Billy G. Howard
Instinct or intellect
An interesting thing occurred one day last week when I sat looking out the window at two squirrels playing beneath the pecan tree in the back yard. Except for the fact there aren’t any nuts on the tree at this point, I normally would have been prompted to escort them from the property. Instead, I sat contemplating the lives of those and other creatures that etch out a daily living without the conveniences of electricity, running water or even four walls and a roof.
Species such as the squirrel, fox, bear and other animals depend solely on instinct to survive in their respective natural habitats. It’s sometimes fascinating to think how animals know when a heavy rain or thunderstorm is coming without having to tune in to the local news or radio station for the daily weather report.
Many studies have been conducted on the method beavers use to build their dens, which incorporates an intricate design that would baffle the average person. Birds build what we, as people, think are simply nests in the trees but ornithologists have determined it requires a particular skill set to complete the process. Some species of birds even construct nests that have multiple “rooms” and separate living quarters than the area where hatchlings are housed.
Most anyone with a minimal natural inclination is aware of the fact salmon swim upstream at spawning season every year. What has come to be known as the salmon run occurs the same time each year when the fish migrate from the ocean to the upper reaches of rivers where they spawn with many of them, instinctively, returning to the very area or specific place of their birth.
Oddly enough, upon returning to my computer after watching the squirrels and logging on to the internet there was a news blog concerning yet another incident during which 20 hostages were killed during an attack at a Bangladesh Restaurant. The restaurant located in the capital of Dhaka was the focus of an Islamist terrorist group that seized the location Friday evening. Bangladeshi soldiers eventually stormed the restaurant early Saturday morning and freed thirteen of the hostages. Also, there were two senior police officers killed and several others wounded.
Just a few minutes perusing the internet revealed that there were 97 terrorist incidents in January of this year, 68 in February, 108 during March, 150 during the month of April, 197 for May, and 213 total terrorist incidents that occurred in June. These occurrences during just the first half of 2016 account for hundreds of innocent murder victims. That’s only inclusive of those actions classified as acts of terrorism and doesn’t take into consideration the countless burglaries, home invasions, assaults, incidents of child abuse, suicides other brutalities and murders that are logged around the world in the course of a typical day.
For the complete column pick up your copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE.
Many studies have been conducted on the method beavers use to build their dens, which incorporates an intricate design that would baffle the average person. Birds build what we, as people, think are simply nests in the trees but ornithologists have determined it requires a particular skill set to complete the process. Some species of birds even construct nests that have multiple “rooms” and separate living quarters than the area where hatchlings are housed.
Most anyone with a minimal natural inclination is aware of the fact salmon swim upstream at spawning season every year. What has come to be known as the salmon run occurs the same time each year when the fish migrate from the ocean to the upper reaches of rivers where they spawn with many of them, instinctively, returning to the very area or specific place of their birth.
Oddly enough, upon returning to my computer after watching the squirrels and logging on to the internet there was a news blog concerning yet another incident during which 20 hostages were killed during an attack at a Bangladesh Restaurant. The restaurant located in the capital of Dhaka was the focus of an Islamist terrorist group that seized the location Friday evening. Bangladeshi soldiers eventually stormed the restaurant early Saturday morning and freed thirteen of the hostages. Also, there were two senior police officers killed and several others wounded.
Just a few minutes perusing the internet revealed that there were 97 terrorist incidents in January of this year, 68 in February, 108 during March, 150 during the month of April, 197 for May, and 213 total terrorist incidents that occurred in June. These occurrences during just the first half of 2016 account for hundreds of innocent murder victims. That’s only inclusive of those actions classified as acts of terrorism and doesn’t take into consideration the countless burglaries, home invasions, assaults, incidents of child abuse, suicides other brutalities and murders that are logged around the world in the course of a typical day.
For the complete column pick up your copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands today or CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE.
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