Is a little old ant a sentient being?

 

(Photo by Stephen Ausmus)

There’s a well-known song titled “High Hopes” which tells of a “little old ant” that can “think” about moving a rubber tree plant.  Lyricist Sammy Kahn goes on to attribute a capacity for “high hopes” to this very same creature.

Whether an ant can “think” and even “hope” remains debatable, but whether an ant qualifies as a sentient being is becoming way more acceptable. 

In 1991 the Institute for Medical Ethics (IME) drew up a list of criteria for sentience that has been instrumental in establishing animal welfare policies.  This list includes the following: receptors sensitive to noxious stimuli, behavioral follow-ups to avoid such pain, plus receptivity to analgesics. 

Anyone who’s tried to noxiously discourage an army of invading ants could affirm the presence of these IME criteria within the ants’ responses!  Add a version of “High Hopes” to the mix as they desperately flee from human attacks…

 

Resources

https://academic.oup.com/book/57949/chapter/475704868#workid-UKAC0026318-book-part-17-boxed-text-1

Super Pigs

(Fair Use)

You’ve heard of Mighty Mouse?  Now Porky Pig has also morphed into a super-sized being.  It turns out that nuclear fallout has further implications than was previously cited.

When humans fled from the Fukushima disaster, domestic pigs were left to fend for themselves.  This led to their cozying up with some wilder brethren.

Porky’s lineage quickly began looking less and less like three little pigs, and more and more like countless big boars.  Hybridization moved right along through the maternal line.  Domestic genes were rapidly diluted.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a nuclear meltdown for scientists to note this phenomenon.  Pigs and boars have interbred within far more tranquil circumstances.

Let’s face it: When humans step aside, nature will take its course.  And who’s to say what’s for the ultimate best?

Resources

Mutant 'Super Pigs' Developing In Nuclear Fallout Zone Near Fukushima 

Give a Beneficial Dam

Salmon Run
(Public Domain)

When it comes to preserving the natural environment, beavers give a dam. In doing so, they reshape “rivers into wetlands” that “may help store huge amounts of CO2 – offering a simple, wild solution to climate change.”

Humans, however, have somewhat created a dam nation by indiscriminately blocking the flow of one vital river after another. This not only submerges Native American sacred sites, but also destroys the habitats of salmon, trout, and other prized species.

The film, DamNation, says it better than mere words ever could:

https://www.patagonia.com/stories/damnation/video-79847.html

Additional Resource

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260322020245.htm

 

  

Big and Bigger

(Photo by Michael Gabler)

If you grew up in North America singing, “Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,” you may not know the difference between buffalo and bison.  Although distantly related, buffalo actually inhabit Africa and Asia, whereas bison inhabit North America and Europe.

My Mythos explains that the bison archetype includes the following strengths:“groundedness and stability, resilience and perseverance, loyalty and protectiveness.”  As a spirit animal, “the Bison’s steady presence may encourage you to slow down, to be present in each moment, and to appreciate the simple gifts of the earth.”

Consider how bison effectively face severe prairie storms.  Their intimate relationship with this vast and fertile land enables them to literally stand their ground during violent upheavals.  With "unflinching endurance,” they do not flee the blizzard, but turn “to face it, a dark immovable island against a sea of white fury.”

Yet they, perhaps like humans themselves, are not cut out to withstand the fury of onrushing technology. Three European bison were recently killed by something even bigger than them: a speeding locomotive.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles/herd-stop-train-kills-3-105930823.html 

Beetles of Our Lady

(Photo by Francisco Weller-Schultes)

Ever wonder how so-called “ladybugs” got their name? According to National Geographic, these hungry critters have been known to devour up to 5,000 other insects per lifetime. European farmers had been praying to the Virgin Mary for help with keeping crops healthy.  When these eye-catching beetles came along and did their part, they were gratefully named “Beetles of Our Lady, “ later shortened to “ladybugs.”

Clairvoyant Janet Rae Orth claims that ladybugs, known to fly amazingly high (up to 3600 feet) and fast (up to 37 mph), are therefore thought “to fly to the gods and carry our wishes to them.”  Psychic Aycee Brown observes, “Ladybugs are small but carry big energy, signaling that good things are in motion even if you’re not aware of it.”

You might not be aware of it just yet, but ladybugs could be hiding within your very walls.  They, like miracles, can manifest when good and ready.

Resources

https://www.countryliving.com/life/kids-pets/a62546265/ladybug-meaning-symbolism/

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/ladybug

 

Holy Cows!

Sadhu and Calf
(Photo by Abdel Sinoctou) 

Back in 1960, Joan Baez released a poignant song called “Donna Donna.”  Its lyrics reference a mournful calf on a wagon ”bound for market.” In stark contrast:“High above him, there’s a swallow winging swiftly through the sky.”

A later verse states, “Calves are easily bound and slaughtered, never knowing the reason why, but whoever treasures freedom, like the swallow has learned to fly.”

Perhaps calves are young and naïve, but grown livestock may have figured out what awaits them. Three such cows were recently in a trailer “bound for market” when they made a break for dear life onto the New York State Thruway.  They seemed willing to risk being mauled by traffic in order to be free at last.

As the winds above were “laughing with all their might,” the cows were said to be “safely removed from the scene.”  But safety is a relative term, and humans often apply it only to themselves.

Resources

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/02/24/cows-New-York-State-Thruway-Blasdell/7571771945673/  

 

'David' Deer

David and Goliath
{Osmar Schindler, 1888)

The young King David remains dear to many for his bravery in confronting gigantic Goliath. We tend to admire those who seem miniscule while tackling formidable opponents.

The animal kingdom sometimes reflects such contrasts.  A tiny muntjac deer shares a Polish zoo enclosure with an enormous rhinoceros. They normally get along just fine as they munch hay together from the very same bale.

Yet everyone has an off day sooner or later… Deer males are no exception, especially while in heat.  It was then that the miniscule muntjac began charging at his rhino roommate. 

This story might have had an abrupt ending were it not for the rhino’s surprising response.  Instead of reacting in kind, ‘Goliath’ simply moved away time and again.  The aggression then passed, and peace in the zoo valley resumed.

Makes a body wonder whether future Davids could pack up their slingshots as future Goliaths learn to back up and back off…

Resources

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/12/poland-Wroclaw-Zoo-muntjac-deer-rhino/4111768245115// 

Come and Get Me

Fire Ants
(Public Domain)

Self-sacrifice for the good of others has long been associated with certain religious doctrines.  People who exemplify such teachings are often heralded as the best that humanity has to offer.

Yet these heroes may be no match for the average ant.  Consider this: When a young ant catches an infection that could threaten the rest of the colony, it emits a chemical signal that essentially says, “Come and get me!”

Worker ants then come and do exactly that.  They proceed to “bite holes in the pupae and inject poison,” thus killing the ailing ant and disinfecting the nest.  Erika Dawson of Austria’s Institute of Science and Technology explained “that the sick pupae only produce the smell when worker ants are nearby, proving it is a deliberate signal for destruction.”  She therefore called this “an altruistic act.”

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles/come-kill-sick-ants-invite-160502687.html

Earning Its Stripes

Andes Mountains
(Photo by Jorge Morales Piderit)

Far from being yellow-bellied, the yellow-striped Alsodes vittatus frog has emerged victorious after 130 years of virtual extinction.

This stalwart species has managed to survive within Chile’s frigid mountain streams by wedging between rocks and surfacing only at night. 

Its adaptability offers possibilities for the long-term survival of other endangered groups - perhaps including hope for humanity itself. 

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/rare-creature-found-after-130-years-in-the-chilean-mountains/ss-AA1ECqy6

Hens for Hire

Commercial Chicken House
(USDA Photo)

Why buy eggs when you can simply rent hens?   Although hosting hens is certainly no cheaper than plucking eggs from a market bin, it can be more educational, and even more nutritious.

Kids who know nothing about eggs outside of Humpty Dumpty might be tickled to learn  that omelettes originate from the same orifice as chicken droppings.  They might also be strengthened from eating fresh eggs rather than by waiting a month or two for the oldies to arrive from farm to grocery.

If you’re wondering how to care for hired hens and your wallet is bulging with Los Angeles wealth, there’s a solution at hand.  Just call upon “Rent a Chicken,” and your yard may soon be transformed into Hen Central, “predator-proof coop” and all.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/lifestyle/backyard-barnyard-rising-egg-prices-015348903.html

 

Huge Progress

6th-Century Ganesha 
(Photo by Ms Sarah Welch)  

Worshippers in certain parts of India have been thinking BIG for centuries.  Yet now it’s time for even broader ideas, such as replacing live ceremonial elephants with robotic ones.

Elephants are social intelligent beings that do not relish being traumatically imprisoned by well-meaning devotees.  When involuntarily “paraded through packed crowds with flashing lights, thumping drums and ear-splitting music,” some “panicked pachyderms” have been known to kill people.

Encouraged and somewhat funded by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), artisans have begun making elephant robots with eyes that roll, heads that nod, and tails that swish.  Each costs approximately $5,500. These are slowly becoming acceptable within Hindu rituals.

Because compassionate and non-violent ahimsa is such a core element of Hinduism, it seems only natural to thus ensure the well-being of devotees and their elephant companions.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/model-behaviour-indias-anti-cruelty-030951067.html

Leave it to Beavers

(Photo by Steve)

“Busy as a beaver” just doesn’t cut it with most people, who view these creatures as worth their weight in pelts rather than engineering.

Yet environmentalists have long heralded beavers “for their ability to protect against flooding, improve water quality and boost wildlife.”  Czech officials south of Prague were recently treated to a stellar example of all this. 

While bureaucrats hemmed and hawed over a “long-stalled dam” project, beavers got right to work.  Pretty soon the Klabava River was shielded from toxic flooding, a glorious wetland was created, and a proposed 1.2 million-dollar cost was averted.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/dam-fine-beavers-save-czech-180852747.html 

Just when you think you've got it down pat

Hey there!
(Photo by Bigmacthealmanac)

We tend to think that we know our parents, our kids, our spouses - to name a few.  Heck, we often think that we know ourselves.  The truth is, we haven’t even figured out what squirrels do behind our backs.

Never mind that these furry rodents are practically ubiquitous.  Just because we see them chomping away on bounty from the nearest tree doesn’t mean that there’s no rest-of-the-story.  Turns out that some of these innocent-looking creatures are munching on voles. 

Just as big fish eat little fish, bigger rodents eat smaller rodents.  Sometimes it’s a dog-eat-dog world, literally as well as figuratively.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/researchers-stunned-shocking-behavior-ground-110034099.html 

 

Panda trumps Pander

Give peace a chance!
(Public Domain)

Washington, D.C. has long been known for pandering to those who see things as either black or white.  It’s time for a change, and the symbol of such change has recently arrived.

China has loaned two giant pandas named Bao Li and Qing Bao to the Washington Zoo for the next ten years.  These “soft-power” furry “ambassadors” not only represent diplomacy between the two nations, but also personify the both/and possibilities of black-and-white mergers.

Many are wishing for these ambassadors to be fruitful and multiply.  Baby pandas would be wonderful, as would peace between the nations that nurture them.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/pandas-trump-back-washington-171512377.html

Dogged Resistance

Portraits of
Deceased Chernobyl Liquidators
(Photo by MHM55) 

There’s something to be said for dogged resilience, especially when coupled with dogged resistance to radioactivity.

Stray dogs have continued to inhabit the Chernobyl “radioactive wasteland” ever since the 1986 disaster.  Generations of them have passed, yet they continue to thrive. 

Scientific research has indicated that these canines have somehow developed a genetic resistance to toxic radiation.  And they are not the only ones…  “Mutant wolves” within that same locale “were reported to have developed cancer resistance,” and neighboring frogs had developed protective “darker skin.”

This could bode well for the chances of human survival under such deadly conditions.  Yet why tempt nuclear proliferation with this seemingly positive prediction?

Resources

https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/bya8vodvyl

 

A Surprising New Reason to Save the Trees

Raw Bat Guano
(Photo by Aphidwarrior)

Trees provide oxygen.  That alone could be enough of a reason for humans to quit their lumbering frenzy.

Yet a surprising but equally vital reason has recently surfaced.  Holy bat guano, another covid crisis could be on its way!

Chimps who had traditionally turned to decaying palm trees as an available sodium source have now been forced to eat guano instead.  Humans have excessively cut down these nutritious palms in order “to make strings for drying tobacco leaves.”

So what’s wrong with dining on bat guano?  A lot.  Bats are able to harbor quite a few pathogens without becoming ill.  Tiny viral killers can then be transmitted to humans via guano-eating chimps.  Direct contact isn’t even necessary.  Many such infections can be airborne.

All sorts of solutions have been proposed, not the brightest of which is to ”make fences, so that the chimpanzees can’t access the guano.”  Why stop there?  Why not just build walls throughout the jungle?

A wiser suggestion is simply this: quit cutting down so many trees!  Alternatives such as bamboo can often be used instead.  Each of those tobacco farmers can then be given a ball of jute twine when their birthdays roll around…

Resources

https://news.mongabay.com/2024/07/ugandan-chimps-are-eating-bat-guano-raising-concerns-over-human-epidemics/

 

Rats!

Temple of Karni Mata Deshnoke
(Gunther Jontes)

Although many humans are not the least bit fond of rats, favorable views of such creatures range from “tasty” to “downright divine.”

When folks aren’t studying, coddling, eating or even worshipping rats, they’re bent on exterminating them.  That’s because these mammalian “cousins” can be lethal to people and other species.

So what's a body to do if Mickey and Minnie come scampering their way?  Those who dwell on the Alaskan island of St. Paul (a "Galapagos of the north") will spring right into action. Known as a bird haven, St. Paul can’t afford to have rodents gnawing their way through “eggs, chicks or even adults and upending once-vibrant ecosystems.”  

Its citizens have therefore embarked upon an intense search for a single specimen that one resident allegedly saw.  Because “it took nearly a year to catch the last known rat on St. Paul,” folks will not give up until they are convinced that the island is completely Rodentia-free.

Resources

https://time.com/7023280/st-paul-island-alaska-rats/ 

Foul Feathered Friend

You don't say!
(Photo by L. Miguel Bugallo Sanchez) 

The truth often prevails, even when lies abound.  It can come from the mouths of babes, but also from the tongues of parrots.

Long before AI was invented, parrots were able to convincingly mimic their owners’ voices.  Case in point: When a woman approached a staff member of an English zoo and was seeking to donate her African grey parrot, there was just one catch. This  household pet had learned some rather salty words from her husband, or so she alleged.

The trouble was, the wayward pet then cursed up a storm in a voice that sounded exactly like hers… 

Resources

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/25/1226911707/parrots-swear-profanities-british-zoo 

Nature Must Have Its Say

Calling all mates!
(Photo by Robert Evans Snodgrass)

If you’re awakened by the whining roar of a jet plane but you’re nowhere near an airport, think again.  It might just be the sound of cicadas on the prowl.

After lolling underground for the past umpteen years, these buggers are seeking a mate.  What better way to do so than to sing a raucous song?  After all, that’s how rock and roll got its groupies.

When trillions of cicadas emerge all at once, their chorus can be maddening.  At least that’s what some South Carolinians thought as they rang up the local sheriff.  Yet natural law often supersedes human law.  For better or for worse, Mother Nature has plenty to say.

Resources

https://apnews.com/article/noisy-cicadas-south-carolina-police-39f2bd760a51c8c1d28d88b12473840e

Boiled Alive

(NOAA Photo Library)

The next time you stroll past a supermarket lobster tank, think about this: scientists are beginning to suspect that these boiled-alive victims have been sentient right along.

Animal consciousness has been even tougher to define than human consciousness.  Some say that animal sentience denotes “an ability to have subjective experiences,” even to the point of self-awareness.

Mirror tests have long been used to determine whether a creature exhibits some sense of self.  If an animal shows signs of recognizing its own reflection, then it likely possesses a degree of self-awareness.  Amazingly, tiny wrasse fish have been known to pass such tests.

Additional research has indicated that zebrafish act curious, cuttlefish remember particular sights and smells, and crayfish feel anxiety.  Such results have led British law to classify octopuses, lobsters and crabs as sentient beings.  Our own State of Oregon declared years ago that animals are “capable of feeling pain, stress and fear.”

Professor Jonathan Birch of the London School of Economics has been heavily involved with the Foundations of Animal Sentience project.  He is therefore a proponent of “humane slaughter” techniques.  This seems a step up from being boiled alive, but not nearly as kind as vegetarianism could be.

Resources

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-push-paradigm-animal-consciousness-151744245.html