Page 127 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God
P. 127

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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