Comparison and Contrast Essay Observing Wolves, written by Farley Mowa

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Compare and Contrast Essay
Observing Wolves, written by Farley Mowat, talks about the lifestyle of wolves living in different parts of the world. First Observations, written by Jane van Lawick-Goodall discusses the behavior of chimpanzees and their reactions under uncertain circumstances. Both of the readings have one thing in common: they involve observations. It looks like both Farley and Jane love observing the behavior of different animals and are curious to know more about their features and characteristics. The observers just let those animals do what they are supposed to, and they sat there silently for several hours, seeing their activities and how they get food and look after their babies. Are animals more loving and caring when it comes to their families than the humans? To this, Jane and Farley have their own statements and point of view.
“Wolves, also known as Canis Lupus, have properties similar to that of dogs. We can also call them powerful dogs with large-sized bodies.” (Mowat 1966) During his time in the forests, Farley Mowat observed that wolves have longer legs than various other animals. “They are capable of surviving in different environments and can cope up with multiple challenges at a time.” (Mowat 1966) On the other hand, “chimpanzees have relatively weaker bodies, but they still manage to look after their babies efficiently and effectively.” (Lawick-Goodall 1968) Most of the chimpanzees, according to the observations of Jane van Lawick-Goodall, cannot cope up with harsh environmental conditions, but that doesn’t mean they die instantly. Instead, they either migrate to other, suitable places or get temporarily vanished by hiding themselves in deep forests and under shady trees or bushes.
Both Farley and Jane made most important and remarkable scientific observations of modern times in the rainforests. They witnessed different creatures and observed how they take care of their families under uncertain conditions. In Observing Wolves, Farley Mowat writes that “anyone who has observed a dog doing his neighborhood rounds and leaving his personal mark on each convenient post will have already guessed how the wolves marked out their property.” (Mowat 1966) It clearly indicates that wolves and dogs have similar properties, but when it comes to leave a mark or take care of their babies, dogs fail to do so while wolves are capable of performing both of these tasks.
Similarly, in First Observations, Jane van Lawick-Goodall writes that “I knew that on two occasions, casual observers in West Africa had seen chimpanzees using objects as tools.” (Lawick-Goodall 1968) Why were they using these tools? To this, Jane replies that chimpanzees are more conscious about the safety of their children than any other animal in that forest. “They want to make sure that enemies stay miles away from the little ones, and for this, they use some naturally formed tools such as tough bushes and rocks.” (Lawick-Goodall 1968)
“The more time we spend with the wolves, the higher are our chances of observing how caring, loving and family oriented they are.” (Mowat 1966) The same is the condition of chimpanzees. “Though these animals have their own lifestyles and characteristics, the one thing that connects them to each other is their strong relationship with their families.” (Lawick-Goodall 1968) Jane also mentions in First Observations that “on several occasions, they picked small leafy twigs and prepared them for use by stripping off the leaves.” (Lawick-Goodall 1968) This statement clearly indicates that chimpanzees sometimes prepare food for their babies themselves. “They don’t care about their age and physical strength and keep feeding them until their babies become mature enough to live their lives on their own.” (Lawick-Goodall 1968) Similarly, Farley Mowat mentions in Observing Wolves that “in order to ensure that my claim would not be overlooked, I felt obliged to make a property mark on stones, clumps of moss, and patches of vegetation at intervals of not more than fifteen feet around the circumference of my claim.” (Mowat 1966) What was Farley’s claim? Was he up to anything special or extraordinary? Mowat was actually in that forest to see how cooperative and friendly wolves can be. He spent some time in the forest and studied the activities and behavior of male and female chimpanzees. He was amazed to see that those animals reacted negatively to any other animal or human who tried to get closer to their babies.