To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Understanding Animal Friendships

Understanding Animal Friendships

Animal friendships have been an internet sensation and a hefty dose of cuteness. Besides being a fad, animal friendships are also inspirational. Animal friendships are inspirational because they show different species getting along with each other. This relates to an ongoing real-world problem, racism. Animal friendships can teach us about world-problems from racism to animal cruelty, understanding animal friendships are important because we can learn so much from them.

One way we can learn from animal friendships is through scientific discoveries. Scientists have recently taken an interest in animal friendships, one example is veterinarian, Dr. Karen Becker. Becker states in her article about animal

In some friendships, an animal is lonely and another animal is paired with the lonely animal. How do both animals benefit from the friendship? One example where both animals benefit is Owen the hippo and Mzee the tortoise. “Hippos rely heavily on social interactions, though tortoises tend to be solitary creatures. Owen was in great need of a motherly figure, and surprisingly, Mzee was happy to oblige.” (IFL Science) In this quotation from IFL Science, Owen has someone to take care of him, and Mzee has someone to keep him company. Another example is BLT. BLT are the animals that were mentioned in the last paragraph as being previously owned by a drug dealer. After the police caught the drug dealer, BLT still remained together at Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary in Georgia. “When the staff at Noah’s Ark separated them, due to concerns that they would fight, the three became moody and uncooperative. The staff reunited them, and they have been living happily together for the last 12 years.” (IFL Science) IFL Science demonstrates the friendship of BLT is beneficial to all three animals. Because they want to be with each other and need each other. Animal friendships spread animal awareness, helping species thrive, and scientists find them intriguing, but why do these animal friendships interest