Us ZooChatters tend to be fascinated by just about any animal, but like other people, we all still have our favorites. I want to know, what kinds of things make you obsessed with a species?
The past several years, I've developed a fascination with "human-like" animals. (though it's definitely not a requirement to be a top favorite animal of mine) I'm not just talking primates either. If anything, I'm more interested in the non-primates. I guess out of fascination that an animal so unlike us can still be so much like us. We're always trying to figure out what makes humans special, and just when we think we have it down, it turns out some other animal shares that trait. I didn't have much interest in elephants until I saw a documentary about how smart they are. I had a new appreciation of parrots when a different documentary showed me the same. And orcas? I always thought they were cool, but some information I learned (in documentaries, once again, ha ha) shot them up to #1 on my favorite animals list. Like how they essentially have "cultures", where each population has a unique set of calls and diets and learned behaviors. And how there are multiple recorded instances of orcas caring for disabled individuals. Like, how cool is that? Plus they're just really awesome in general. How many other animals kill great white sharks?
Anyone else here have a fascination with so called "human-like" behaviors in animals?
The past several years, I've developed a fascination with "human-like" animals. (though it's definitely not a requirement to be a top favorite animal of mine) I'm not just talking primates either. If anything, I'm more interested in the non-primates. I guess out of fascination that an animal so unlike us can still be so much like us. We're always trying to figure out what makes humans special, and just when we think we have it down, it turns out some other animal shares that trait. I didn't have much interest in elephants until I saw a documentary about how smart they are. I had a new appreciation of parrots when a different documentary showed me the same. And orcas? I always thought they were cool, but some information I learned (in documentaries, once again, ha ha) shot them up to #1 on my favorite animals list. Like how they essentially have "cultures", where each population has a unique set of calls and diets and learned behaviors. And how there are multiple recorded instances of orcas caring for disabled individuals. Like, how cool is that? Plus they're just really awesome in general. How many other animals kill great white sharks?
Anyone else here have a fascination with so called "human-like" behaviors in animals?