October 4th is World Animal Day. Appropriately, it falls on the feast of St Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis has said this about his patron saint: “St Francis’ response to the world around him was so much more than an intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister or brother united to him by bonds of affection.”
Today on this blog we will celebrate our bonds of affection with our fellow animals in three ways. First, by reminding ourselves of some of the fascinating and mysterious facts about certain other animals. Second, by enjoying photos of a few of those animals. And third, by watching a video that highlights a few of our brother and sister animals who share this beautiful planet we all call home. First, here are fifteen fun and amazing facts–with a few photos interspersed:
1. Butterflies taste with their feet.
2. Octopuses have three hearts. Two move blood through their gills and one pumps blood through their body.
3. Flamingoes are naturally white or grey. They turn pink from the algae and shrimp they eat.
4. Sloths poop only once a week. They must go down to the ground to poop–so the less time they spend on the ground, the safer they are. It can take a sloth up to one month to digest one leaf!
5. Horses can’t breathe through their mouths.
6. Giraffes have no vocal chords.
7. Tigers have striped skin as well as striped fur.
8. Cows have best friends. They form close bonds with other cows in their herd. Like us, they become stressed when something negative happens to one of their friends.
9. A newborn Koala joey is the size of a jelly bean.
10. Otters have the thickest coats of any furry animal.
11. The fastest flying animal in the world is the peregrine falcon. They have been clocked at over 186 miles per hour when swooping or diving.
12. The most endangered animals today include rhinos, gorillas, Amur leopards, and two species of sea turtles.
13. Male seahorses give birth. They have a pouch where they carry and give birth to their young.
14. Which animal out-performed some humans in memory tests? The chimpanzee!
15. Who are the friendliest animals (besides cats and dogs)? Dolphins! They interact with humans both in captivity and in the wild.
For reflection:
Did any of the animal facts surprise or amaze you? (Feel free to add another fun or amazing animal fact in the comments below.)
Have you ever had a pet that you felt especially bonded with? What was that relationship like for you?
Have you ever bonded with an animal that was NOT a pet? How did that bonding come about? What affect did this relationship have on you–and on the other animal?
What animal (besides a pet) do you find yourself often thanking God for?
Let’s conclude our celebration of World Animal Day with a short film put out by National Geographic. The video invites people to send their best animal shots to National Geographic for their website. While extending that invitation, the video displays some incredible photos of animals around the world.
Once again, I invite you to write a comment on this reflection below. Join in the converation!
34 Responses
Thank you for drawing attention to our fellow creatures…they reflect the artistry and creativeness of the Lord God…may we all become children for one minute and look…..
Peace
Dear Sr. Melannie, Thank you for honoring World Animal Day and the Feast of St. Francis this week with your blog! I simply cannot imagine living in a world without animals. I have bonded with a number of them including crows. I was feeding chipmunks in the woods with apple cores some years ago and the crows came to investigate. One crow terrified a chipmunk by landing right next to it, so I trained the crows to go across the drive to a tree where I left treats (a birdseed/nut blend) for them. The crows adopted me, and I have been friends with the family that lives here for at least 3 years. They are super smart and can understand me much better than I can understand them. Animals are totally amazing. Even though giraffes don’t have vocal cords, a research team found that they hum. Listen on the video here: https://www.iflscience.com/what-sound-does-a-giraffe-make-66623 and if you want to see some adorably cute baby giraffes, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IRFjUR6ugI
I thank God for animals! We have much to learn from them.
Yes, crows are so amazing! My brother-in-law feeds them, and they in turn bring him little gifts! Feeding chipmunks! You are a true Franciscan!
Thank you, John. I have to admit that I don’t feed any of them by hand. I would love a “Disney Princess” moment like that, but they prefer otherwise and that’s OK with me. I’m amazed at the bravery of the chipmunks for even coming as near as they do. If I was only half as long as another creature’s foot and weighed 1/800th of what it did, I doubt I would be that brave!
Annie, I love how you became friends with a few of the chipmunks and crows on our property! And I listened to the video of the giraffes humming! Amazing! Melannie
Good morning, Sr. Melannie…
Good morning, all…
Thank you for all of this! I will start my class today by reading the above facts! My students will love it! I think I will show the film, as well. We had a cat named Jazzy for 14 years. One evening while I was correcting papers, Jazzy, just a kitten, crawled up my back and settled in the nape of my neck for a nice little nap! A nap in the nape! I didn’t want to move, so I just kept on reading those papers, all the while thinking, “When will this ever happen again?” Rest in peace, Jazzy!
I love this article. I have taught my students how to invite an animal spirit in. They make soulcollage cards and ask their animal cards three questions. Who are you? What do you have to tell me? What gift do you have for me? it’s amazing the discussions we have had around their precious choices.
Margie, This is something similar to what I suggest to retreatants. They can dialogue with some plant, animal, or even inanimate thing (like a particular room, a road, a lamp) and ask: “What wisdom do you have that you can share with me?” I’ve been inspired by the results. You’d be surprised what wisdom is possessed by a blade of grass, a ladybug, an old oak tree, and even a fire hydrant–if only we take the time to “listen.” Thanks for writing! Melannie
Beauty comes in so many different colors, shapes and sizes
I look forward to your uplifting blogs. Your fun and amazing animal facts in this blog were indeed fun and amazing. Bless you and this special ministry you do.
I enjoy your blog. I subscribed but it is no longer coming to my email. I wonder why?
If we could only stop for a minute to think about all the varied animals God created! How wonderful is that! A zoo or places like Busch Gardens, is a testament to some of these varied species. I love them all. However, for me, a dog, one of which I have had for most of my life, touches me the most. Feed them, love them, and they will forever be grateful and the best friend you could ever ask for.
I think I can say that I love all animals BUT I was a bit uneasy when I saw a 3 foot snake meandering along on my porch the other day! Thankfully it wasn’t a rattle snake! I live in Arizona so over the years I think we have seen a lot of critters. One day, years ago, I opened the front door to shockingly see a beautiful huge tarantula! I didn’t ask him(her) in!
June, Yes, some of God’s creatures are harder for us humans to love… but we can still respect them! Thanks for your words! Melannie
I just couldn’t help but be in awe of all of God’s handiwork. What a dull uninteresting world this would be if all creatures looked the same.
I was also a bit in awe of the opportunities that all these photographers had to catch these pictures…amazing and a gift to the rest of us!
The biggest surprise to me is the fact that a baby koala is the size of a jelly bean…..isn’t that something though?
Thank you for this blog Sr. Melannie…..I didn’t receive it for the last couple of weeks and I missed it very much.
Happy, blessed October to you all,
Mary
Mary, I agree with your praise for all those photographers who bring us amazing pictures of God’s incredible handiwork! Melannie
Our wooded 3/4 acre lot became the deer maternity ward as each spring a singleton, or twins were born there.
The doe leaves them hidden as she forages for hours in order to increase her milk supply.
They do a standing jump over a 51/2 ft chain link fence.
Unfortunately their tastes eventually included hydrangeas, lilies, and annuals we planted.
They drank from our birdbath too and oh yes, they sneeze, which is hilarious!
Marilyn, Thank you for sharing your beautiful experiences with your deer neighbors! I applaud your attentiveness to them! Melannie
All the fun facts are fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m grateful for all God’s creatures great & small. Have particular fondness for butterflies which remind me of my brother Joe and my mother, and humming birds.
That is why I no longer eat them!
Linda, See my “interview with a vegan,” Sister Annie. Just type those words in the search box on the upper right and my interview will come up. She made the same decision that you made! Melannie
God surprised us with a tiny caterpillar two years ago on a rogue milkweed that had started growing in one of my flower pots. Joy of joys, we were able to watch it and four others go from tiny little caterpillar to chubby caterpillar to sparkling chrysalis to magnificent monarch! What a gift that was ! We had an end-of-summer surprise this year with another guest in our backyard. We just let him go this morning! God is amazing and so generous! 🦋
Elephants has special vocalizations for other individual elephants in their herd. ( from Scientific American magazine(. I wonder if whales do too. Let’s pray about the damage we are perpetrating on nature and how we can learn to contain this.
Such a beautiful and peaceful video. I smiled big when I saw the gorilla peaking out from behind a tree. I needed a smile today and this video provided it. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Sr. Melannie. Thanks for today’s blog. It made me smile because Tyler, my grandnephew used to say, “Animals are my favorite people”. Sometimes mine too. I spent about an hour looking up animal facts. I found out that even though giraffes have no vocal cords they do hum. I’ll have to tell my housemate that I’m part giraffe when my humming irritates her.
Thanks again and blessings to all.
I heard an awful sound coming from the woods last Saturday morning.With the help of St. Francis I was able to find the yearling buck that had become totally tangled in the green netting hanging behind the soccer goal on the field near my home. I ran for tools and returned to crawl up to him where he lay. I talked with him and I could tell he had heard my voice before as I talk to my wildlife all the time. It took 20 minutes and several calming times as the tightest ropes were cut before he was free. He didn’t wait around for pictures! I thank God for that opportunity to be a positive link to His creation. Thank you Sister Melanie for your blog and for allowing me to share.
Barb, What a beautiful story! How wonderful that you were able to free that buck from the tangled netting. He must have been terrified. I’m so glad you were able to calm him with your voice. Thank you for sharing this story with us! Melannie
Our souls are touched with the beauty, grace and multifariousness of God’s creatures, who have evolved to the states we now know. Somewhere in the next 25 years, however, it is predicted that one eighth of the many, many species of animals will likely go extinct because the environmental crisis is not expected to be mitigated by the human race. We must do more than admire creatures and praise their creator. We must mobilize, lobby, petition and pressure indifferent corporations and ineffectual governments, as Pope Francis has urged and as over a thousand conservation organizations are trying to protect this fragile world. They can use our help.
George, You are absolutely correct in saying we must “do more than admire creatures and praise their creator.” At the same time, advocacy is rooted in wonder and appreciation and love. As someone has wisely said, “We will not work to preserve what we do not love.” Thank you for reminding us of the work that has to be done “to protect this fragile world.” Melannie
Sister Melanie-
i have been trying to contact you through your website but I am not getting a response. So…I will try here. Our church, St Mary’s at Sherman, Texas, would like to invite you to do a women’s retreat (one day) sometime in May 2025. If May does not work, we could move it to September or February 2025. I have loved your blog and your books, especially “Habits of a Healthy Spirituality”. We would love for you to come to Texas and see our chuch and teach us some healthy habits. Thank you for your consideration.
Beverly
I recently caught part of a Nat Geo show about octopuses. A shark was swimming around, looking for dinner. The female octopus being tracked by the researchers changed not only her color, but also the pattern on her body. The narrator then went on to say that she is capable of changing both colors and patterns 170 times in one hour! What kind of a God thinks of—and then creates—such an animal? Needless to say, the confused shark didn’t know what he was seeing and swam away.
Also, there’s something to be said for sloths. 😊
Rose, I also saw a show (maybe the same one) where an octopus took the form and color of a stingray. As it skimmed the bottom, you would have sworn it was a stingray. The nearby sharks thought it was one, for they swam away and did not attack it! Amazing! Melannie
Thank you for the fun facts and the amazing video.
The Lord God blesses us all.