The day before E.O. Wilson’s second birthday I spontaneously shot this video of him and then posted it to a group of rat lovers on Facebook (because precious few making up the general public appreciate rats). The response was overwhelmingly positive (at least for me, a social media hermit). The video and the commentary it received reinforce everything I believe about anthropomorphism.
Below is the video and the text that accompanied it – posted on March 12, 2022.
Tomorrow [the 13th] is Wilson’s 2nd birthday! For a rat that’s some seriously senior status. It’s been a full life so far — though not without its trials and tribulations: he lost his brother; he had major surgery; he’s been on antibiotics countless times; he’s battling and surviving cancer; he has the signs of hind leg degneration — but none of these things stop this magnificently affectionate and funny creature from doing life every day. Today he decided he wanted to have his breakfast in the living room — so he took it upon himself to make it happen. This little rat makes my heart full.