We aren't supposed to laugh at animals, any more than we should laugh at the disabled, fat people or other underprivileged members of society. This is why the Zoo chimpanzees no longer host teaparties. But I challenge anyone not to laugh at the elephant shrew, a highlight of the fantastic Moonlight World. Its body looks way too large for its tiny feet, causing it to hop along like the clockwork chickens and frogs of my childhood, and the eponymous proboscis whiffles in a preposterous manner as it does so. Bless.
Equally we should not give preference to animals which happen to have similar facial construction to our own over, say, squid. Or credit them with being cute when all they are doing is being animals. Yet the sight of a huge Sumatran tiger lying on his back in the sun, eyes closed, fuzzy forepaws on chest, fuzzy hindpaws in the air...well, you get the picture.
