Reflections On The Book “Becoming Wild”
Human Relationship With The Natural World
Ever watch a group of pigeons from your window and think, “Man, they all have same style of picking up their food and eat. But how?
Well we all know humans have culture. We have traditions, customs, even slang specific to certain groups. But what about animals? Surely, their lives revolve solely around survival instincts, right?
Wrong!
I am currently reading a book by Carl Safina (an American ecologist and author), “Becoming Wild” which reveals a fascinating truth that many animal species own rich cultures that would surprise you.
Culture, that once thought to be unique to humans, is now recognised in a vast array of animal species as well. This isn’t about basic instincts like hunting or migration.
Animal cultures are complex systems of learned behaviours, traditions, and even communication styles that are passed down from generation to generation. Think of it like a secret family recipe — knowledge that gets shared and refined over time, shaping the way a particular group lives and interacts with the world.
Think about it: how many times have you learned something valuable by watching others — a new recipe from your mother, a tricky work task from a colleague? Animals experience similar learning through their cultural practices.
Orca (killer whales) pods, for instance, develop unique “dialects” of calls, allowing them to identify their pod and potentially even share information about tasty fish spots.
Sperm whale cultures are some of the most distinct on Earth. Safina describes how different pods have unique “codas” — a series of clicks added to the end of their regular clicks. These codas are believed to be a learned behaviour that identifies a specific pod and may even reflect their family history. Imagine having a secret family handshake you use with your cousins across the globe — that’s kind of what these codas represent for sperm whales!
Similar to how you and your best friend has your own secret language 😎 where you can understand things by just making an eye contact.
Safina’s book isn’t just about complex behaviours. It highlights the surprisingly human-like ways animals navigate social situations.
Imagine a group of meerkats taking turns standing guard while others forage for food. This isn’t random — there’s a social hierarchy at play! Meerkat pups born earlier in the season are more likely to be assigned guard duty, while younger pups wait their turn. This fascinating system not only protects the group but also teaches younger meerkats the importance of social responsibility within their colony.
This way animals have developed “etiquette” within their groups.
Fascinating, no?
Though this might look obvious to some because we have evolved and emerged into Homo Sapiens as a distinct species of the hominid family that includes all the great apes.
Understanding animal culture changes how we see the animal kingdom. It makes us realise these creatures have intricate social lives, just like us. They deserve our respect and empathy, not just to be seen as simple animals existing.
So the next time you’re out in nature, take a moment to observe animals interacting. You might just witness a cultural exchange as fascinating as any human tradition — a learned skill, a unique communication style, or a social gesture. It’s a whole wild world out there, and animals are playing by their own set of cultural rules!
There was no specific reason for picking up this book to read. I just like to know about wild life dynamics. In childhood, I used to imagine myself exploring wildlife just like Bear Grylls while watching him on Nat Geo. Silly me 😂
