I like communing with animals, especially those you can look in the eye as you read each other.聽
Domesticated dogs, cats, horses I truly appreciate although I鈥檓 not so sure cats enjoy visiting with me 鈥� or anyone.聽
Steers, bulls and cows are different. Although I enjoy it when they get curious 鈥� probably expecting food, which is what takes up 92 per cent of their day.聽
I have enjoyed experiences with domesticated birds, but again, it鈥檚 been limited.聽
A few years ago I was supposed to go on a safari in Tanzania. We didn鈥檛 make it, but that鈥檚 another story.聽
I鈥檝e observed giraffes, tigers, lions and elephants in zoos and circuses and they are so pathetically helpless, you have to feel their pain and frustration. I understand the captivity stuff, but those who have experienced the early morning or late night wanderings of predatory animals in the wild, will tell you how they get to command their space and time, as opposed to man鈥檚 obligatory needs, and there is no comparison.聽
An elephant in the wild is totally different from one performing tricks in the circus. Tigers beaten into submission aren鈥檛 grand at all.聽
Rhinos and hippos are strange looking and marvelous in their natural habitat, I assume. Unfortunately those habitats are quickly disappearing and therefore, so are they.聽
National Geographic articles I read recently informed me that we lose thousands of bird, insect and animal species every year.聽
I can鈥檛 think of a more spectacular sight than a humpback whale breaching out of the water in a grand belly flop. I haven鈥檛 had the pleasure of seeing it, other than on video, but I鈥檓 sure the sight, in reality, would be an emotional one.聽
I haven鈥檛 had a swim with dolphins and don鈥檛 intend to, because they鈥檇 have to be one of those pathetic captured ones if I did, and I won鈥檛 play into that game.聽
I have experienced a romp with stingrays though. I had to join the fray on their terms, not mine. It was a great one or two hours.聽
I got to mingle with a herd of camels for awhile and they too are strange, but classically impressive beasts with bodies adapted over centuries to accommodate their environment.聽
Again, I subjected myself to their surroundings, not mine.聽
The bride tells a story of observing a mother cheetah moving her kittens to a safer location, while on an early morning walk, and how that impressed her. The story impressed me because she鈥檚 not the type to get caught up in that type of animal versus person mumble-jumble stuff, at least not as much as I am.聽
I find the squirrels in our neighbourhood great friends and communicators. I truly enjoy our weekly Mexican standoffs around the feeder, eyeing each other. The squirrel provides the suspicion and angst, I provide the stupid made-up animal sounds that make them wag their tails before they head for the trees to continue their observation of 鈥渢hat stupid guy down there who I wish would go away, so I could collect more peanuts.鈥澛�
Meetings with moose and deer have been memorable with cameras, not guns.聽
Polar bears are another wonderful beast in their natural environments. Again, I鈥檝e never seen one in person, but I know they鈥檙e all left pawed!聽
Of course I could spend more paragraphs on dogs alone because they come in so many shapes, sizes and personalities, but I think I鈥檝e delivered the message.聽
These creatures share our space and deserve respect 鈥� all of them, except the mosquitoes and flies of course.聽
