A Face Only a Mother Could Love

Many years ago we were Brookfield Zoo members and we signed our boys up for zoo classes that started before the official opening time. While the boys were in class, my wife and I got to stroll the grounds with no one else around except for the zookeepers. One time we went into the Habitat Africa exhibit and went into the Savannah house. We stood by the rail and watched a mother giraffe and her newborn. The mother giraffe eyed us curiously and my wife started talking to her and telling her what a beautiful baby she had. The mother giraffe walked over to the baby and gently nudged him right up to the rail in front of us. We started fawning over the calf as the mother stood there nodding her impossibly long neck and looking every bit the proud parent.You cannot tell me that this was not deliberate, direct communication between species. One of the most amazing experiences of my life.

As human beings, how can we look at this picture and condone (even by silence, myself included) the poaching, destruction of habitat, and poisoning of the environment that goes on around the world?