At first glance, it may appear that a show about animals on PBS is redundant since the nature documentary truly flourished on that network before the cable era began. Since those days, we now have cable channels everywhere that have perpetual nature documentaries, plus Animal Planet as the true sanctuary to see everything (both good and bad) about animals. Once in a while, we’ll also see more insightful scientific documentaries about the closer bond between animals and humans. Those documentaries aren’t overly common, though, which may be missing the boat on finding dozens of untold insights with those bonds.
We may find a lot more of those inside stories thanks to a new documentary airing internationally and on PBS here in the states. Called “My Wild Affair”, that salacious title actually has amazing innocence based on some of the outstanding stories of people’s close experiences with animals. Some of those animals involve an orangutan, an elephant, a seal, and a black rhino. In some of those cases, it’s about the domestication of certain animals you wouldn’t expect. Others are about an animal’s sheer will, plus symbolism for a particular cause.
In that symbolic gesture, it’s a baby elephant that died and set off a new path toward fighting the poaching of elephants. But most of the stories are about the direct connection between certain animals with humans and how they function in domestic situations. It’s a documentary series that may help people look a little more carefully at the psychology of animals and how we shouldn’t be afraid of mockery if you decide to adopt an animal in your home that isn’t typical.
The Domestication of Unusual Animals
“My Wild Affair” will chronicle animals like the black rhino above that’s been adopted by a family and living in their home. It’s an example of how atypical animals have been adopted in homes in recent years. You’ve like heard of the domestication of ferrets over the last decade. The same goes for pigs running around suburban homes. While this might make some worry that it takes away from adopting dogs and cats in shelters, sometimes they’re integrated into the same household.
Most of all, “My Wild Affair” shows the connection between animals and humans in common, yet still mysterious ways. One story here is the tale of a seal that traveled hundreds of miles to find his way back to his previous human owner. How many times have we heard stories about dogs and cats that were lost or taken far away finding their way back to their owners through some kind of natural radar? The fact that a seal can do the same thing makes you wonder if any animal would do similar after forming a close bond with their human owner.
Anyone who’s had a close bond with a pet knows the sometimes telepathic connection you have with them, sometimes in knowing when you’ll be arriving, plus finding you when they’re lost. Whenever stories come out about some of these amazing stories about cats and dogs, most people look at them as a curio and don’t fully comprehend what it all could really mean. “My Wild Affair” helps us think about it a little more and to spend extra time finding those connections that reveal more complex animal minds we don’t always notice.
You have to wish this documentary would have a sequel, or be turned into a series. It’s a much more inspiring picture of how much animals mean to us over shows like “My Cat From Hell” on Animal Planet. Then again, we all need the Yin & Yang when it comes to getting our animal fixes on cable.
References:
http://realscreen.com/2014/01/21/pbs-discovery-networks-intl-partner-on-my-wild-affair/
