The natural order of things, whether I like it or not

I spent a few hours today watching one of my favorite documentaries ever – BBC’s Planet Earth, and I think I noticed a few things about myself while watching it.

Leave it to me to pick apart my feelings during a documentary!

I got angry when I thought about the big bully animals chasing down defenseless tiny baby caribou.  I felt serious pain when the crocodile jumped out of the river and took his sweet time drowning a wildebeast.  My heart hurt when a pack of hyena killed an impala.

But when the beautiful snow leopard couldn’t catch dinner for her and her mate, and they might die of hunger, I felt seriously saddened for them.  She walked slowly back to her little cave, and was met at the entrance by her mate.  And it was obvious that they cared for each other.  They licked and rubbed and then disappeared into their home to wait for another chance for food.

Am I more sad because a beautiful, graceful animal didn’t find dinner, or am I more said about the impala and the caribou?  When I realized I was definitely more sad about the snow leopard not finding food, I was a little shocked.

I mean, it’s sad when anything dies.  But it the natural order of things, and I do realize that crocodiles and hyenas and wolves must eat.  Just like I need to eat.

I was worried at first that I was being a little unfair (it’s not racist, but perhaps it’s species-ist) to the bully animals that aren’t pretty.  But that wasn’t it.

I suppose it’s more devastating for a majestic animal to die of starvation than it is for an impala to make the ultimate sacrifice for the lives of another.