For those of us who choose to pay attention, animals communicate a great deal. Mother cows cry out to their calves. Chickens have more than 30 types of vocalizations and chirp to their chicks before they’re even hatched, and the furry companions in our homes will be sure to let us know when they need something–a belly rub, dinner, or playtime. just to name a few. No doubt, though, we’re sometimes left scratching our heads, wondering what our cats or dogs are trying to tell us.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and in between the long-distance phone calls, breakfasts in bed, and bouquets of flowers, why not take a few moments to celebrate and honor all moms by cooking up a mom-friendly vegan meal? After all, some of the most caring mothers in the world have a beaming heart that beats under fur or feathers – or under water.
Did you know that the biggest lobsters on record are 3 1/2 to 4 feet long?
Or that crabs are considered to be excellent “team-workers,” acting together to find food and protect each other?
But what’s even
more fascinating about these marine animals and other crustaceans is that, according to new research, not only are they capable of feeling pain, it’s been shown that they actively try to avoid it. So much so, in fact, that in one study, crabs were
willing to leave a preferred shelter in order to escape potential suffering.
Referring to them as “birds of courage,” Benjamin Franklin believed the turkey should be named the national bird as of the United States (instead of the bald eagle). Perhaps he admired the intelligence, beauty or resourcefulness of turkeys – these are characteristics unknown to most Americans who, today, often view turkeys as little more than the center of the holiday dinner table.
Yet anyone who has the opportunity to meet these animals at sanctuaries will tell you that they are highly intelligent animals who, just like the dogs and cats in our homes, are playful individuals with unique personalities. They also form strong social bonds and show affection towards one another. Mothers raise their chicks for five months and fiercely protect them from danger.
In our everyday lives, it may be difficult for us to relate to pigs or any farmed animal for that matter. Most of us have never met a pig in person or had the opportunity to discover that these highly social animals possess an amazing capacity for love, joy, and sorrow.
After watching the entertaining video below, which highlights the incredibly playful and inquisitive personalities of pigs, it’s hard not to notice how strikingly similar these animals are to the beloved dogs with whom many of us share our homes. In fact, studies have shown that pigs are actually smarter than dogs.
Turn on your TV or read the news and you might occasionally see a light-hearted story about the lives of animals. Remember “the Animal Odd Couple”from 2009 in which an elephant and a dog became best friends? Or what about the story of the Echo Park, CA resident who befriended a goose? Stories like these warm our hearts and often encourage us to think a bit differently about the animals in our lives and even about the wildlife we admire from afar.