How Animals Talk 



That wild animals instinctively fear the scent 

 of humanity, as such, is probably not true. The 

 notion arises, I think, from judging the natural 

 animal by those we have made unnatural by abuse 

 or persecution. Whenever man penetrates a wild 

 region for the first time he finds, as a rule, that the 

 animals have little fear of him, the tameness of 

 wild game having been noted with surprise by 

 almost every explorer. It has been noted also, 

 but without surprise, by saints and ascetics who 

 "for the greater glory of God" have adopted a life 

 of solitude and meditation, and who have often 

 found the birds or beasts about their hermitage to 

 be quite fearless of them, and receptive of their 

 kindness. Not till the abundant flocks and herds 

 of a new region have been harried and decimated 

 by senseless slaughter do the survivors begin to 

 be fearful and unapproachable, as we unfortu- 

 nately know them. Yet even now, no sooner do 

 we drop our persecution and assume a rational or 

 humane attitude than the wild ducks come to the 

 boat landing of a winter hotel, deer feed at our 

 haystacks, and bears come in broad daylight to 

 comfort themselves at our garbage-cans. Such 

 things could hardly be if the fear of man were 

 an age-old or instinctive inheritance. 



Nearer home, on any farm bordering the wilder- 

 ness, you may see wild deer feeding quite tamely 



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