by Sangay Glass

Created on: April 27, 2007   Last Updated: May 22, 2007

When a child is born it's most likely that their first toy will come in the form of a soft downy stuffed animal. Perhaps it's our unconscious way of helping our children distinguish the human species from the animal kingdom in a friendly way.

Can you imagine a mother's confusion if friends and family bestowed loving gifts of cold marble statuettes of themselves to the newborn child?

It's the nature of youth to crave unconditional love and acceptance, and since our plush animal toys don't get annoyed when we're frustrated, and are always available for a hug, they represent that ideal.

It would be unnatural not to carry over these feelings of admiration, if not pure love for animals once we understood that they were the inspiration for our "lovies".

In a child's eyes animals are brave even in the dark. They have the ability to climb tress, and have the benefit of strengths that small children can only aspire to possess. And at last, animals are magical beings because in stories they talk, and in fables they grant wishes.

Why wouldn't children love learning about these undemanding creatures of unearthly ability?

It's human to like animals, and when that love turns sour one can only be called inhumane.

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