I don’t really feel like I’ve travelled anywhere unless I’ve seen some animals, be that a grey seal sticking its nose out of leaden seas on a day trip to Bridlington, or a polar bear prowling along the coast of Spitsbergen. Watching reruns of David Attenborough documentaries on in-flight entertainment systems doesn’t count, by the way.
Animals are the true residents of most places on this planet, having established habitats long before we emerged. For example, birds are descended from dinosaurs, and using that timescale for calibration, we’re barely out of the delivery suite, let alone in a position to claim territorial rights. The land owns the land, and we live upon it – some of us with dignity, others not.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month
Content from our partners
