Animal Planet

I'll not deny that I love the Animal Planet channel. Some of the programs are silly, true enough, but it's always nice to see people actually making some effort to conserve wildlife and protect endangered species, as well as domesticated ones.

Some programs, like "Meerkat Manor" got me thinking. Wildlife seems most popular only when it is humanized. The meer kats are famous only for the fact, it seems, that they have names and Sean Astin is narrating what seems to be their motivations and thoughts. It's likely the same reason why the first documentary explained why pet product sales are booming, with little outfits now designed for canine pals.

Must our species always humanize nonhuman animals in order to care about their plight?