The saga began when my sister attempted to save a black ant, slightly smaller and slimmer than the typical ones found in Delhi, from drowning in the swimming pool. Despite her efforts to revive it, the frail creature succumbed to the ordeal. Surprisingly, a tiny ant, likely a scout, swiftly arrived on the scene, assessed the situation, and enlisted the help of others to transport the deceased ant.
This miniature rescue team exhibited remarkable coordination, tugging the larger ant backwards with remarkable speed. Despite the apparent lack of a clear destination, the ants were resolute, heading straight back towards the pool. The scene unfolded like a tugboat maneuvering a jumbo jet, with smaller ants seemingly shouting instructions while running alongside.
To our fascination, the team and its cargo reached the pool’s edge, presenting a tense moment as the cargo dangled perilously before being pulled to safety. Their journey continued towards a corner of the pool, and it became evident that the entrance to their colony lay beneath a gap in the path’s corner slabs. The deceased ant was suspended in a cliffhanger position before being swiftly hoisted into the colony by waiting ants, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Curious about their capabilities, we conducted an experiment, placing several dead black ants around 10 to 15 feet from the colony entrance. The ants promptly discovered the corpses and repeated the haulage process. Later, we introduced a chunky dead bluebottle and a substantial termite, both of which were eagerly retrieved by the industrious ants. However, a misadventure occurred when a hefty dead black bee proved too heavy for the ants, leading to a tragic plunge into the pool.
As we marveled at this intricate ant ballet, we realized the bustling ant kitchen inside the colony was not just processing our offerings but also sustaining itself with independent finds from other hunters and foragers. Despite the occasional mishap, the ants’ resourcefulness and teamwork in navigating a miniature buffet of diverse offerings left us in awe of their remarkable abilities.
