paying-attention

Why are bears thought of as kindly, but dumb, friends to humans? Is it because they walk upright, and have slightly human-looking hands and faces? Further, why do we consider most of our fellow primates to be slightly silly, like human children?

I think the key might be in the way we anthropomorphize them. You can't judge a cat's appearance by human standards, as the absurd costuming of the musical "Cats" made all too clear. (The only quasi-theatrical attempt at blending human and feline standards of appearance that ever worked was the Cat character on "Red Dwarf." He was also, of course, not meant to be taken seriously.) Try looking at your cat's face, or your dog's, or your iguana's. If you try to picture them as human faces, they range from mildly misshapen to frightening.

A chimp, on the other hand, bears a strong physical resemblance to a confused or ridiculous human. As a result, we see them in relation to ourselves, while a cat's completely non-human demeanor comes across as mysterious and wise. The fact is, your cat is not as "smart" as the average primate, bear or even pig. Dogs, while smarter than cats, rely on pack instincts to make decisions that would be no challenge to an orangutan.

This all may be philosophical. On the practical side, wolves and coyotes are not your pet german shepherd; that cuddly-seeming bear is a fierce and crafty omnivore who will eat you if he's hungry; and we learn every day how little separates us from the other primates. Treat them all with the respect and fear that they deserve.

Every couple of years we hear a story about a child or small animal falling into the polar bear enclosure and being eaten. Should we really be blaming that on the bears?

Labels: anthropomorphic, bears, cats, dogs, primates