That is because "biddies" are hatched pretty much ready to fend for themselves. ducklings on the other hand stay very close to the Hen, for a season, in order to learn how to survive. And the Hen is extremely protective of her brood.
Primates will carry their young and tend to them for 1 to 2 years. They are even known to carry the dead baby for days, trying to get them to move. Almost like, "If I love you more, you'll wake up". It has been noted that a mother primate will go off into the woods and die, of broken heart, due to the death of a baby.
Animals have a body and a soul.
Man has body, soul and a "spirit". That spirit is the only thing that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Virtue, does not come from the spirit, since the spirit is part of God and a gift to man, but not the definer of how we behave (that is obvious in today's world). Therefore the "virtue" must be part of the soul. Perhaps the "spirit" is man's only saving grace, since it seems we are the most destructive of all the animal species on the planet. (no, I'm not going tree-hugger on you). What I am saying is that from observation, of all the animals on the planet, man seems to be short in the "virtue" section. Indeed, rats tend to show more compassion and concern for their own kind than man does for his own kind, let alone the rest of the world.
Even biblically speaking Post, the dogs shewn more compassion for the dying beggar, than his fellow men (by attempting to lick his sores).
I think, that if I were stranded in a forest and had one of a series of companions of similar survival characteristics to choose from to be with me (man or wolf/dog/cat/ape), I would choose the animal.
Why? Man does not care of virtue when it is life or death. Man does not care of virtue unless he deliberately chooses to. Animals do not comprehend death as we do. And by nature they want to be close to man (that is the original design). So their potential virtue remains intact. They want to please the "master" (also by design). Man fights over who is master (very unvirtuous).
Loyalty is a virtue. Man has a hard time learning that, but animals are much quicker.
Life is precious, yet man will let it slip away (out of self preservation), animals tend to try to save it despite the hazard to their own preservation.
Ya know, maybe you are correct, humans choose virtue, but with animals it is hard wired.
my thoughts.
v/r
Q
