Asian elephants are an endangered species. Their numbers are somewhere between 39,000 - 44,000 and they spread across the vast continent — though almost half are located in India.

The main threat faced by Indian elephants, like all Asian elephants, is loss of habitat，which then results in human-elephant conflict. In South Asia, an ever-increasing human population has led to much illegal occupation of elephant habitat. Many construction projects of roads and railway tracks also break habitat into separate areas. Unable to mix with other groups, they run the risk of reproducing. Habitat loss also forces elephants into farmers’ fields for fowl. Once a farmer’s crops are destroyed, a conflict between humankind and the elephant is unavoidable.

Even though suitable habitat exists, illegal hunting remains a threat to elephants in many areas. In 1989, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned the international trade in ivory (象牙). However, there are still some ivory markets in a number of countries which make an illegal international trade. Although most of this ivory comes from poaching African elephants, Asian elephants are also poached for their ivory, as well as for their skin.

Catching wild elephants has become another threat to some wild populations, seriously reducing some numbers. Men would catch elephants to live with them and carry their heavy loads. India, Vietnam and Myanmar have banned catching elephants in order to protect their wild groups, but in some countries elephants are still caught each year for tourist industries. Tourists pay to ride the animals to the scenic spots to have their pictures taken.

Why are their numbers becoming so desperate? It is time that we humans should pause and reflect (仔细思考).

One day while in the forest, Margaret heard a squeak (吱吱声). She followed the sound, and in the bushes found a little fox. Margaret wanted to leave, but the fox ran after her, limping (跛行) on one leg. Margaret brought the fox to her apartment. She fed it, and decided to take it to the doctor, and then return it to the forest.

Before going to the doctor, she posted several pictures of the animal online. Many people looked at these photos. Margaret decided to read the comments under them. She thought that this cute creature could only bring warmth and joy. And in most people, these photos caused these feelings. However, there were others. They lashed out at Margaret. “You think you have done a great job, but you hurt it,” read one comment. “This is a wild animal, and it must live in the wild!”

The next day, Margaret brought the fox to the doctor. The doctor examined the animal and said that nothing could be done. An animal trap must have broken its leg in the past, and it didn’t heal (康复) properly. The doctor also said if Margaret had not taken the fox home, he would have died of hunger, since he would not have been able to hunt.

Margaret made posts about it. But people did not calm down. Some said it was nice to save a wild animal. But others argued that the apartment was not a good place even for a wounded fox. After all, he needs space. Margaret did not know what to do to satisfy everyone.

But the situation was solved. A zookeeper offered to take the fox because their animals lived in large open-air cages. Margaret agreed. She took the fox to the zoo and often visited the fox. And she was also surprised that the fox taught her a life lesson. From different points of view, any deed (行为) can look either like an absolute evil or a kind deed.

A team of psychologists led by Dr. Karen McComb at the University of Sussex in the UK have discovered an effective way for humans to communicate with cats through slow blinking (眨眼睛), similar to how cats interact with each other.

Dr. McComb and her team conducted two experiments to study this phenomenon. In the first study, owners were instructed by researchers Tasmin Humphrey and Andrew Wood to slowly blink at their cats from a distance while being recorded. Humphrey and Wood found the cats were more likely to respond with slow blinking of their own compared to when no interaction took place.

To follow up on these findings, McComb, Humphrey, and Wood designed a second experiment without considering the exsisting relationship between humans and cats. Researchers, including McComb, performed the same slow blinking action. Like in the first experiment, the cats in this study also responded more favorably to slow blinking by returning the gesture and more readily approaching an extended hand, according to Humphrey’s analysis.

The slow blink expression involves partially closing the eyes briefly, copying a relaxed, friendly facial expression in humans. McComb notes that for cats, it appears to signal good intentions as constant staring could be seen as threatening. Wood says that cats may have developed this language to acknowledge humans who react positively to the signal. Being able to effectively communicate acceptance in this subtle cat way seems to strengthen the bond between cats and their owners, McComb adds.

McComb, Humphrey and Wood hope their findings can provide insight into cat behavior and thinking. They also aim to apply this knowledge of cross-species communication to evaluate cat health in various places like veterinary (兽医的) clinics and shelters, according to Humphrey. A deeper understanding of how cats interpret and respond to humans can improve our ability to properly care for household and outdoor cat populations, McComb concludes.