Tonight's episode of the PBS "Nature" series was a really great study of what we, as human beings, can learn from animals, and was called "Wisdom of the Wild." It featured several stories, indicating many kinds of knowledge.
The first story was of a jungle in Africa, and the way an ancient tribe has been studying the behavior of chimps for centuries, to follow chimps when they are sick, to areas of leaves that they eat. When they recreated this tracking of the animals, it was found that the leaves they eat when they are sick, have diarrhea, etc., are the same leaves that humans use; so they also "figured" it. A Western scientist talked about how much knowledge may be lost if we do not continue to learn these things that the animals already know.
The next story was a more familiar one by now, of a non-profit horse ranch for neglected, troubled, and troublesome, teenage boys, sometimes ordered by a Court, where they are taught, by the horses as much as by the human teachers, to open up emotionally, take care of and have feelings for an animal, trust, and to be patient. They are taught how to train the horses to do things, gently, and with an increasing response of love and trust from the horse, they learn how to be kind and gentle themselves, something most of them have never had.
The next story was about a sanctuary for elephants in Nairobi, where babies whose mothers have been killed are cared for until they grow up. Elephants are so much like humans, that if they are left alone with no family support, they just die. The director of the sanctuary talked about how deeply impressed she has become over the many years, with elephant family behavior, and how they treat each other; that they "taught her lasting lessons in compassion." Babies are cared for, protected, touched very gently--by these huge, powerful animals--and allowed to play, by adults. There are countless examples of witnessed behavior by elephants, showing concern for young or sick members of their group, sadness and grief lasting for years, at the deaths of loved members, visiting graves for years, and staying for long periods of time. Elephants also pick up very clearly which human keepers love them and which do not, and they will not thrive under the care of those they do not feel a bond with. The family behavior of caring and kindness, and wonderful, gentle treatment of each member, is what is so impressive about elephants.
The next segment was on insects, the amazing flying ability of butterflies, going thousands of miles over a season, the intricate flying operation of dragonflies, the incredible strength of spiderwebs, that are so resilient they could be studied to make sutures or artificial ligaments. Salamanders, which grow another limb if they lose one. Lightning bugs, with their light that is all light, no heat; no waste. These creatures are still total mysteries to us.
The next segment was on the wonderful and truly real therepeutic effect of dolphins on children with autism and other "mental illness" category un-social behaviors. The dolphins, so seemingly sympathetic, gentle, calm, bring out kids who have never responded or reacted to anything, and give them happiness and fun.
The next story was a mix of learning/understanding, and tragedy. It is a rescue sanctuary in South Florida, for chimpanzees, now grown and large, that were once used in medical experiments in labs, and now discarded. There was no comment on the practice, but films showed their existence, locked in small cages for years, each one alone--and for a species as social as humans, it is painful and makes you angry. After years, one group managed to get many of them, and moved them to this sanctuary, where they can live out their lives. One researcher who had not seen them for some 25 years went back to this place, to see if they remembered her. Old now, they slowly, gradually, went up to her, and hugged her, looked at her with open faces, and stayed with her; all had remembered. One, after a lifetime of experiments, induced disease and no cure, was very sick, and later died. They did not show bitterness after all of their suffering, and that taught the researcher "resilience," after they had "gone through so much adversity, and yet, they forgive; and, they're whole again." Their similarity to us, yet difference, is haunting. "Something important for all of us as a species to realize is that all animals are individuals, and deserve a chance to live."
Of course, this also reminds you of the great and wise statements over the years, by the great Jane Goodall, Cleveland Amory, and others, and also anyone who has ever loved a dog or a cat, knows how they taught you gentleness and kindness, lack of self-pity, appreciating what you have and what you are doing right now, how to be patient, protection that is not violence, and how to live. This was a great program, not "New Age spaciness" but real content; you might want to tape it if they replay it.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/wisdom-of-the-wild/wisdom-of-the-wild-introduction/856/
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