" How we view animal intelligence"
The article about Magpies: Urban birds with people problems... brought me back to my childhood experience when the elders in our community would talk about the mythological Crow and its family and how they are intelligent messengers because they carry codes of communication to and from the spirit realm. My opinion towards how I view animal intelligence... is biased and stems from American Indian legends and from our teachings- specifically from the northern Californian region.
It is important to understand how an animal has evolved over time to adapt and further survive within urban cities. For example, the crow cousin, the Magpies, have been drastically persecuted since the beginning of the 20 th century... they have been poisoned and hunted after so it only makes sense for their genetic coding to install a high alert signal that provides them with additional skills for survival. It is within the lens of agrarian societies that depicts them as "aggressive," and "intimidating" or " annoying" this is because the humans that reside in their territory do not understand their history and therefore undermine their intelligence. Even Biologists were shocked at the fact that right after they were investigating the size of the Magpies eggs that they would then be targeted. It does not make sense how modern humans that target animals in any setting can continue to be so disconnected from the Earth and its relations. By relations it is defined as any organism which include earth's elements...all are connected and exist in a web like conscious existence. Scientist discuss the " monkey effect," and attempt to make sense of how a species in one part of the world can utilize skills to open up a coconut and then other animals can then show the same skills even when they are in a different region????? simply stated its a web-conscious effect...it is not limited to humans it also affects animals.... Carl Jung identified it as " collective consciousness," ....So if we are interested in studying an animal behavior it is important to understand their history and to be mindful that their intelligence is connected to the web of life...meaning that if they adapt and perhaps begin to utilize a new skill for nesting, mating, communication...it will affect their related cousins...perhaps that frame shift from one paradigm to a more humble and mindful one can assist how we view " animal intelligence."
I really like what you wrote, I feel like the web metaphor is a really powerful one in conveying the ways that we are all connected and affected by one another in this fabric of existence. movement in one area sends vibrations to all other areas.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have an example of the monkey effect in humans (or at least I think I do, correct me if Im wrong). It is the SAT exam. Students on the East coast generally do much worse than students on the West coast, and to a degree that cannot be explained by cheating (getting test materials from students who have taken the exam). It seems that once the questions are released into the consciousness of the east coast test takers, test takers in regions that receive the exam 1 hr, 2 hrs, or 3 hrs later in general do better and answer more questions correctly. The greatest benefit being seen in the West coast where results are much better. Definitely makes you think about the nature of knowledge and information!
I had a bird attack my head once before but it was a gentle reminder, hey you! your too close. So I said thanks for telling me, I will walk home a different way. For anyone who has spent time with animals it should be blatantly obvious that they are intelligent and worthy of respect.
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