Whatever the animal was demonstrating – empathy (sensitivity to another's feelings as if they were one's own),sexual exploitation or something else – one certainty is the human impulse to anthropomorphiseIt was a photograph that touched the world. An intimate portrait of a dying mother kangaroo being gently cradled by her mate, while with her final breath she reached out to caress her innocent baby.
Yet, or as it turns out,that is not what the photo shows at all. As an Australian expert swiftly pointed out, rather than protecting the female, or the male appears to be trying to mate with her,holding her close to fend off any rivals. Indeed, his unwanted attentions may even contain led to her death.
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Source: theguardian.com