What is your favorite animal?
I left Nutella free in the apartment and soon learned how devastating a bunny can be. Almost all electric cables were gnawed, the bites entirely damaged several books, and two new doors were scratched irreparably.
However, I was relatively quiet and accepted those as collateral effects that I used to hope to see disappear one day. As you can imagine, that day never came.
To answer the question, I would say that I prefer intelligent animals (i.e., dogs), but I love fluffy puppies, elephants, and pandas.
I tried to book a guided tour of the panda nursery in Tokyo, but it was closed to the public then. I still enjoy the YouTube videos where nannies have to cope with little, fluffy pandas messing around, attaching to their legs, and ready to play any game, like babies.
They are so tender and humane! Like small children, they never stop, and it’s almost impossible to reprimand them. I also saw the giant mothers (who spend most of the day eating bamboo) caring for the cubs, cuddling them, just like a human mother does with her babies.
You can wonder why I don’t get a dog. I want to be honest. While I love them, I don’t have the patience to walk them out at least twice daily, with sun and rain. I know myself: this is too much. But I would adopt a puppy if I lived in the countryside, with plenty of meadows and open spaces.
One thing I consider not pleasant is their lifespan. It is long enough to get attached but too short when you are significantly ahead in years.
I still remember the moving scene in Family Guy when Brian died. I know it’s only a cartoon, but this doesn’t mean its content might be accurate. I don’t think I will be ready to load myself with such a burden, at least not alone.
I’m convinced that animals are much better than humans living together in peace. We all should learn from their behaviors. Dogs, cats, ducks, bunnies, pork, hens, chickens, etc., can be seen together, playing, sleeping, one lying on the other, and never fighting with malice.
In the wild, there are different rules. Animals must survive, and predators can’t just renounce killing their prey to continue to survive. This is part of the game, but it’s much more fair and equitable than what we read daily in the crime news.
Eventually, I can summarize my thoughts by saying I like fluffy, cute animals. In particular, all those who easily understand humans and show emotions and the most sincere empathy!
Photos by Giuseppe Bonaccorso and Pascal Müller
