overlook. To most, it is just a burrow, an ordinary mark left behind by some unseen creature. But spend a little time observing it, and a different story begins to unfold. These burrows, often dug by rodents or small reptiles, can run 1 to 2 meters deep, sometimes forming intricate underground networks. For the animals, they are homes 'cool, safe spaces that offer refuge from heat and predators'. But over the years, I have come to see them as something more: silent contributors to a much larger ecological process.