We don’t need to understand animals

1472: 

When I come across people who are different, I either alienate them because I fear them or I make an effort to get close to them, to make them feel at home.  They may remain a mystery for some time but their differences aren’t usually threatening.  In fact it's because of their difference that they become more interesting.

Maybe I don’t necessarily understand them, but do I need to? The more differences others have, the more they ‘bring me out’ - out of my shell.  The more I can learn from them, about how they operate and how they see us, the more I want to watch them and learn from them, about myself and, culturally, about ourselves.

         

That valuable form of learning isn’t confined to one human learning from another human.  It happens between human and non-human.  Who hasn’t felt close to a creature, found them fascinating, learnt from them and wanted to better understand them?  But then, surely the question is, why should I necessarily want to understand them, when all I really want is a greater closeness to them?

I’m fascinated by any kind of connection with an animal.  What I like most about them is their independence of spirit and perhaps also even them showing me some sort of trust.  (And that’s quite remarkable in the light of the way humans behave so untrustingly towards animals).

Some of my best friends are animals, but more importantly, it’s that protective feeling they evoke in me, my wanting to protect them.  Animals bring out the friend and guardian in me.  They evoke empathy in me, and I love to see the wild animals in Nature so free.  In contrast, to see any animal caged hits all my most claustrophobic buttons.  It brings me out in a rash.

Amongst captive animal populations, because I see so much need for them to be helped, I can’t help but be vegan.  But even for those who aren’t ‘animal-y people’, even if they eat them, there is still an empathetic sleeper gene ready to be awoken.  For all of us, guardianship comes quite naturally.  It’s an integral part of human nature.  We know animals are less powerful than us, and hopefully we look out for them, especially if they’re in trouble.

Humans are good at being protective.  We do it well.  We get in there, really close, and get involved.  Dogs, with thousands of years of being close to humans, are good at it in the same way.  In fact they’re renowned for it - being protective of us, being loyal, being friendly, as we are towards them.

Perhaps we know less about other animals, but they’re all like this, especially amongst their own kind.  They’re protective of their young and act for their wellbeing.  They guard the vulnerable and they encourage growth.  In other words, there’s a common altruistic trait in both animals and humans.  Maybe it’s in a different form with animals, less conscious, but like us, their altruism is instinctive.  But there’s another element in humans that animals don’t experience; we ‘do’ altruism. They don’t ‘do’ it, not intellectually or by design or in order to be correct.  Altruism in humans is (but not always) self-reflective - “Oh, wouldn’t it be great if I were altruistic, not just for my kids and family but beyond the home”.  And I would say that’s how most Animal Rights advocates feel; they step beyond self interest to attend to the urgent needs of others, in this case an enslaved species.  We certainly don’t need to understand animals to advocate for them or want them to experience a life without slavery.