I love animals! As a kid, I grew up around animals and there are some pretty cool facts about the animals in this world. I collected a few of the ones that I found to be most interesting. Here you go:
1. Snails can sleep for up to three years! Now that is something most college kids dream of.
2. Apparently, there are pigeons that can tell the difference between the paintings of Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet! Most humans cannot even do that!
3. Otters hold hands when sleeping so that they do not drift apart. Now if that is not adorable!
4. Tigers have striped skin and the pattern is as unique as a fingerprint.
5. There is only one animal that cannot jump. Can you guess what animal that is? Elephants!
6. Around 50% of Orangutans have fractured bones because they keep falling out of trees!
7. Dragonflies form a heart with their tails when they mate.
Now, those were some pretty cool and cute facts about animals. Sadly, there also is a reality in the world that is not quite so happy and I think it is important to also share that. So, here are some not-so-happy facts.
1. Only 1 out of 10 dogs born will find a permanent home.
2. A battery chicken lives on a small place than your iPad.
3. Animals in factory farming are forced to grow up to three times faster than nature intended.
5. Newly born animals are routinely mutilated. Piglets are mutilated within the first two weeks of life by having their teeth clipped, tails cut off, and testicles removed. This is done without anesthetic, and is incredibly painful to the animals.
6. This also happens to chickens, where their beaks are often cut off.
7. 99% of U.S. farm animals never get to experience natural behaviors.
I know, these facts are not pretty, but it is something we should acknowledge. The next time, you are deciding between a vegan dish or a meal with a lot of meat, maybe think twice about it? I am not trying to tell you to go vegan from today to tomorrow, but every time you choose a vegan meal, you send the market a signal that more vegan food is demand and the market will respond to that and maybe these horrible facts will eventually change.