Page 127 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God
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Cooperation and Solidarity Among Animals
Some African birds line up along the branches of trees, as seen here,
and pass fruit to members of their flock that cannot reach it.
longs to Him in the heavens and earth. He is the Almighty, the
All-Wise. (Qur'an, 45: 36-37)
Lord of the heavens and the Earth and everything between
them, the Almighty, the Endlessly Forgiving. (Qur'an, 38: 66)
African Birds that Watch Out for One Another
Flocks of African birds are in great harmony with one another,
and many examples illustrate their cooperation. Their staple food is
fruit found on the trees they visit. Feeding of the fruit at the tips of
the branches is difficult, because that is where most fruit grow, and
only the birds that happen to perch nearby can feed easily. All other
birds face hunger, being either too far from the fruit or there won't
be enough for them all.
But not so! Birds land on a fruit tree in flocks, lining up along
the branches as if they'd agreed to do so beforehand. Whatever bird
is closest to the fruits picks them and passes them along. This way,
the fruit travels down along the branch to the birds at the other end.
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