LH, I did saay Western society as we know it, basically. I agree with you, otherwise and would actually prefer a more egalitarian society of bartering, sharing and, self-sustainability.

Also, It's my belief that human beings are (generally) evolved to a higher level of intelligence (and thus responsibility) than animals,...I just watched a program about a little MALE Jack Russell terrier named Tokkolos in Namibia at the Harras Wildlife Sanctuary. That little 2yr old dog has a lot to teach us. He was originally supposed to be a companion animal for the director. However when she took him out to exercise, along with a few cheethas which she'd raised from orphanhood, the little dog found himself being followed about by four smaller baby cheetahs. Around there is is/was common for farmers to kill the mother cheetahs if they threaten their cattle herds.

Harras was founded to care for the orphans of such as well as other wildlife. Anyway, little Tokkolos adopted those kittens and mothered them. He not only mothers all of them, he also mothers any other type of animal orphan which comes to the Sanctuary, no matter the species, gender, etc. In the case of four newborn kittens (cheetah, I think) he literally saved them by giving them the good washing up a mother would do which stimulates them to eat, urinate and defecate. It was really incredible to watch him mother, play and discipline those fine cats, esp. as they became bigger, near the size of larger dogs, and on. They clearly respected and obeyed him.

After watching it, I couldn't help but think how much I wished human beings would get along so well without thought of colour, ability, gender, etc.

The other extraordinary thing was the young woman who is the director, having grown up there as the daughter of the original founders, walked among the big cats freely and without any malice from them. There was NO violence, no fear of the animals nor did the animals seem fearful in anyway. Sure, there were territorial spats, but nothing which drew blood.:-) And, Tokkolos reigned over all. An almost Eden on earth it would seem, imo.

kat