Ignoring Nature No More: The State of the Animals 2013 (Op-Ed)

[xchrom]

http://www.livescience.com/42157-state-of-animals-in-2013.html

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A young grey seal playing with weeds while waiting for his mother on an island called Düne, near Helgoland (Germany).
Credit: ©Ingrid den Boer. All rights reserved.

***SNIP

The state of the animals 2013

First, let's stop pretending we don't know what other animals want and need.

As a biologist, I realize there aren't "higher" and "lower" animals, and labels like higher and lower really don't mean anything at all and are frequently used to justify the mistreatment of lower animals because the word lower far too easily slides into "less intelligent," "less feeling," or less valuable." So, are humans exceptional and unique? Yes, but so too are other animals. And, just like us, animals want to live in peace and safety — so let's stop pretending we don't know what they want and need.

Incredibly exciting and important research has shown that humans do things that other animals can't do and they do things that we can't do. And, we now know:

Mice, rats and chickens display empathy;

Fish use their head to tell other fish where there's food;

Many animals experience emotions ranging from contagious and unbounded joy to deep sadness and grief;

Animals play "just for the hell of it" because it feels good;

New Caledonian crows outdo chimpanzees in making and using sophisticated tools (and dingoes also use and make tools);

Gorillas learn to release other gorillas from snares;

Animals care for disabled members of their group;

Animals want to be treated fairly and will rebel when they're treated unfairly;

Fish display different personalities;

And the list goes on and on. . .

[n2doc]

1. Thanks

Those that love animals, and those that aren't invested in building their egos by denigrating other beings, know.

[brer cat]

2. Well worth reading the entire article.

another:

"We must not ignore nature, for we do so at our own peril. By paying close attention to who other animals are and what they want and need, we can re-wild our hearts and keep our hopes and dreams alive as we reconnect with other animals and nature as a whole and feel ever so comfortable with our membership in the diverse and fascinating animal kingdom."

K&R

[tavalon]

3. It astounds me that, in my lifetime,

it was taught that man is separate from the other animals, and in fact, isn't an animal. It's nice to see that fade away. Now, I just wish we would stop thinking we are the best animal. Or if we are determined to have that title, live up to it.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked, recommended and bookmarked.

Thanks for the thread, xchrom.