MALICE & FORETHOUGHT is the key difference between us and the critters.
Bitten by mosquito to swallowed by a whale, we generally rationalize they're just doing what comes naturally. We were invading their turf and frightened them, threatened their young or they were feeding and we got in the way.
We expect a rational and reasoned responce from humans. Humans are viewed as above nature and held accountable for their actions even (maybe especially) if they respond exactly like the other critters. That's why when confronted by senseless violence we say "(S)He's nothing but a damn animal".
If you see a kid with a jackknife stripping the bark from a tree, you chastise them because they should know it will kill the tree. Whereas a bull elk rubbing the velvet off it's antlers is just natures way, even though the result is the same for the tree.
Although the Pine Bark Beetle and loggers both kill a forest there will always be a double standard of accountability.
Animal populations boom and bust regularly because they don't have Live Aid or UNICEF. We are not masters of all we survey but we are the meanest sumbitches in the valley.
