It seems that we are not the only animals on the planet that want the companionship of other animals.
I admit, some of the situations surprized me. I can sort of understand a gorilla wanting a kitten. After all we want kittens. Capuchin monkeys keeping a marmoset is a bit of a surprize. The kitten and the crow are a total surprize.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals...-their-own
It is cute and touching. There must be countless bonds between animals that we are unaware of. I wonder what is the strangest bond.
I suspect humans and dogs is the closest bond, but are they our pets or are we their pets?
I know one thing, my dogs take me for a walk sometimes!
I know cats think we live with them and not they live with us.
I am pretty sure my dwarf hamsters thought of me as a janitor/caretaker/cook.
Dogs at least like us for who we are.
The Gorilla and the kitten is so touching. Many animals do like the company of other animals. But when the wish to have another species as a friend and companion rather than prey (as with the Capuchins and the Marmoset) then that is especially moving. But I suppose similar can happen with people, when they keep a bird, a pig, or another creature which they would normally eat, as a friend instead.
That need for companionship seems to cross all species lines.
You have to wonder what else is out there. How many animals find a way to bond with each other.
That would be something to look for when you observe nature.
Haha! There is a black beetle who I am trying to make friends with! He (she?) trundles across my living room floor every evening -shows no interest in going outside, and always runs up to me. It is not quite sure of me yet, but I whistle it a nice sweet tune and it stands still. Then I stroked it gently with a piece of grass, and it seemed to like that -before trundling off again. But every evening it comes out to see me! It doesn't seem scared, and may be considering me as its next pet!
That would be an interesting animal companion. The beetle clearly comes to you and shows interest. I think we can form bonds with almost anything. We just have to be open to the possibility. You would be open to the possibility.
I fed a garden slug in my bathroom last winter. It stopped coming back, but it would come out each night to eat the leaf of spinach I put out for it.
Maybe your beetle friend can live with you over the winter. It would be nice to have a living creature around. I wonder what he eats. I am sure it wouldn't be much.
Fantastic Tobi! Reminds me of years ago when my wife and I found a few beetles in the kitchen in the evenings. She want me to 'get rid of them' but I watched them and realised they were doing something on the floor. Upon closer inspection you could see them drinking from drops of water that had fallen on the floor. I showed my wife and I think it turned her from seeing them as pests to something else. When you see a character in something so small it makes you realise that they are more than just bugs, they are alive. And if they are alive they are sentient. If they are sentient they probably have personalities and emotions. It was fascinating getting down on the floor and watching them drink.
I have multi legged House Centipedes. They are funny looking, but I like them. They hide under the frig and in the laundry room. I can't tell them apart, but I call them Seymour and Peabody. I am sure it is not always the same ones, but they are aware of me and I often find one by the bed late at night. They are not harmful and I have grown rather fond of them.
I like the various insects and other odd creatures that live in my garden.
I agree, once you really look at something and see it as an individual it changes your whole feeling about it.
Maybe my house centipedes thing of me as their pet.
You never know.