July 2. “Button, rivalry is not only a human trait.”

“Any valid reason?”

“I was watching a flock of pigeons feeding outside my bedroom window this morning. I’ve been seeing this lovely black and white pigeon stay away from a group of black pigeons to feed on the rice that’s put outside. The flock of black pigeons eat as a group and stay together except sometimes when they fight but they are vicious towards this speckled pigeon.”

“Is it because this pigeon is different to look at?  Can they make out the difference?”

“I don’t have a clue.”

“Any other species that fight with each other?”

“The chimpanzee. Mankind’s closest cousins in the animal world are merciless killers with a taste for gang warfare. A study of wild chimpanzees found that gangs of the apes routinely attack rival chimps to seize their land and massacre their young ones. The finding shatters the popular myth of chimps being peace-loving animals and highlights how they share the worst aspects of human behaviour.”

“I am sure all living species fight amongst themselves over something or the other.”

“I wrote to you earlier about how birds fight over bigger nests or younger partners. So, certain traits —good or bad—amongst birds and animals compare with what you see in human beings.”