Harry Solomon’s Item in FACEBOOK, May 2025, entitled “Togetherness For Survival: A Lesson from the World of Ants” … presented by David Attenborough
Sir David Attenborough opens Woodberry Wetlands on April 30, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Danny Martindale/WireImage)
Everything · dnrspeootS7h4t7736a210a614tcfl8mg1cahauth929fua89mgtl013c74a ·
Once, waking up in nature early in the morning, I noticed something surprising. Several dozen ants had fallen into a five-liter bottle of water that had been left open the night before. They waved chaotically in the transparent water, as if each one was fighting for its life.
At first, it seemed to me that they were drowning each other, saving themselves at the cost of the death of others.
This thought made me repulsed, and I turned away, deciding not to intervene.
However, after two hours, curiosity got the better of me, and I looked in the bottle again.
My astonishment knew no limits: the ants were alive! Furthermore, they had formed a true living island, a pyramid, in which some were supported by others, staying afloat like an entire colony.
I held my breath and began to observe. Those at the bottom were actually submerged in the water, but not forever. After a while, they were replaced by ants from the upper layer, which voluntarily descended. Those who were tired went up, without hurrying, without pushing the others.
Nobody tried to save themselves first. On the contrary, each one made an effort to go where it was most difficult. This coordinated system of mutual aid touched me to my core.
I couldn’t resist. I found a spoon that easily passed through the neck of the bottle and carefully inserted it. Seeing salvation, the ants began to come out one by one, without generating even a drop of panic.
Everything was going well, until one of them, weakened, slipped back into the water, without reaching the edge.
And then something happened that I will remember all my life.
The last ant, almost outside, suddenly turned back. He came down, as if to say: “Hold on, brother, I won’t leave you!”
She dove into the water, clinging tightly to the drowning one, but she couldn’t pull him out on her own. I couldn’t resist, I brought the spoon closer, and then they both came out, alive, together.
This episode moved me more than any movie or book about friendship and sacrifice. I felt a storm of emotions: first, condemnation, for having taken the ants for insensitive beings; then, amazement at his resistance; admiration for his discipline and brave sacrifice… And in the end, shame.
Shame on humans. For us. Because of indifference, because of how we lose each other in pursuit of benefits, because of how rare it is that someone comes back to save the weak. We build walls, instead of creating living bridges.
If ants, small creatures, are capable of such coordination and selflessness, why are we humans so often deaf to the suffering of others?
That day I understood one thing: true strength is in unity. And if someone still doesn’t know how to live correctly, let them learn from the ants.
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SOME PERTINENT REFERENCES
From a very young age I treasured Nature documentaries. It was an innate love. You travelled to the World’s most remote habitats and acquainted yourself with some of the most exotic wildlife.
And then came the BBC series that spared no expense and found no setting too remote. I found David’s intrusion into every setting irksome, but nobody else had gone there. I wish I could have observed Gorillas in the wild without the ubiquitous David sitting among them!
A voiceover would have been infinitely more appropriate but it seemed impossible through the whole series to exclude the HAM actor.
Heaps later I came across this:
https://lovinmalta.com/news/turns-out-david-attenborough-actually-broke-the-law-when-he-took-that-shark-tooth/
An archaic display of Colonial mentality; your treasures are safe with us. My Royals will safeguard them!
The Elgin Marbles, the Kohinoor diamond etc.
A while later I encountered this astonishing David declaration: …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZnlrxm1vAY
His fame allowed him to rub shoulders with Royalty, so he had no inkling that the neo-liberal capitalist bubble he lived and thrived in was the most destructive force on the Planet. There is nowhere sacred that cannot be drilled. No forest majestic enough that cannot be logged. No Ocean deep enough that could not be dredged, no air that could not be polluted enough — for Profit. Yet overpopulation, a third World specific problem was the chief threat to the planet’s continued existence? Fuck Off, David – you fraud!
This is a very interesting piece, and thank you very much. I hope at least Sri Lankans learn from the ant world.
Astonishing