While doing this project I realized
that hedgehogs are more well known for their pop culture stars, and
few know about the actual animals themselves. Also, in Europe these
animals naturally run wild, so some people eat them and others view
them as friendly wildlife, as people in the United States might view
a squirrel. When looking at the many different ways in which people
around the world interact with the hedgehog, it varies to a great
degree, even though hedgehogs do not vary much from one species to
another. This can be said of any animal. Dogs are perhaps the most
variable as they can be considered companions, partners, service
animals, food, wildlife, and even pests. While I was aware of this, I
did not know just how intelligent dogs and other animals are, which
brings up issues of how we should treat them. Some animals, like the
killer whale, may actually be smarter than us and experience more
emotions than we do; I question the ethics of keeping such an animal
in captivity for entertainment or any other purpose. Also, in order
for one animal to bring us joy, it may cause so many others pain,
which is the case for some dolphins, many puppy mills, and large
exotic animals. Instead of focusing on what is right in front of us,
humans need to look at how their actions impact animals, whether or
not they care for that particular species.
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