Bug Recovery

Posted Sun, 01/27/13

I fought a nasty cold bug nearly all last week, which really put me down for the count. The air quality of where I live at the moment was dubbed the worst in the nation last Friday, which certainly didn't help matters (and gives me yet another valid reason to add to the list of why I want to move away from here). I had no idea the air was so foul until I looked out the window, when my eyes were met with a thick, oozy gunk that looked highly unappetizing to say the least. For the most part, I remained abed and didn't venture outside until just yesterday.

However, it seems the common adage is true – the older one gets, the longer it takes to recover from illness. I'll never take being able to draw a deep, clear breath for granted again.

While laid-up, I tried to read but mostly just slept when coughing spells subsided. I also caught a rerun of the documentary Animal Odd Couples, which aired on PBS.

Animal Odd Couples is a look at cross-species bonds between animals and what they may say about animal emotions.

My favorite odd-couple was Charlie (a 40-year-old blind horse) and Jack (a 16-year-old goat). When Charlie went blind, Jack took it upon himself to care for the horse, leading him to favorite grazing places and keeping a general eye on him.

Are animals capable of feeling complex emotions? Recent observations of unexpected cross-species relationships in zoos and animal sanctuaries around the world may provide some answers. Endearing interactions between a cheetah and a retriever (Kasi & Mtani), a lion and a coyote (Anthony & Riley), a dog and a deer (Kate & Pip), a goat and a horse (Jack & Charlie), and even a tortoise and a goose offer captivating glimpses of supportive connections in the animal world. Each interspecies pair challenges the conventional wisdom that humans are the only species capable of feeling compassion and forming long-lasting friendships. Animal behavior experts weigh in with their opinions, and animal caretakers share their personal experiences with cross-species relationships in this compelling tale of unlikely animal couples.

My favorite odd-couple was Charlie (a 40-year-old blind horse) and Jack (a 16-year-old goat). When Charlie went blind, Jack took it upon himself to care for the horse, leading him to favorite grazing places and keeping a general eye on him.

Animal Odd Couples was a wonderfully moving documentary.

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