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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

With a little help from my friends.........................

Some videos of friendship, same species and cross species.  First watch one tortoise helping out another.



Next a crow and a cat that pal around together:


Finally a deer and a rabbit that have formed a friendship:


The friendship formed between the elephant Tara and the dog Bella has been well publicized, they live at the Elephant Sanctuary and you can read more about them there.

For the human animals that continue to cling to the erroneous notion that they are somehow "superior" to other animals.............sad.

Human animals are unique, as are rabbit animals and elephant animals and cow animals and deer animals and cat animals and tortoise animals.  Each individual member of every species is worthy of respect, each life is important.

Living as a vegan embodies recognizing the significance of each life and respecting them.  If you aren't living that way now.....get started.

(Besides, living vegan is probably better for your health, definitely better for the health of the planet and most assuredly better for the health of the animals you used to call "food")

The crow person knocks me out.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's ironic, before I became Aware (that's kind of how I think of my own experience of having 'gone vegan') I would probably have smiled and thought "how cute" or "how adorable" and found the videos heartwarming. And while I still respect them and have a certain happiness that this is what Nature is, the overall feeling I get when I see these things is sadness because it brings home more the beauty of Nature and the relationship between living creatures....a relationship that has been marred by humans to a degree that is so deep, I can't find words for it. I love this post though. I hope when people see these kinds of interactions it will make them think more than "how cute". Anyway, sorry for being long-winded again. Great post! ... I'll email soon. Not sure why we can't sign up for Google here, but it's been that way for as long as I've been here (Berlin). ~ Krissa

veganelder said...

Thanks for your insightful comment Krissa. There does seem to be a strong tendency (promoted by the predominant worldview) to minimize or trivialize depictions of natural animal friendships and/or behaviors by seeing them as "adorable" or "cute".

Minimizing without seeming to do so is one more way we human animals bolster our misguided and inaccurate sense of "superiority".

I continue to struggle with remnants of this programming, at the same time I think some of it is influenced by our own species specific wiring....I tend to get smacked more often by subconscious stereotypes regarding the small and furry animal people than I do the larger and more formidable animal folks or the un-furry animal folks. I wonder if maybe our parenting routines don't sometime play a part of our reactions, especially toward the smaller and more "attractive" animal people.

I agree, the depth of the schism induced by human animals into our relationships with the other animals and with the natural world is severe and ongoing. My sadness and grief about this can sometimes be overwhelming.

The ray of hope here is that in virtually all young human animals is an abiding and deep interest in other animals and the world around them. It takes some concerted and persistent counter-programming to get young human children to turn away from and against the natural world. Fascination with the natural world does not have to be created, all we have to do is quit struggling against it and begin to respect and nurture that pro-nature bias.

Our "default" position apparently is favorable toward our natural world and our fellow animals, if we become "intelligent" enough to respect that, it is likely that good things will follow.

A great and thought-provoking comment, please continue contributing....thanks again.

Anonymous said...

I was very sad to lose a long comment that I wrote in reply to your comment above. Let me try again:

What you wrote about sadness and grief caused by what is happening to our fellow beings caused by our "own" pretty well sums up what I am going through this year. A few months ago I fell into a very deep depression and it was caused entirely by the despair I feel over what humans are doing (and aren't doing) to everyone else we share this planet with. It's hard to - maybe impossible for me - to overcome this grief because if even only one creature was suffering through what we actually are putting BILLIONS of creatures through, it is too much for me. This depression came after a few years of very intense rage caused by the same thing. I don't know which is worse for the individual and for the 'cause'. I know rage and anger are not good things, but I felt more hopeful and more powerful (for lack of better words) when I was enraged than I do now that I am depressed. Perhaps I am just going through natural stages of becoming Aware. I don't know. I agree with you about human children being 'clean slates' as far as the chances that we are born with. Before adult humans and the world we have created bring influence over kids, I think the majority would NOT be predisposed to cruelty and would NOT participate blindly in what is going on now...but I see no way for those of us on the right path (and we are on the right path, it's not an opinion, as far as cruelty and using other creatures goes, there IS a right and there IS a wrong) to step in and fix what is happening to yet another generation of human beings over-running this planet. But I guess we have to keep hope alive somehow, for their sake - the ones we have let down so badly, that is. ... I will be happily following your blog and I am glad that SIToGV (So I'm Thinking of Going Vegan) pointed me in your direction. Thanks you guys for speaking up for our brothers and sisters who speak languages that most of our kind don't/can't/refuse to hear. :) ~ Krissa

Murph's mom said...

Krissa,from the bunnies, domestic and wild - who are so often given very little regard, if any - they thank you for speaking out for what is right,for keeping hope alive. It is comforting to know you are holding that hill.

Jeannie

So I'm Thinking Of Going Vegan said...

What a great discussion!
Krissa, I knew you'd find veganelder to be a kindred spirit. :)

Perhaps I am just going through natural stages of becoming Aware.

This comment, and what you wrote about anger and depression, makes me wonder if maybe what vegans have to go through is a process of grieving--kind of like the five stages of grief outlined by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. Would that make sense at all? I would think though that the last stage of acceptance would be more like hopeful resilience and trying to take action in whatever way is best suited for you.

Krissa, anger is definitely a useful tool (and more energizing), but hope has to be in the arsenal as well! Otherwise there's a real danger of burnout.

Hmmm, I'll have to think about this theory a bit more. And check out the videos! :)

Murph's mom said...

These videos are beautiful. While it is an amazing thing catching a turtle rescuing another turtle it is difficult to explain the actions of the prey helping the predator. There was a news report this evening about a crime committed by a human against a little kitten. The kitten survived but he has a long recovery ahead of him. The term humane is supposed to denote kindness and caring. What a farce.

Our two donkeys, Judy and Molly, chose to attend the funeral of a bunny this evening. They approached the group of 6 humans quietly and stood there respectfully. There was no question in our minds that they understood what was going on. Animals understand far more than we give them credit for. I am convinced that animals can read our minds and sense our grief. It is not just our imagination at work when we feel like we can talk to them and they listen.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Jeannie and the bunnies. :) ... I will always do whatever I can, little or big, no matter how depressed I feel about it all. Just as all of us who are on the right path will do. That gives me a reason to smile even if just for a while. ~ Krissa

Christina said...

Not the first time Molly and Judy have shown respect when a bunny is buried. Midnight too. I think our sadness gives off an energy that animals feel.

veganelder said...

Thanks for commenting all (Murph's Mom, Krissa, Christina). Molly, Judy and Midnight have impressed me for some time, now even more so.

Anonymous said...

Wow, these animals exhibit such grace and care. The videos are truly beautiful & touching. I look forward to reading / watching more of your posts!

-- First Time Site Visitor. :)

veganelder said...

Thank you for your comment, Anonymous. I like your observation about the grace of the animal people..their grace is phenomenal isn't it. Thanks for reading.