Animal antics

I read this article in the Daily Mail today and felt the need to blog it

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1216852/Tallest-horse-world-10ft-Poe-looks-set-gallop-record-books.html 

Not just for the fact that my tutor at the university has a wall of horse articles from various papers, all in various situations and poses, but because it amuses me how every week in the paper, there will be a large photo of an animal. Whether for amusement, after performing a heroic deed, or just for looking plain damn cute, they will be afforded a page to themselves. 

Being an animal person myself, I am among the many who melt at the sight of a cute little field mouse saving itself from a raging river

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1113187/Pictured-The-field-mouse-saved-flooded-river-using-tail.html

or marvel at the sight of magnificent creatures such as this beautiful Bengal

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1198844/Pictured-The-white-Bengal-tiger-likes-better-eat-meat-underwater.html

And for that matter, I know I am not among the minority.

But why? For years, humans have shared an affinity with animals. If you look at ancient jewelry, there will be intricate designs of horses and deers, chasing each other nose to tail around a bracelet. Early cave paintings depict centuries old beasts and lest we forget the cat worshipping ancient Egypt.

Animals, even today hold superstitious qualities. A black cat is good or bad luck, depending which way it walks past you. A magpie is equally good or bad depending on how many there are. To dream of a spider means someone is spinning tales about you behind your back and if you ever see a cow laying down, best to bring an umbrella. 

In a way, animals keep us primitive. They remind us of a simpler time, when that horse would have been used to help us bring in crops, and a dog was there to guard your home. In the same sense, the sight of that tiger humbles us, and reminds us that without technology, and without our weapons, we're still as vulnerable as the neolithic people that sat painting on a cave wall.

Even A-List celebrities cannot resist such a thing as "The world's smallest horse" (;