We are Family: Renewing Our Relationship with Other Animals

We are Family

Renewing Our Relationship with Other Animals

I'm an Earthist, I suppose. I believe it would be good for us humans to live with respect and care for the planet, our shared home. But I’m also an Animalist. I suspect that, for many people, the path to Earthism lies through the discovery and recovery of our felt bonds with our closest kin—the other animals. It is this rediscovery, combined with humility and awe for their myriad forms of perception and intelligence, often surpassing our own, that can reawaken our sense of belonging within the community of life.

Most of us understand how important this is. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and escalating ecological crises, humanity faces a profound challenge: to redefine our place within the larger web of life. For centuries, dominant cultural narratives, some of them foisted upon us by religion, have placed humans at the center of existence, viewing other species primarily as resources for exploitation rather than as co-inhabitants of a shared world. This anthropocentric perspective has fueled environmental degradation, the loss of biodiversity, a growing alienation from the natural world, and a certain existential loneliness. I'll call it eco-loneliness or, in this case, loneliness for meaningful bonds with other animals.

However, as explored in the podcast below, a new paradigm is emerging—one that calls us to recognize many remarkable forms of animal communication, and, in so doing, to enter into relationships with other animals in a spirit of humility, curiosity, and care. This shift challenges us to recognize the intelligence, agency, and intrinsic worth of other animals. Process philosophy and theology offer one compelling version of this worldview, alongside many others. Together, these perspectives invite us to see the interconnectedness of all life and our role within it.

By leveraging advanced technologies, drawing from the wisdom of interdependent cultures, and reimagining our relationship with animals through innovative tools and philosophical frameworks, we can begin to envision and cultivate an ecological civilization. Such a civilization would view humanity not as rulers of the Earth but as participants in a dynamic, relational, and co-creative web of life—one in which every being has its place, its value, and its voice. For many of it begins with giving animals a voice or, better, recognizing the voices other animals already have, if only we listen.

- Jay McDaniel

Animal Communication: BBC

How do animals detect natural disasters before they happen? Martin Wikelski, Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour at the University of Konstanz argues they have a ‘sixth sense’ that humans are only just beginning to understand. In his book, The Internet of Animals, he reveals the extraordinary network of information gathered by tagging and tracking thousands of animals across the world.

At the University of Glasgow researchers have been looking at how technology can be used to help animals communicate with each other. Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas explored the potential of video-calling to reduce loneliness in parrots and found that the sociable birds preferred the live interaction to pre-recorded videos.

The traditional rhythms of a pastoral life are at the heart of Kapka Kassabova’s new book, Anima. In the mountainous region of Bulgaria, she follows the ‘pastiri’ people, the shepherds struggling to hold onto an ancient way of life, and their relationship with the oldest surviving breeds of sheep and goats, and their legendary breed of dog, the Karakachan.

Producer: Katy Hickman

The Internet of Animals

By giving animals a voice, we could transform our understanding of the world. This is the vision shared by Martin Wikelski and his team of scientists, as detailed in this groundbreaking book. The team has pioneered a revolutionary approach by equipping animals across the globe with tiny tracking devices, linking their movements to the International Space Station. This connection creates an extraordinary “internet of animals,” a vast network of information where thousands of animals communicate with one another and their surroundings. Known as the International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (ICARUS), this remarkable initiative has the potential to reshape how we interact with the natural world.

Wikelski vividly illustrates the unique insights animals can offer. For instance, farm animals grow agitated before earthquakes strike, wildlife in Africa detect the movements of poachers, and frigatebirds in South America leave their habitats ahead of hurricanes. These examples demonstrate the profound sensory abilities of animals, often described as a kind of “sixth sense.”

Challenging previous assumptions that animal migration is solely driven by genetic programming, Wikelski reveals that these movements are deeply rooted in established animal cultures. This insight has profound implications for humanity. By observing and understanding these animal cultures, we can gain critical knowledge about our environment, improve our preparedness for natural disasters, and foster a more harmonious coexistence with the animal kingdom. Such awareness benefits not only humans but also the broader ecosystem, paving the way for a more sustainable future for all life on Earth.

Martin Wikelski, the director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and an honorary professor of ornithology at the University of Konstanz, has also held prominent academic positions, including roles at Princeton University, the University of Illinois, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

Anima

In Anima, Kapka Kassabova introduces us to the “pastiri” people―the shepherds struggling to hold on to an ancient way of life in which humans and animals exist in profound interdependence. Following her three previous books set in the Balkans, and with an increasing interest in the degraded state of our planet and culture, Kassabova reaches further into the spirit of place than she ever has before. In this extraordinary portrayal of pastoral life, she investigates the heroic efforts to sustain the oldest surviving breeds of our domesticated animals, and she shows us the epic, orchestrated activity of transhumance―the seasonal movement, on foot, of a vast herd of sheep, working in tandem with dogs. She also becomes more and more attuned to the isolation and sacrifices inherent in the lives shaped by this work.

Weaving together lyrical writing about place with a sweeping sense of the traumatic histories that have shaped this mountainous region of Bulgaria, Kassabova shows how environmental change and industrial capitalism are endangering older, sustainable ways of living, and by extension she reveals the limited nature of so much of modern life. But shining through Kassabova’s passionate, intimate response to the monoculture that is “Anthropos” is her indelible portrait of a circulating interdependence of people and animals that might point to a healthier way to live.

Computer Systems for Animals

"Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas develops interactive computer systems for animals to control their environment and access the internet. With a central focus on animals’ well-being and agency, her work investigates how animals can use computers to control their environment and connect with each other, how to design interfaces for animal affordances and what insights we can learn from these endeavours towards supporting their lives. She is the director of the Animal-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Glasgow and an Assistant Professor in Glasgow’s Computer Science Department. Ilyena and her team have created and deployed technologies for animals in people’s homes and zoos internationally.

Ilyena publishes her research with faculty, students and industry from computer science, design and animal science. Her scholarly work has received awards at CHI, one of the top human-computer interaction venues from the ACM, and ISS. She is an editor at IJHCS since ’22, and is regularly assistant chairs at CHI and DIS. She is the general chair of the ACI Conference in 2024, having been the Program Chair in ’22 and ’23 and is a member of the ACI steering committee. She is also an invited Scottish Primate Research Group member.

Her research has global recognition regularly featured in international news, TV and radio having over 4k articles online of her work, 200k+ plus views on YouTube talks and a Netflix documentary featuring her research (‘Future of Dogs’)...click here for more.

Take Home Ideas

1. Using Advanced Technologies to Understand Animal Intelligence (Martin Wikelski)

Advances in technology, including satellite tracking and bio-logging devices, are revolutionizing our understanding of animal intelligence. These tools enable researchers like Martin Wikelski to observe animal behavior in real time and across vast ecosystems, uncovering intricate patterns of migration, social interaction, and environmental adaptation. These discoveries not only deepen our appreciation for the cognitive and ecological sophistication of other species but also challenge human-centric assumptions about intelligence and agency. By embracing these insights, we are invited to approach the broader community of life with awe, respect, and humility.

2. Cultivating a Mindset Beyond the "Anthropos" Monoculture (Kapka Kassabova)

To fully appreciate the intelligence and interconnectedness of other species, we must transcend the "Anthropos" monoculture—a worldview rooted in human exceptionalism and dominance. Kapka Kassabova envisions a mindset shift that sees humans as one species among many in a shared web of life. This shift acts as a portal into the possibility of an ecological civilization, where respect, mutual care, and interdependence replace exploitation and separation. Such a post-Anthropos culture would prioritize living in harmony with the larger community of life, embracing diversity and sustainability in human and non-human relationships alike.

3. Learning from Pastoral Cultures of Interdependence (Kapka Kassabova)

Pastoral cultures provide living examples of the interdependence necessary for an ecological civilization. Communities of shepherds, their dogs, and flocks of sheep illustrate cooperative relationships that prioritize mutual care and shared survival. In these cultures, humans, animals, and the landscape are interconnected in ways that respect the needs and agency of all participants. These relationships reveal how humanity might adopt practices of collaboration and stewardship, forging a model for broader ecological coexistence that is both ethical and sustainable.

4. Exploring Animal Interaction with Technology (Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas)

The work of Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas in Animal-Computer Interaction explores how technology can empower animals to interact with their environments and communicate with humans and other species. Innovations like video-call systems for dogs or interactive devices for parrots provide animals with agency, enabling them to express preferences, solve problems, and engage socially. These technologies not only enhance animal welfare and well-being but also deepen our understanding of animal cognition and social behaviors. By exploring these interactions, we uncover new dimensions of interspecies communication, fostering empathy and a richer appreciation for animal intelligence.

5. Supporting Insights from Process Philosophy and Theology

Process philosophy and theology provide a foundational framework for integrating the insights of advanced technology, ecological interdependence, and interspecies communication. Rooted in a view of the universe as dynamic and relational, this approach emphasizes that humans are creatures among creatures, all striving toward subjective aims in a shared planetary ecosystem. Other animals, like humans, experience and interact with their environments in ways that are both conscious and unconscious. This philosophical perspective underscores the potential for mutually enriching relationships between species and affirms that modern science and technology can serve as tools for fostering these connections.

At the same time, the work of researchers like Martin Wikelski, Kapka Kassabova, and Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas advances and enriches a process worldview. Their explorations concretize the idea that humans are not separate from nature but are deeply embedded in the community of life, calling us to embrace humility, respect, and a shared commitment to an ecological civilization.