A few days ago, I was driving through Thomastown at twilight. Between showers, it was a beautiful clear evening. I counted seven people, accompanied by their dogs, out for their nightly stroll. Just people and dogs, no solitary walkers. Earlier on, I had been listening to “Newstalk” about pet grief. I wrote about this a few months ago. Once again, the distraught interviewees had had very significant, loving relationships with their family pets, most of which were dogs.
However, there are many other creatures, both tame and wild, that have been our companions over the centuries. Domesticated animals are an integral part of our lives and an important part of our shared story. Horses and dogs have long held important roles in society. Horses mainly for travel and hunting, and dogs, particularly the larger breeds, for security and hunting and, like horses, they were also used in war. The idea of keeping animals purely as pets developed later. Historically, kings and queens had favourite animals that travelled with them and some breeds were developed as lapdogs, as seen in China, where Pekingese dogs were symbols of royalty.
Many different types of animals and birds have played important parts in people’s lives both in the past and present times, and there are many reports and stories of horses, dogs, dolphins, apes, cats, parrots, pigs and even rats who have saved the lives of humans.
When one reads or hears such accounts, it is difficult to deny that animals have intelligence and feelings. One of the recurring themes in these articles is the interconnection of all things. We are becoming increasingly aware of our dependence on nature: on the soil, on biodiversity and indeed on everything around us, including all creatures great and small. Like it or not, we depend on worms and other creeping creatures for healthy soil and, in turn, agricultural productivity. We may sit at the top of the food chain, but human greed has destroyed much of what we need to survive. We must become more conscious of how the devastation of natural habitats has also destroyed the lives of so many animals.
Let me tell you about some of the wonderful creatures who have helped humans in the past: Cher Ami was a homing pigeon in World War I and, despite being shot in the chest and leg, managed to keep flying and deliver a message that saved 200 American soldiers.
Koko the gorilla touched millions of people through her empathy and her ability to communicate using sign language. She died in 2018 at the age of 46. After the deaths of her long-time companion Michael and later her pet cat, All Ball, she appeared to grieve deeply for several months. According to her trainer, Dr Penny Patterson, a message Koko conveyed shortly before her death was later read at the COP21 climate conference:
“I am a gorilla. I am flowers, animals, I am Nature. Man, Koko love. Earth Koko love, but man stupid. Koko sorry, Koko cry. Time hurry. Fix Earth! Help Earth! Protect Earth… Nature see you.”
David Attenborough has voiced similar warnings for decades, and we now need to take them seriously and act before it is too late.
I highly recommend the beautiful film My Octopus Teacher, which vividly shows an octopus’s ability to communicate and respond to humans in a meaningful way.
I also suggest watching the YouTube video “How Diablo Became Spirit”, concerning a leopard. Both animals clearly demonstrate intelligence, awareness, empathy and feeling.
We’ve all heard about rescue dogs in war zones and natural disasters; those who sniff out drugs or cancers; guide and therapy dogs and those who alert humans before epileptic seizures or diabetic episodes.
Florence Nightingale rescued a baby owlet in Athens during the Crimean War. It was tiny, and it became her companion for many years. It lived in her pocket, and she trained it to cheer up wounded soldiers in her care. When she returned to England, “Athena” went with her and Florence was distraught when the little owl died.
Creatures of every kind show intelligence and emotion. We need to recognise this and allow it to shape the way we treat them. We are interdependent co-habitants on Planet Earth.
Our lives depend on animals. They are crucial in rewilding natural habitat projects, flood relief schemes and much more. They are our co-workers, helping us restore balance in the natural world. For that reason, they deserve our respect, love, care and protection.
We are all intimately connected!
