Deepa Bhookhun asked (l’express outlook 13 June 2006): “What is it that makes people act like animals?” referring to the growing violence in our society, apparently in number, degree and savagery to an extent unimaginable until we read about poor innocent Anne Jennia. Her question implies that animals behave badly. Do they? Animals kill only to feed themselves or their young; they do not kill for “sport”.

Very often at midday, MBCTV broadcasts films showing how animals behave and, if more people were to watch them and reflect on their content, we would be wiser. Cooperation between animal, within a group and between species is often shown.

The theory of the survival of the fittest seems to be more attractive to many but a moment’s reflection on the state of affairs at the caveman stage of the human species should open our eyes to the fact that cooperation was the master-idea. If the few human beings existing then did not cooperate, how could they have survived against stronger and more agile animals? If they did not cooperate and coordinate their efforts, how could they have capturedanimals for their meat and fur?

As someone who has had to study the cells in our body and who has wondered about the mitochondria, I believe that symbiosis is fundamental to our existence. Their DNA is different from that of the nucleus of the cell in which they live and they act as the power generator. Scientists believe they were originally bacteria, which entered animal cells to live not merely in peaceful coexistence but to participate in their host-cell’s activities.

To come back to the question put by Deepa Bhookhun, do animals to which we often refer with scorn when using expressions like, “li kouma enn koson, enn lisien” behave badly? Do animals rape?

The males of some species cooperate with their females in bringing up their young. Amongst birds, the males with feathers very similar to those of their females are in that category. Those with very distinctive plumage usually leave the care of their young to their females. The high-flyers mentioned by Deepa Bhookhun with their show of external signs of wealth, their ostentation, or because of their high profiles due to their position of power or authority can be compared to their feathered counterparts in being interested in their personal pleasure only, and little or not at all in their offspring.

When Deepa Bhookhun says, “Maybe parents need to teach their children to speak up when someone has hurt them.” I think therein lies one solution. Educating children properly renders them more fit to resist and report such reprehensible behaviour; moreover and more important parents should keep putting their children on guard. Maybe psychologists and psychiatrists should draw up and publish a “portrait robot”, an outline of the characteristics of paedophiles and their methods of apprehending and luring young children so that we can all be on our guard.

I would like to add a word about the role of the media in all this. We have read of a few cases where after a crime with unusual “special” features has been reported, a similar crime is reported a few days or weeks later. For example after the case of the corpse having been dumped in a septic tank we read of the one where the victim was hidden away in the grave of a freshly buried person.

May I also draw attention to the subtle influence of some words in current use? For example the word “mari” in the sense of very strong, superior, super etc is used by many who are not aware of its “macho” significance, its machismo aspect. Maybe Mrs Loga Virahsawmy should start a movement to have the word banned in the interest of the gender media watch.

<B>Dr François Saw Lan Ip</B>