What can we learn from the animal kingdom?

I have recently come across this great and inspiring article and have noted down some of the traits I believe that are important and that we can really learn from. I thought this would be great to share with our readers.

Bravery
Edanzoo.com lists the great lion (Panthera leo) as their example and is the perfect animal which displays this trait. They are courageous hunters and the leaders of the pack and are not afraid to defend themselves and other lions. They are fierce and go after what they want without hesitation. I have selected the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) as my choice of brave animal as our canine friends have been by our sides for thousands of years as our loyal protectors and comforters. Dogs have played many important roles during wars and still do today. The French trained dogs to search for the wounded on the battlefield during World War One.

Determination
From edanzoo.com we have the spider (Araneae) as our embodiment of determination. The spider shows persistence and determination when creating their webs and will get right back to work after it gets destroyed. The webs are strong and so beautifully created.

Teamwork
Ants (Formicidae) are listed on the website as one of the best examples of teamwork in the animal kingdom. They are fabulous nest builders, and they prove that great things can be achieved through collaborative effort and make sure that ‘no one is left behind’. There are many other animals that use teamwork to survive. Bees (Anthophila), Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) and Wolves (Canis lupus) all work together based on mutual trust, loyalty and through collaboration.

Patience
Leopards (Panthera pardus) are listed as one of the most patient animals. The leopard waits for his prey as long as he needs to and doesn’t spoil his opportunity to strike at the right time. Other animals who also possess the precious gift of patience include crocodiles (Crocodylidae) and owls (Strigiformes).

Adaptivity
Many animals have adapted over millennia to suit their environment, but some alter their behaviours, especially for hunting, according to the change of seasons and environment. Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are capable of hunting over long distances in their snowy habitats and have specially shaped paws for walking and running on snow and ice. The Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex) defies gravity by climbing and standing on the steepest cliff faces to avoid predators, literally rising above the enemy!

Organisation
Organisation is so important, especially for our students and something we encourage them to practice from the outset. Bonobo apes (Pan paniscus) and orangutangs (Pongo) use sticks and rocks when digging for food and save these tools in memorable places and take them with them whilst on the move.

Sustainability
This might be obvious, but animals have sustainable habits that us humans can really learn from. Camels (Camelus) can go for weeks without water and their bodies are so incredibly well-adapted to conserving water in their arid habitats. They conserve water as much as possible and eat plants sparingly to gain extra water when they can. Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) have cushioned feet that do not destroy the soil of their habitats and when feeding on plants, they eat carefully so as not to kill the plant altogether.

The animal kingdom is an inspiration to us in so many ways and it is a great honour that we live alongside these fascinating creatures! We can truly learn a lot from them!

You can read the article that inspired this one here:
https://endanzoo.com/blogs/news/10-lessions-that-our-children-can-learnfrom-animals