The Animals and I...

No, don't get upset, I'm not having another go at the SYRIZA 'politicians' currently running Greece, nor am I referring to the wonderful but long extinct pop group that sang about houses and rising suns; my concern, very real, is for proper wild animals, these majestic creatures found all over this Earth of ours.

For centuries we have treated our environment and the animals living within as being there for our convenience and service, inferior species to human beings, really not that important. Our actions have led to great harm to a number of species and, sometimes irreparable, damage to the environment in general. We either did not know or, simply, refused to understand what was in front of our eyes - that animals have feelings, intelligence and an important role to play in this world of ours; some of us still refuse to realise this despite all the evidence now being freely available and largely irrefutable.

The public domaine is full of stories, films and videos showing us animal behaviour in the proper, respectful light, without making then out to be cartoon creatures. To my mind one of the major problems in the way we perceive animals today is the false sense of anthropomorphism gained through watching too many cartoons, where animals are shown to behave exactly like humans and just look different. This does the animals and our perception of their role in this world a huge disservice.

Nature is enchanting, magical and full of beauty, but it is also harsh, cruel and violent; wild animals do not behave according to some code of sportsmanship and kindness, though they can at times exhibit both. Their main preoccupation is with the survival of their species, often solely their immediate 'family', and to this end they do their utmost, including killing other animals as and when needed. They don't hunt purely for sport - humans do - and they don't destroy another animal for pleasure, responding as best they can to the demands of their environment. Death is part of the natural cycle, cuddly animals do get killed and eaten, which is not pleasant to watch but is an essential part of that cycle.

Yet the same fierce predators that do not hesitate to pursue and rip another animal to shreds in order to feed themselves, ensuring the survival of themselves and their 'families', also exhibit tremendous tenderness and affection towards all they consider their own, including humans. The incredible Kevin Richardson (a.k.a. The Lion Whisperer) in South Africa is accepted and loved as an equal by pretty well all the wild animals in his sanctuary, but his approach is rare, unique even - he treats each animal as an individual, giving them respect and approaching them with sensitivity over and above the affection. Perhaps what he does is not perfect, but it comes as close as possible in this imperfect world of ours and offers a hope of preserving - properly preserving - amazing species that, in turn, will help preserve a world worth living in.

I urge you all to watch animal documentaries on YouTube - I have no channel and no financial interest in any other - to see animals rescued from conditions of unimaginable cruelty, to look into their eyes and see the confusion and pain. I urge you to look at nature documentaries, seeing these animals in their natural habitat, happy and expressive - hear the might of a lion's roar, for example - and alive with what makes our planet tick. I urge you all to condemn the mistreatment of all animals, but especially wild ones, understanding that we share this world with other creatures without needing to abuse them. You do not need to fall in love with these animals (lions, elephants, even hyenas), as I have, but you should try to understand them and learn to appreciate them and what their continued existence means for all our futures.

And if you can and want to, please support all those who devote - truly devote - their lives to these majestic creatures and their survival, enriching us all immeasurably.

As for the other beasts, the politicians, alas there is little hope of them becoming extinct anytime soon; also, we are already paying for them and their actions.