"Astonish Me"

http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/50th_anniversary/astonish_me/?src=homepage_banner&position=1

I have just finished watching the WWF short film “Astonish Me”. It was made to celebrate the charity’s 50^th anniversary and features newly discovered species from around the world. I thought the film was very fitting within the WWF image especially when the phrase “There’s still so much to discover, if we preserve what we’ve got, we have a chance to find it” appears at the end. If we indeed succeed in preserving our world, we will learn so much more about it.

What astonished me the most was the proclamation that there could be an “undiscovered” bear species living in the Himalayas. Many travellers, adventurous or indigenous, claim to have seen mysterious tracks derived from an unknown source. These tantalizing pieces of evidence left behind by this reclusive animal emphasize the fact that we as humans indeed do not know everything.

This is contrasted by the use of modern technology within the film. Technology equals modernity and modernity equals power and knowledge. However, here our power and knowledge pale into insignificance when the young boy stands in the middle of a room, marvelling at all the new and exciting animals. And these animals weren’t little insects or obscure beings from the bottom of the sea: they included a Goodman’s House Lemur, a Gunnison Sage-Grouse, a Pygmy Sloth and a Sunda Clouded Leopard. Yes, some of these species were previously known to science but further study of them has enabled biologists to determine their differences and thus name them accordingly.

I think we should view this as a positive. That within a world full of messages of how to cut your carbon footprint and thus stop the ice- caps melting; there are still new, undiscovered animals to be found. Amid messages of fear for losing rainforests, raising sea temperatures and over- fishing there is still good news that can rally the best of us to see that all is not lost. That there is still hope to feel giddy delight at having discovered a new reptile or mammal. That we indeed, do not know everything. And this is exciting.

We don’t know everything about our world.

And in a world where people have a thirst to know everything and appear “modern” this can only promote the very real possibility of discovering new and beautiful creatures with whom we have unwittingly shared this planet without even knowing it.