Celebrating World Animal Day

Happy World Animal Day & National Wildlife Day!

Why do we celebrate animals annually on October 4^th?  It is an important international event honoring the contribution animals have made to human cultureculture is not genetically inherited, it is shared, learned, and dynamic- never static.  It is a time to recognize the amazing impact animals have had on the lives of all human beings.  Both wild and domesticated animals have contributed greatly.  In this musing, we willa document stating how a person wants real and personal property divided after death More examine a few cultural aspects in which animals have played a part.

            World Animal Day was first initiated by the German writer, Heinrich Zimmermann, in Berlin in 1925. October 4^th was chosen to align with the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi because he is the patron saint of animals.  It is said that Assisi advocated for animal welfare, especially the plight of endangered ones.  In America, Colleen Paige, a leading Pet and Familya family is  group of people consisting of parents and children living together in a household; family members can also live away from parents or in a different household Lifestyle expert, established National Wildlife Day in 2005.  She wanted to bring awareness to endangered animals and the critical need for wildlife conservation.

            Animals’ cultural impacts have been infinite!  Let’s examine the emotional and historical bonds, over eons of time, that have connected humans and animals.  Some animals have played transformative roles in establishing human culture because they were primed for domesticationto tame animals, and to cultivate plants for human use More.  Some animals’ roles have been strictly companionship. Other animals have helped with hard labor, while others have spiritual significance. Animals have shaped civilizations through agricultural pursuits and influenced mythologya collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition (i.e., Celtic), the study of myths includes archaeology, folklore, and comparisons among cultures More and human artworks in so many environments.

            The most common animals we think of as companions are dogs, cats, and horses.  Dogs were domesticated between 14,000 and 40,000 years ago.  They have highly developed senses of hearing and smell, and they are extremely loyal.  They protect from predators, assist in hunting, and can herd other animals.  Dogs have long been regarded as the symbolic guardians of the boundary between life and death. Anciently, in Egypt, the jackal-headed god Anubis was the god of mummification and the afterlife.  In Greek mythology, Cerberus, the three-headed dog, guarded the entrance to the underworld.  Dogs were, and are, often buried with their owners, which highlights their spiritual and social importance.

            Cats are well-known for their role in pest control, as they protect stored grains from rodents.  In Ancient Egypt, cats were associated with Bastet, the goddess of fertility, protection, and motherhood.  Cats have an independent naturethe phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans and or human creations, allowing them to be revered as deities or symbols of good or bad luck or evil.

Horses were domesticated about 5,000 years ago.  It has been said, “They revolutionized human civilizationa highly developed and advanced human society, associated with population density, writing and record-keeping, education, art, science, and complex political and social institutions.”  They provided speed for travel, trade, and communication.  In a recent BBC History Magazinearticle, the Warhorse was noted as “The weapon that transformed medieval Europe.”  In 1066, “Horses were involved in King Harold’s defeat at Hastings—but also in the demise of his Norman conqueror.”

            Not counting the horse, other farm and agricultural animals are the bovines (cattle), goats, sheep, chickens, and honeybees.  Their contributions are obvious every day, but there are also spiritual and mythical animals.  For instance, the biblical serpent. Snakes shed their skin, and across many cultural landscapes like Chinese, Japanese, Hindu, Buddhist, Aztec, Native American, and Celtic, snakes symbolize transformation, rebirth, and healing.  In Christian traditions, that biblical serpent is associated with evil and deceit.  (It tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden).  

            Turtles, in some indigenous cultures of North America, are foundational to their creation stories.  It is believed the Earth was formed on the back of a great sea turtle, sometimes referred to as the “World Turtle,” or the “Turtle Island” cosmology.  What about the okapi?  The what?  The forest-dwelling giraffe-like creature, the Okapi, for 40,000 years, has been considered sacred to the Mbuti people—also known as the Pygmies of the Ituri Forest.  The Okapi Wildlife Reserve, where both the Mbuti people and the okapi reside, is threatened by deforestation, poaching, and illegal mining.  Understanding the okapi’s habitat and behavior, and the Mbuti people’s dependence on the animal, is crucial.       https://www.okapiconservation.org/the-okapi

Forest-dwelling, giraffe-like Okapi.  The giraffe’s only living relative!

We know that elephants are revered in India for their divinity, strength, wisdom, royalty, and memorythe power or process of remembering what has been learned; something remembered, kept in the mind for later recall; something remembered from the past; a recollection.  In Hindu cosmology, elephants are seen as mythical, depicted as supporting the world.  The deity, Indra, in Indic culture, is said to have ridden on an elephant.  Originally, Indra was a powerful king of the gods in the Vedic era and was later adopted into Buddhist and Jain cosmologies.

            Animals, both wild and domesticated, have been involved in forming human culture.  We have cultivated attitudes of fear, respect, love, dependence, and many cultural mutualisms and symbiotic relationshipsSymbiotic relationships are special types of interactions between species, which are essential to both organisms and ecosystems.  Such relationships provide a balance only achieved by working together.  An example is the relationship between the African honeyguide and the humans who use their help to locate beehives. More with animals.  Animals play a role in human cultural and socio-economic traditions throughout the world.  The following are some humorous references that we attribute to animal characteristics:

1.  A lone wolf:  A person who prefers to be alone and avoids social encounters.
2. Getting your goat:  Annoying or irritating someone.  
3. Hold your horses:  Wait a minute—slow down.
4. A fish out of water:  Being uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation.
5. Pig-headed:  Very stubborn.
6. In a Rat racea sub-group in biology, but not applicable to human beings - there is only one race - the human race More:  Repetitive and exhausting competitive work.
7. Bull in a China shop:  Clumsy person in a delicate situation.
8. Black sheep:  A disgraced member of a family or group.
9. An elephant’s memory:  Having a good and long-lasting memory.
10.  A night owl:  People who are active at night.
11.  Wild goose chase:  A pointless pursuit of something.
12. Chicken out:  Afraid to do something because of fear.
13. Ruffle one’s feathers:  To annoy or upset someone.
14. Free as a bird:  To be carefree and unrestricted.
15. Proud as a Peacock:  Excessive pride in oneself or one’s appearance.
    Etc., etc..

            The above idioms have developed over time, from observance of animal behaviors (real or assumed), folkloreFolklore refers to the collection of traditional stories, myths, legends, and beliefs that have been passed down orally or through practice within a cultural group. Folklore reflects shared identities and values in narratives by multiple storytellers. More, historical, and cultural values.  A culture’s geographic environmentthe surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates; the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences;  ecology, the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors and influences greatly influences the animal features that relate to the idioms.  Coastal nations, like England, developed sea animal-related idioms.   Animals are specific to local environments (like the okapi). If we stop to think about how animals have helped humans in so many ways, it gives us many reasons to celebrate World Animal Day on October 4, 2025, and every day of the year.