Respect Your Elders

Older animals in herds, pods, packs, hives, and other animal groups help their species survive by passing on skills and knowledge. For example, orcas rely on the matriarchal grandmother of the pod to train calves after they’re weaned.

Coincidentally, older animals tend to be the biggest with the flashiest ornamentation—the very animals hunters prize because they have the most meat or look best on a trophy wall. While God has given humans dominion over creation, we should practice wise stewardship over it, considering when to preserve the older creatures that will teach younger generations how to survive.