“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better” – Albert Einstein
Since the beginning of time man has been fascinated by animals – we keep them as pets and companions, we domesticate them and train them, we keep them as livestock on farms, we hunt them, we sell them, we take their skin and wear it, we eat them.
They protect us, they work for us, they generate money for us, but yet, we don’t know them. We don’t even realise just how much alike animals and humans are. In fact, we often don’t even want to acknowledge that the human species is part of the animal kingdom.
We don’t allow ourselves to take the time to get to know the other amazing animal species that we share this life and planet. We don’t even know that most mammal species have complex social lives with even more complex relationships and that in some species such as the tiny dwarf mongoose, their chosen leader is not the strongest or the most aggressive member of society, but rather the one that has proved to be the most caring, a leader that will place the safety and well-being of the group above personal safety or gain.
We don’t know that a lot of mammal species have extraordinary cultures, a phenomenon we claim as unique only to the human species. Culture, as defined by humans, includes the traditions, language, music, and the various crafts of different societies – all apparent in numerous non-human societies.
In all primate societies where it has been investigated, culture as defined and claimed by us, is definitely alive. Cultural transmission of learned behaviour, such as feeding techniques, the use of tools and language, is commonly passed down generations and in some studied primates such as chimpanzees, more than 39 cultural variants have been identified.
Most mammal species, from the smallest rodent to the gigantic elephant, also have a wide and unique repertoire of different vocalisations that serves as a complex language – a language often not even audible to the human ear.
“The world exists as you perceive it. It is not what you see, it is how you see it. It is not what you hear, but how you hear it. It is not what you feel, but how you feel it” – Rumi
Like all other living creatures, we as humans have the privilege to be an inseparable part of this natural world and its amazing biodiversity. In fact – no one is outside nature – EVERYTHING is part of nature!
In the words of Ian McCallum:
“The animals are our soul mates and we are the human animal”
Sadly, the human species is fast asleep in a human society that is geared to keep us asleep and lost in many ways. Our challenge is to wake up and be awoken to the fact that we are an inseparable part of the ‘other’ animals, part of nature itself, and part of the miracle of all life!
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it’s beauty” – Albert Einstein
The good news is that this ‘global awakening’ of the human species starts with me and you, one human-animal at a time.
"Nature is not our enemy, to be raped and conquered. Nature is ourselves, to be cherished and explored" - Terence McKenna -