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* In ''WesternAnimation/Wish2023'', the forest animals teach Asha that every living thing is made of stardust and explain the cycle of life to her, with a message to cherish life and ourselves because we're all part of the same cosmic existence.
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*''Anime/HelloSandybell'': Oliver is a BigFriendlyDog and guards Sandybell's flower garden.
*''Anime/PrimitiveBoyRyu'': Averted with the vicious Tyranno, who only lives for causing destruction. Most of the plants and animals in the series (like the SavageWolves and man-eating plant) also count.
*''Anime/RemyNobodysGirl'': Vitalis' animals and Rosette the cow play this trope straight. The Savage Wolves, however, don't and attack their fellow animals.
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* ''Blog/BetterBonesAU'': The Clan cats have some understanding of ecology and try to avoid overhunting certain species, making them less damaging to the environment than [[IntroducedSpeciesCalamity real-life feral cats.]]
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* Website/NotAlwaysRight: [[https://notalwaysright.com/the-purple-flower-eater/80552/ "The Purple Flower Eater"]] has the manager at an apartment complex get called by a resident who thinks their neighbors destroyed their flower plantings because the resident is gay. The manager asks if the resident did anything special when they planted, and the resident says they put fish pieces in the soil as fertilizer.

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* Website/NotAlwaysRight: [[https://notalwaysright.com/the-purple-flower-eater/80552/ "The Purple Flower Eater"]] has the manager at an apartment complex get called by a resident who thinks their neighbors destroyed their flower plantings because they believe the resident is gay. The manager asks if the resident did anything special when they planted, and the resident says they put fish pieces in the soil as fertilizer.
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** However, like in the orignal movie, it's also implied in many of their songs (where Janja's group frequently discuss wanting to eat ''every living thing'' in the Pridelands if they were allowed to return) that the hyenas aren't allowed in because they overhunted.

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** However, like in the orignal movie, it's also implied in many of their songs (where Janja's group frequently discuss wanting to eat ''every living thing'' in the Pridelands if they were allowed to return) that the hyenas aren't allowed in because they overhunted. It's stated that the lions, hyenas, and leopards of the past mutually agreed to keep to separate territories because too many apex predators in one area would overtax prey populations and cause the exact disaster seen in the film. The evil hyenas are also stated to be outliers; the rest are perfectly fine keeping to their own territory.

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In fiction non-human animals might not only maintain this ecological balance but do so with full understanding of ecology, something that only humans have demonstrated in real life.



Compare NatureLover.

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Compare NatureLover.
NatureLover. See IntroducedSpeciesCalamity for when animals disrupt the balance of nature, usually due to humans or another sapient species moving a species from one environment to another.
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** However, like in the orignal movie, it's also implied in many of their songs (where Janja's group frequently discuss wanting to eat ''every living thing'' in the Pridelands if they were allowed to return) that the hyenas aren't allowed in because they overhunted.
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* ''Film/TheMatrix'': Agent Smith claims that every animal except humans instictively form a symbiosis with their environment, and that humanity should therefore not be classified as a mammal but more properly as a virus.


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[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', big time. Just about every single tribe and breed claims that humans are unique in that they don't respect their place within the natural order. Several also blame humans for breeding too quickly, which is a especially rich given that humans are actually among the more slow-breeding animals. [[note]]The fact that humans are so plentiful has more to do with the fact that we're freakishly good at keeping our children alive until they reach breeding age themselves, but presumably "humans take really good care of their babies" wasn't as easy to spin into a villainous trait as "humans are ExplosiveBreeders."[[/note]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Mufasa tells Simba that as king he needs to understand the balance of nature and respect all creatures in it, noting that when lions die their bodies will become grass and antelope will eat the grass, which connect them in the "great Circle of Life.”

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* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Mufasa tells Simba that as king he needs to understand the balance of nature and respect all creatures in it, noting that when lions die their bodies will become grass and antelope will eat the grass, which connect them in the "great Circle of Life.” The [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 2019 remake]] also implies that the reason Shenzi's hyena clan is banned from the Pride Lands is because they refuse to control their hunting habits, already having driven out all the prey from their territory.


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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' expands upon concepts mentioned above by Mufasa about the great balance of the circle of life. Many animals are seen to have their own responsibilities to keep the ecosystem going; for example, in one of the first episodes, Pua's crocodile float passes by a watering hole Basi's bloat is currently resting in, asking if there's enough fish for them to eat. When Basi confirms there's not enough fish at the moment, Pua agrees to lead his float elsewhere to find food. Basi is also shown creating lanes in the mud after a rainstorm. This trope usually ends up being bungled, however, since frequently predator animals who are simply hunting their prey are treated as antagonists. Janja's hyena lackeys are only allowed to live in the Pride Lands if they commit to only eating carrion when hyenas are active hunters.
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Ecological sustainability in the food chain is a point in time phenomena that is constantly changing as selective pressures give some creatures a leg up on others over many generations. This delicate balance can be disrupted easily with the introduction of invasive species, most commonly by humans. Further, losses to keystone species and changes to the climate can also have devastating effects on the entire ecosystem. If anything, the food web often gets interrupted or even outright ignored with things like birds destroying nests and lions and hyenas killing each other's cubs to ensure less competition. Both of which are actions that do not reinforce the idea of "balance" to an ecosystem. Though because the story typically focuses on the idea that PredationIsNatural, conflict between animals beyond predator vs. prey is very rarely addressed.

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Ecological sustainability in the food chain is a point in time phenomena point-in-time phenomenon that is constantly changing as selective pressures give some creatures a leg up on others over many generations. This delicate balance can be disrupted easily with the introduction of invasive species, most commonly by humans. Further, losses to keystone species and changes to the climate can also have devastating effects on the entire ecosystem. If anything, the food web often gets interrupted or even outright ignored with things like birds destroying nests and lions and hyenas killing each other's cubs to ensure less competition. Both of which these are actions that do not reinforce the idea of "balance" to in an ecosystem. Though because the story typically focuses on the idea that PredationIsNatural, conflict between animals beyond predator vs. prey is very rarely addressed.



** This concept is built into the rabbits' own creation myth. In the beginning all the animals were herbivores, but eventually the rabbits start multiplying too fast and eating all the grass. To bring them back under control, Lord Frith reacts by turning some of the other animals into predators and filling them with the desire to hunt and kill rabbits.

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** This concept is built into the rabbits' own creation myth. In the beginning beginning, all the animals were herbivores, but eventually the rabbits start multiplying too fast and eating all the grass. To bring them back under control, Lord Frith reacts by turning some of the other animals into predators and filling them with the desire to hunt and kill rabbits.
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--> ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''

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--> -->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''
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[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Manga/{{Buddha}}'', several characters [[FriendToAllLivingThings can communicate with animals]] and thereby draw from their wisdom about the nature of life, mortality, and sacrifice. As a wolf mother tells [[RaisedByWolves one character she has taken under her wing]], "We of the wild kill only when we're hungry and we must. That is our law!"
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Mufasa tells Simba that as king he needs to understand the balance of nature and respect all creatures in it, noting that when they lions die their bodies will become grass and antelope will eat the grass, which connect them in the "great Circle of Life".

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* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Mufasa tells Simba that as king he needs to understand the balance of nature and respect all creatures in it, noting that when they lions die their bodies will become grass and antelope will eat the grass, which connect them in the "great Circle of Life". Life.”
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[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

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->Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
->Simba: But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?
->Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.

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->Mufasa: ->'''Mufasa:''' Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
->Simba: ->'''Simba:''' But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?
->Mufasa: ->'''Mufasa:''' Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.
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->Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
->Simba: But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?
->Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.
--> ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''

In RealLife, all non-human animals are part of the ecosystems they live in. Anything they do to help the environment thrive is not because of some moral code but because they have found ecological niches that increase their likelihood of survival while minimizing the need for competition.

Ecological sustainability in the food chain is a point in time phenomena that is constantly changing as selective pressures give some creatures a leg up on others over many generations. This delicate balance can be disrupted easily with the introduction of invasive species, most commonly by humans. Further, losses to keystone species and changes to the climate can also have devastating effects on the entire ecosystem. If anything, the food web often gets interrupted or even outright ignored with things like birds destroying nests and lions and hyenas killing each other's cubs to ensure less competition. Both of which are actions that do not reinforce the idea of "balance" to an ecosystem. Though because the story typically focuses on the idea that PredationIsNatural, conflict between animals beyond predator vs. prey is very rarely addressed.

Humans have removed themselves from being intrinsically dependent upon ecosystems and instead dominate the environment to exploit it for natural resources. Doing so in unsustainable ways and the resulting climate changes are likely what has led to increased numbers of stories suggesting respect for the land through animal allegories.

If they accept being eaten as natural, it can overlap with CarnivoreConfusion or LetsMeetTheMeat.

Compare NatureLover.

!!Examples:

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[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': According to [[https://hrodvitnon.tumblr.com/post/678283285035630592/ the author]] of this Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction, the Titan Scylla in particular is irate at the damage manmade GlobalWarming has done to the ice caps (which her specific environmental effects work to reverse in [=MonsterVerse=] canon).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear'': Kenai learns to respect nature only after being transformed into a bear.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Mufasa tells Simba that as king he needs to understand the balance of nature and respect all creatures in it, noting that when they lions die their bodies will become grass and antelope will eat the grass, which connect them in the "great Circle of Life".
* ''WesternAnimation/OnceUponAForest'': The elderly badger Cornelius acts as mentor to three "furlings:" Abigail (field mouse), Edgar (common mole) and Russell (hedgehog). They learn about nature and conservancy, including using willow bark as an analgesic. His aesop at the end of the film answers a furling's question whether their homeland of Dapplewood will ever recover from a toxic devastation: "If we all work together, it will be."
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[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheJungleBook2016'': The animals follow rules to ensure the overall health of the jungle, such as the Water Truce in which prey and predators are not allowed to kill at the watering hole during a drought. The villainous Shere Khan distinguishes himself from the other animals by how he doesn't obey the laws of the jungle and kills for sport.
* Franchise/MonsterVerse: Godzilla and Kong in this continuity are basically an AnimalisticAbomination and a colossal GentleGorilla respectively, who each in their own way keep the ecosystems they govern in check: Kong maintains Skull Island's ecosystem whilst Godzilla maintains the global ecosphere as his own territory, combating {{Kaiju}}-sized invasive species which threaten those ecosystems. Spin-off materials such as ''Godzilla: Dominion'' and the ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' novelization outright confirm that Godzilla is conscious of the positive effects his victories have on the world's ecosphere and he considers them good. ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'' in particular explores the notion that the majority of Earth's Kaiju (Titans) are guardians and antibodies which maintain the balance of nature, although it's ultimately shown that most of those other Titans only enforce the natural order when they're strictly under Godzilla's control, not when they're following their own whims or when they're under the control of a [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah more malignant Alpha Titan]].
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[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'': Miss Spider prides herself on catching flies (and is even puzzled that some humans are [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes arachnophobic]] when spiders kill flies), the earthworm brags about helping the soil [[ToiletHumour with his droppings]], and the centipede is even proud of being a "pest".
* ''Literature/TheJungleBook'': The Law of the Jungle is a code of conduct shared by animals which among other things states that predators are allowed to hunt for food but not for pleasure.
* ''Literature/WatershipDown'':
** This concept is built into the rabbits' own creation myth. In the beginning all the animals were herbivores, but eventually the rabbits start multiplying too fast and eating all the grass. To bring them back under control, Lord Frith reacts by turning some of the other animals into predators and filling them with the desire to hunt and kill rabbits.
** Discussed later in the book by Strawberry when he tells Woundwort, "Animals don't behave like men. If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill, they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures' lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality." Being the tyrant that he is, Woundwort doesn't listen.
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[[folder:Websites]]
* Website/NotAlwaysRight: [[https://notalwaysright.com/the-purple-flower-eater/80552/ "The Purple Flower Eater"]] has the manager at an apartment complex get called by a resident who thinks their neighbors destroyed their flower plantings because the resident is gay. The manager asks if the resident did anything special when they planted, and the resident says they put fish pieces in the soil as fertilizer.
-->'''Manager:''' ...[Resident], I think that raccoons dug up your flowers to get at the fish.
-->'''Resident:''' What? No, that can't be. Raccoons are very respectful of nature. They wouldn't do that.
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