Animals

Articles, Films and practical Guides on animals, part of Psyche’s coverage of relationships, work and leisure.
Photo of a flounder underwater, lying on a sandy seafloor with seaweed, showing its eyes pointing upward.
NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Snorkelling taught me stillness

Snorkelling at an unassuming beach sharpened my attention to detail, revealing the tiny spectacles unfolding beneath me

by Natalie Bühler

A large daddy longlegs spider on the ceiling with many tiny baby spiders nearby.
FEAR AND PHOBIA

Arachnophobia

I’ve always been terrified of spiders, yet one day I adopted the daddy longlegs in my bathroom

by Ruth Kogen Goodwin

A drone flying above a whale’s surfaced back in the ocean with water droplets in the air.
ANIMALS

Even if we could speak to animals, should we?

AI could satisfy our deeply held desire to talk to other creatures. But the potential for harm might outweigh the benefits

by Virginie Simoneau-Gilbert & Leonie Bossert

A dog with a leash standing on a carved wooden bench in front of a field and bare trees under a cloudy sky.
ANIMALS
2

Dog day blues

We were a new stepfamily, and only the puppy was missing. With Elsa, we lobbed a grenade into the mix

by Lily Dunn

A white wolf standing on a rocky surface with a grassy background, tongue out, looking forward.
HUMANISTIC AND EXISTENTIAL THERAPY

Alone with a she-wolf

Time slowed and adrenaline kicked in. The creature studied me, just another element in nature

by Melanie McGrath

Photo of a person holding a tortoise above a container with leaves against a tiled wall.
Psyche Exclusive
CAREGIVING

High in the Alps, Kathleen takes extraordinary steps to keep a pet safe through the winter

Directed by G Anthony Svatek

A marmot peeking from grass in a valley with mountains under a blue sky with clouds.
BEAUTY AND AESTHETICS
2

What if animals find beauty in the world, just like we do?

Chimpanzees favour the colour red. Junglefowl prefer symmetry. Our shared capacity for aesthetic pleasure is cause for wonder

by Brandon Keim

Photo of a hiker with a backpack and two dogs on a mountain peak at sunset, above the cloudline and overlooking a valley.
Psyche Exclusive
WORK AND VOCATION
2

A former office worker charts his own path, herding sheep high into the Pyrenees

Directed by Jake Joynson

Photo of a group of dogs running on grass in a park with a graffitied wall and pavement in the background.
ANIMALS

Feral knowledge

I wrote a book about dogs as pets. But I truly understood them only after I was bitten by a street dog

by Margret Grebowicz

Photo of a young gorilla with a pensive expression set against a blurred green forest background.
MEMOIR
1

Through Zuri’s eyes

She was a young gorilla, sitting alone in the Calgary Zoo. Once our eyes locked, I was in for a life-long connection

by Keriann McGoogan

Photo of a man sitting in a circle on a speckled background, focusing on an object in his hands, with a cosmic effect.
TRAUMA AND PTSD

How small creatures helped James connect with the human-scale world

Directed by Spencer MacDonald

An otter rolling on a moss-covered rock, eyes closed in a relaxed pose with a blurry background.
ANIMALS

You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain

The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals

by Bryony Tolhurst

A small yellow bird singing on a branch with a blurred green background.
ANIMALS
2

Learn to tune into birdsong – respite and fascination await

Listening deeply to the sounds of birds is a powerful form of meditation and a first step towards a rewarding new hobby

by David M Logue

Photo of a brown earthworm on rough grey asphalt in sunlight.
BIOETHICS
13

Why, in a universe of pain, I’m saving stranded earthworms

Any action can seem futile amid so much suffering. I’ve realised the important thing is to stop despairing and do something

by Claire E Schultz

A large flock of birds fills the sky at dusk over a car park, where people with binoculars observe them from beside their vehicles.
PLACE
2

A makeshift community of people and migratory birds converge on a strip mall

Directed by Henry Davis

Photo of three humpback whales swimming underwater in a dark blue ocean, illuminated by sunlight filtering through the water.
MUSIC

I learned to hear the music of Earth’s underwater musicians

If we consider the sounds of whales and other organisms with an open mind, we find a strange beauty – and can even join in

by David Rothenberg