A Lesson from Nature

“Let us not give up meeting together... Heb. 10:24 NIV
...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together... Heb. 10:24 KJV

In the wild, the survival of many animal species depends on their close connection with one another. This fact was vividly illustrated in a recent episode of the TV nature show, Be the Creature. Through skillful videography, I watched the amazing team work of animals on the hunt and also of animals being hunted.

I will never forget one horrifying scene where a pride of hungry lions captured a young elephant. Here's how they did it: A few of the lions distracted the mother elephant while the rest of them chased Junior off into the brush. As soon as the baby was alone and far enough away from its herd, the lions quickly brought it down by jumping on its neck and chewing into its spinal nerve. The unfortunate elephant was devoured in no time. It was a gruesome scene that I will never forget.

Those lions could never have overpowered the entire herd of elephants. Nor could any single lion have taken down the baby alone. Divide and conquer! That was the strategy of the lions. It was incredible team work!

On that same show I also watched a baby mongoose get caught in the jaws of a hungry lizard. It survived only because its family was very vigilant. In no time an army of hostile mongooses descended on that lizard which then quickly dropped its prey, setting the baby mongoose free.

For many animal species, continuous close connection with one another is essential - not only in order to get food, but also in order to keep from becoming food.