All smiles, the old man strokes the bird's beautiful white feathers while holding its long beak in one hand and talking to it in soft tones: "Thinking of me, right?" he says to the egret. "Here's some small fish I've bought for you. Are you hungry? Go get it, honey."

When it's time to part, onlookers are intrigued to see the bird trailing behind the old man until he comes to a halt. Waving good-bye to the bird, the old man insists that it go back to the park, promising to bring more fish the following day.

There is a history behind the scenario. As the retiree's hobby is to go angling in Zhabei Park every morning, he came upon the bird one day and noticed it could only cover a short distance in flight before having to drop to the ground. On closer examination, he found the bird had been slightly injured. He suddenly realized he could do something to help the bird recover and enable it to return to the wild.

After days, perhaps weeks, of meticulous care and treatment, the bird finally recovered fully from its injuries.

When winter approached, the old man wrapped the bird in warm clothing, letting only its head stick, out and placed it against his chest to protect it from the biting cold.

Now he has a routine of visiting "his" bird every morning and the egret welcomes him as it would an old friend.

The message implied in this odd story is clearly that it is possible to bridge the gap between humans and birds. Animals, as well as human beings, are capable of loving and being loved. And it is also possible to communicate with animals if only we are set on it.

Unfortunately, however, animals are largely looked upon as a dish to tickle our taste buds, a living exhibit to entertain our curiosity, a pet to keep us company and a supplier of hide, fur or feathers.

That animals are as much emotionally motivated as human beings, and that being the offspring of Mother Nature, they are entitled to share with us the benefits offered by the planet are widely ignored.

Though SARS is now on the wane, it has reminded us of the dangers in hunting and eating wildlife. For fear of contracting the disease, the number of "gourmets" with a voracious appetite for wildlife is rapidly dwindling. Many a restaurant that specialized in providing snake feasts has closed down.

By the way, I regret to say, some pet owners have been reported as either throwing their pets away or bludgeoning them to death if they show any signs of being sick. In addition to indicating our selfishness, it bears out once again that we humans always have the final say in matters of life and death.

Lastly, if we were only half as kind towards animals as the retiree in Zhabei, the world would most likely be a better place to live, I think.

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