Fun Facts About Animals
Crows have been known to hold grudges for years, but they also recognize kindness.
When you come across a vegan you may not know anything about them, other than the fact that they try to do their best to not exploit, eat or wear animals. Rest assured, most vegans were once meat or dairy consumers and are living a life that aligns more with their values of loving animals and respecting other species. Although there are disgruntled people all around us, know that most vegans just want you to realize what they have realized, and that is that animals don’t deserve mistreatment and don’t deserve pain and suffering. Vegans have also learned that consuming animals is not required for good health. Instead of feeling guilty and angry when you are mingling with a vegan, try to ask questions of them and you may learn so much about their stance and the stance of many researchers in healthcare and in animal welfare. So much can be learned through living a life based on sustainability and being kind.
https://www.vegansociety.com/society/strategy/achievable-goals
So, today, I would love for you to join me in celebrating all the amazing animals we share our beautiful world with. Each individual animal possesses their own unique gifts and abilities. Cows, for example, have an incredible sense of smell. Humans can smell a pie baking in the next room as the scent waifs through the air, but cows can smell a predator up to 2 miles away. That’s an incredible feat. The sad part about knowing this important fact is that most cattle live in squalor and filth. The smells they must endure must drive them crazy. We should try our hardest to remedy the situation instead of ignoring it altogether. But cows are not the only animals that have unique abilities.
Cows can smell danger from miles away.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225002474
Cheetahs are the fastest land animal on earth. How fast can a cheetah run? They can max out at 65-75 miles per hour! That’s amazing! And their acceleration is incredible too – they can go from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3 seconds. You may wonder why I am discussing cheetahs since vegans typically focus on farmed animals. However, all land animals are suffering – the farmed, land animals from the awful way humans exploit them, but also the wild animals who keep losing their habitats to human expansion and development. Sailfish are the fastest fish in the ocean – maxing out at a similar speed as a cheetah on land. As I learn more about each individual and unique animal, I find I appreciate them so much more.
Cheetahs are the fastest land animal alive on earth today and can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in 3 seconds.
https://www.britannica.com/science/How-Fast-Are-Cheetahs
The Blue Whale is the largest animal on earth and can weigh up to 150 tons. They have hearts as big as a small car. The size of these majestic animals is just incomprehensible. But humans were on the hunt for whales for hundreds of years and succeeded in destroying much of their original populations. It is estimated that at their peak, the blue whale population was at least 300,000 individuals strong. They dwindled to less than a few thousand in the 1960’s when protections for the whale population were put into effect by the International Whale Commission moratorium. But whales are still hunted to this day mostly in Japan, Norway and Iceland for food and commercial purposes. Vegans wish fisherman knew that humans don’t need these beautiful creatures to survive and to flourish. These animals should be left alone to live out their years with their families, just like we do.
A Blue Whale has a heart that can grow as big as a small car.
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Blue-Whale
The African Bush Elephant is the largest and heaviest land animals alive today. They can grow up to 13 feet tall and weight up to 10 tons. Elephants possess an incredible memory and have been known to remember faces, scents and have a higher sense of empathy and emotional intelligence. Although elephants don’t perform funerals in the same way that humans do, they do pay respects to their dead and they grieve their losses. Humans may communicate via voice, but animals such as elephants can understand each other through body language, touch and ground vibrations. Due to their large, valuable, tusks, elephant populations have been wiped out by people. About 90% of the elephants that once lived have been killed. It is estimated that up to 27 million elephants lived in Africa in the early 1800’s. So much killing of a highly intelligent animal who deserve so much better.
African elephants are not only the largest and heaviest land animal, they also have a developed sense of emotion and empathy.
https://www.wildandfreefoundation.org/wff-logbook-blog/what-is-the-largest-land-animal-ever
Pigs are one of the first animals we think of when we imagine animals on a farm. What most people don’t know is that pigs are some of the smartest animals on the planet, like wicked smart. What can pigs learn? They can learn how to play games, use tool, solve complex problems, help their friends and they can communicate with others. Pigs are extremely social and have high emotional intelligence. This makes having a pet pig so much fun. You can interact with them similar to the way that humans do with dogs and cats. Unfortunately for pigs, people don’t think of them as an animal that should be spared from slaughter.
Pigs are arguably one of the most intelligent land animals on earth.
Most humans don’t think of pigs as having any redeeming qualities since the common belief is that pigs are dirty, and lazy – but this thought process is far from the truth. Without the respect for their intelligence or their ability to feel pain and sadness, pigs cannot enjoy life like many other domesticated animals like dogs and cats. Pigs typically live on factory farms and/or in crates that don’t allow them any meaningful freedom or even the space to turn around. Pigs should be respected for simply being an amazing animal to see and interact with.
The giraffe is the tallest animal and can reach a height of 17 feet. They are perfectly developed to reach high branches on trees and enjoy the leaves for snacks and for meals. Giraffes may be herbivores but don’t let that stop them. Giraffes can run at a breakneck speed when they need to, topping out at 37 miles per hour – that’s an amazing 1.62 minutes per mile – oftentimes, faster than a racing horse.
The animal with the strongest bite is the saltwater crocodile with an incredible bite force of up to 5,000 pounds per square inch (PSI.) These animals do not swim for miles or run marathons; they are predators that expend very little energy on their prey. They wait in hiding until the perfect moment arises to capture their prey. The bite of a crocodile can obliterate any form of shell or bone. They scariest thing about these amazing animals is that it is nearly impossible to get away or escape. Watching your step is the best defense against these camouflaged creatures.
Crocodiles have the strongest bite of all land animals on earth.
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/crocodile/what-is-the-bite-force-of-a-crocodile/
Crows have a memory that is ironclad. Crows can remember human faces and can observe cruelty and kindness. They can also pass their findings off to their offspring and have been known to hold on to grudges up to 17 years later. They don’t forgive easily. But if you are kind to them crows can show appreciation to those who have lent a helping hand and crows have an advanced way of communicating. They have even been known to communicate with humans. You could consider them a front row and straight A student – they are sponges who take it all in while in their surroundings. Some scientists believe crows possess an intelligence process like humans – they have forethought and can plan ahead, and they have been known to use tools. Problem solving is another strength that crows possess. So, if you are ever outside and a crow flies by, let them know how much you appreciate them, you may just get a reply.
Crows are extremely intelligent and can remember a human face for years.
Although we know all about the biggest and the best in the world when it comes to different species, we should all appreciate that every living animal on earth deserves an award for their amazing skills, and talents. When we take that away from them and treat them as if they are criminals or worse, that they are irrelevant (other than to provide meat for humans,) we take away something beautiful and unique in this place we all share called earth. Instead of thinking of other species as annoying, dirty or lacking in abilities, we should instead look for all the incredible and unique gifts that each of us bring to the table to make this world an incredible place to live. Cutting back on their captivity, cutting them out of our diets, and allowing them to live a life worthy of living should be a priority for all of us.