Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! The Jungle Book predators who have forged a lifelong friendship

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! The Jungle Book predators who have forged a lifelong friendship

www.dailymail.co. uk

They make an unlikely trio, but Baloo the bear, Leo the lion and Shere Khan the tiger have forged an unusually strong bond.

Considering that they would be mortal enemies if they ever were to meet in the wild, it is stunning to see their unique and genuine friendship in these intimate pictures.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This might not be sensational news but it shows something we humans can learn something from the animal kingdom. And besides that, every now and than something like this should be in the headlines too!

I have this harmony at home with my 2 cats and an American Bulldog, they are also very close friends. My oldest cat joins me and my dog when we go out for a walk. They even stray around together when I release the dog. Impossible? According to the prejudgments no, in practice, yes!

Peace, Love and Harmony!

www.dailymail.co. uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Regenstorm

This might not be sensational news but it shows something we humans can learn something from the animal kingdom. And besides that, every now and than something like this should be in the headlines too!

I like the pictures, but what can we humans learn from the "animal kingdom' in this example?

Let's not get mushy and stuff over this. It's not even natural behaviour.

If they would rip each other to pieces during an encounter in the wild, would you still say there was a lesson to be learned for the whole of mankind?

The point is they LEARNED to not only live in peace, but to be apparently be affectionate towards one another, lay next to each other, etc., and no one could say it hasn't worked out to their collective benefit.


If you don't like learning love and peace, you are free to be a wild animal yourself, which even domesticated people kill as they are only self-serving and violently so at that.


The behavior is learned from a young age but it is not therefore artificial. They aren't FORCED to like each other, to get along, and not kill each other. They simply have LEARNED to do so.


Learning = good, right? There is nothing wrong or un-natural about this. It's evolution. First there was a single cell, then cells worked together (to what benefit?). First there were individual mammals, then mammals learned to group together in families (to what benefit?). First there were tribes of people, now we have united in huge nations (to what benefit?), and may soon join a global brotherhood if we are mature enough to handle it without corruption (think of the internet you are using right now to read this message, I am telling you!).

Remains to be seen how mature we humans are at this point... but it is definitely the path of our evolution as intelligent beings to work together in harmony with the universe, as this makes us stronger and more productive unquestionably.

reply to post by Regenstorm


Great pics and I get the point even if the other poster didn't ...

nothing mushy there just a lesson in getting along (whatever your race / breed fighting is not compusary) ... whether natural or learned behaviour point is ... it can work.

Woody

Please, guys. You act like these animals made a moral decision, like humans could.

It's just that they don't know any better. They act like siblings in this case.

In other cases they would kill each other.

Just like humans live together in harmony in some cases, and violent in other cases.

I see no big lesson to be learned here for mankind.

It's just attributing human traits to animals, and getting an emotional response to it.

"Look how nice these animals are to each other, aaww, can't we just all get along?"

Like I said I like the pictures, they give me a good feeling, it's cute, but a lesson for mankind?

Mushy, mushy.



[edit on 8-12-2009 by Point of No Return]

reply to post by Point of No Return


I think your problem is you have way too much pride in your over-analyzing mind to see that YOU are just an animal, too.

The big difference between humans and other animals, especially mammals, is that we are more intelligent. Right? Other than that, we are still made of flesh, blood, organs, tissues. We are evolved animals, and it took a damned long time to get here.

One of the things that has come with our intelligence, in fact a defining characteristic of humanity itself, is that we have come together and learned to live with each other rather than killing each other over a whim. This something, again that has happened over a very long time.


What in the hell is "mushy" supposed to mean, anyway? Seriously, you remind me of a little boy/girl that's still afraid of the opposite sex and think they have "cooties."

Do you WANT to see these animals rip each other apart? Is that your problem? Are you a sadist?

reply to post by bsbray11


Wow bs, I normally like your posts in the 911 forum, but now you are overreacting.

I think your problem is you have way too much pride in your over-analyzing mind to see that YOU are just an animal, too.

I have no problem. All I am saying, that it is overly emotional to use this particular story of 3 animals as an example of some sort of behavior that humanity should learn.

So you say that these animals learned to co-exist peacefully, even though they naturally don't.

You say humans should learn from this.

So that means that humans naturally don't co-exist? That they can learn to get along, like these animals have learned?

It's making it more than it is.

You can't compare animal behaviour with complex human behaviour.

One of the things that has come with our intelligence, in fact a defining characteristic of humanity itself, is that we have come together and learned to live with each other rather than killing each other over a whim. This something, again that has happened over a very long time.

So what do we have to learn from these animals then?

What in the hell is "mushy" supposed to mean, anyway? Seriously, you remind me of a little boy/girl that's still afraid of the opposite sex and think they have "cooties."

Spare me your phantasies.

Do you WANT to see these animals rip each other apart? Is that your problem? Are you a sadist?

Wow, did I insult you personally?

Like I said I like the pictures, they give me a good feeling, it's cute, but a lesson for mankind?

Sorry for making an observation.

Originally posted by Point of No Return
So that means that humans naturally don't co-exist? That they can learn to get along, like these animals have learned?

Exactly. Have you noticed that we still have wars and kill hundreds of thousands of members of our own species? For what good reason, again, that can't be resolved otherwise?

You can't compare animal behaviour with complex human behaviour.

See, this is what I mean when I say you have too much pride in being human, that you are arrogant because of it. Human behavior is "complex" but animal behavior is not. Let me suggest that you think this because you have not studied animal behavior very much. They are very much capable of wide variations in their behavior, especially mammals, just as much as humans are. This story is one example of such a deviation from what is considered typical behavior for mammals.

I have also seen an elephant paint a picture of an elephant with a rose in its trunk. It painted the picture with a brush it gripped with its thumb. What's more is that you can look this video up on YouTube and watch it for yourself, which I highly recommend. Call me what you will but it made me cry the first time I watched it, because I never understood before then that animals possess such a refined sense of consciousness. This is why I feel the need to respond to you now. People do very cruel things to animals because they are so arrogant that they think animals can't think or feel or don't have their place in this world. And people don't respect animals at all for the same reasons.

What in the hell is "mushy" supposed to mean, anyway? Seriously, you remind me of a little boy/girl that's still afraid of the opposite sex and think they have "cooties."

Spare me your phantasies.

What fantasy? I'm asking wth "mushy" is supposed to mean. Just like if you were talking about "cooties," I would have to ask the same thing. Seems like some kind of illogical superstition to me. You are embarrassed/afraid of expressing love?

Do you WANT to see these animals rip each other apart? Is that your problem? Are you a sadist?

Wow, did I insult you personally?

Those are questions. I am generally curious why you show such arrogance and disrespect towards animals. It's typical for many people to feel this way, but I still do not understand it. Maybe you can enlighten me?

Like I said I like the pictures, they give me a good feeling, it's cute, but a lesson for mankind?

We weren't always civilized. We didn't always work together in communities. We used to be more or less exactly like these animals, except I don't know if humans were ever totally individual in "the wild." Species descended from monkies/apes tend to stick together in families or tribes. But the point is that this is still an evolutionary function, it's BETTER this way. I would love it if large mammals, especially ones that aren't involved in each others' food chains, learned to live peacefully. It has been observed outside of captivity, though it is rare. Bears and people come across each other all the time, and it's not uncommon to peacefully and respectfully part ways, even if we can't walk up and hug the bear. I guess what I am ultimately trying to say is that we are ALL in this together in this universe. The more friends we make, and the less people trying to kill us, no matter what species you are, the better. It's a positive message. And yes, there are many people who can definitely still learn from it.




Btw I really want you to look up "elephant painting" on YouTube. Just do a search for that, and watch the video of the elephant painting the picture. It is an amazing video, and very eye-opening to how complex and intelligent mammals really can be. I would post it here but I'm away from home and this computer won't load YouTube videos. Mammals are not so much different than you and I as you would apparently like to think, whether it's a dog, cat, pig (supposedly smarter than both dogs and cats), an elephant, bear, lion, tiger. This is fine with me; I'm not in any competition with elephants. I'm perfectly comfortable with my own intelligence, but these animals can be very intelligent themselves. I will admit that readily and even show others how intelligent they can be. This is what I would like us all to understand.

[edit on 8-12-2009 by bsbray11]

I want them! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

reply to post by bsbray11

Exactly. Have you noticed that we still have wars and kill hundreds of thousands of members of our own species? For what good reason, again, that can't be resolved otherwise?

Yes our OWN species. The article is about 3 different species. So if there is a lesson to be learned it would that we should get along with other species.

Some people are violent, others aren't.

Some animals are violent, some aren't

There is no lesson. Just a random example.

You also said this;

One of the things that has come with our intelligence, in fact a defining characteristic of humanity itself, is that we have come together and learned to live with each other rather than killing each other over a whim. This something, again that has happened over a very long time.

You are contradicting yourself. In relation to the above, what is it that mankind can learn from these animals? Cause you are saying we already learned to get along.

See, this is what I mean when I say you have too much pride in being human, that you are arrogant because of it. Human behavior is "complex" but animal behavior is not. Let me suggest that you think this because you have not studied animal behavior very much.

Whatever dude, if you think we are the same as animals, be my guest. Mankind must make complex moral choices to keep the peace, are these animals making moral choices?

What fantasy? I'm asking wth "mushy" is supposed to mean.

You never heard of mushy? Now you need my help to explain what it means?

Quick google search:

"mushy": excessively tender or emotional;.

Can you grasp the concept now?

I am generally curious why you show such arrogance and disrespect towards animals.

This is just ridiculous. Can you please qoute the part where I'm arrogant and disrespecting animals?

I even said that I like the pics, that they gave me a good feeling, and that it was cute.

My only point was that it was just that. I just find it excessively emotional (mushy), to say that there is a big lesson in there for mankind.

It's beyond me why you have to respond with such anger and unfounded accusations.

Animals kill each other all the time, and now these 3 happen to live in peace, and suddenly it's a big lesson and example.

Mushy, mushy, mushy....mushy.



[edit on 9-12-2009 by Point of No Return]