i watch animal planet.i see lions kill cubs sea lions kill baby sea lions.chimps kill other chimps with three braches.elephants kill rinos.but if we kill in war its okay.im talking about animals who dont kill and eat what they kill.
2007-05-06 10:39:45 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Animals do not kill without cause--I'm an evolutionary biologist/ecologist and I can't at the moment think of a single instance of killing for its own sake in the natural world. There is always a reasonable benefit for the animal, such as safety, insuring that all the offspring in a group are ones own (and not the male you just defeated and pushed out of the group), status in the group (although that rarely results in death) or removing competitors for a rare resource.
Also, as for the judgment issue, morality is a man-made invention. It is a product of society and culture and doesn't exist in the natural world, so it really only comes into play with humans.
2007-05-06 10:47:21 · answer #1 · answered by callthedog 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Animals often kill for survival but the reasons may not be quickly apparent if the "kill" is not eaten. For instance, the animal being killed may have been:
1 blocking a path to fresh water
2 posing a threat to the cubs
3 infringing on the hunting grounds or nest of another animal
4 intruding on established "territory"
5 smell like a predator
6 behaving erratically
7 competing for the same food
and this is just to name a few. Even if there is "no" reason, for the kill, I think it is ok for humans to try to be "better" than animals.
Finally, u state "when animals kill each other it is okay". ok with whom? When one sea lion kills another sea lion is it "ok" with the orphan cubs who might starve or miss there parents? Animals show real signs of grieving over lost relati ves, so it's not "ok", there just aren't any "sea lion police" to haul the offender off to jail. Hope u think about it more. good luck
2007-05-06 10:53:16 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is wrong to kill because humans are the deadliest species of animal, and if you murder, the murdered persons kin will seek vengeance on you and kill you in retaliation. We form bonds with each other, which in a way are like contracts. Emotional and dependency bonds will make groups of people defend each other... and to kill without reason just makes the group nervous about the murderer. Really, it's basic group survival logic. I suppose over time it evolved into basic morality of the conscience. Animals on the other hand, do not have the capacity to form alliances or strong group bonds. So we eat them or use them. Animals rarely kill each other though, unless competing for mates.
2016-05-17 05:42:37 · answer #3 · answered by cathy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gee... I don't know exactly what you're asking but animals live in the wild. They don't have an organize society like us where we can work for our food. Humans, however, are suppose to be the smartest of all creatures that exist. A human life is worth more I guess. Besides, it's still okay to kill animals for food. Isn't that the least?
2007-05-06 10:51:46 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Animals have no self control, they can't have complex thoughts, they don't know the difference between right and wrong. Human life is valued much higher than animal life. If an animal kills another animal, no big deal. However, if an animal kills a human, that animal may face some conseqences.
2007-05-06 13:43:13 · answer #5 · answered by Yehudiit 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What you are referring to is called the jungle law and even now, if the law and order breaks down in a society, it occurs. It was OK in the times when civilisation was non-existent or was very primitive. Even now, it is OK if the law kills the accused after a due process of law. So, killing a fellow human being is now left to the legal process.
Your question is more to do with law, civilisation and sociology than biology.
2007-05-06 10:46:41 · answer #6 · answered by Swamy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being that we are sentient beings, we have developed morals that lower animals do not have. We believe it is wrong to kill.
Killing in war is a necessary evil. It is unfortunate that there are still people on this planet that will not listen to reason or diplomacy and can only understand violence as a way to get what they want.
2007-05-06 10:46:17 · answer #7 · answered by Catherine B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The difference is that humans know they are alive and animals don't. Besides that, humans are responsible for their own actions and animals are not.
2007-05-06 10:49:31 · answer #8 · answered by DelK 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Complex minds make for an enlarged ego and man-made reasons to live.
2007-05-06 10:43:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
no one ever said its ok but what are we gonna do about it? trial them and put them in jail? if animals do talk to each other maybe thereactually punished? we cannot say
2007-05-06 10:44:23 · answer #10 · answered by Nart 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋