We really like to think of ourselves as unique, exceptional, one of a kind. As being the only species on Earth capable of love and other higher emotions. We like to feel superior to other animals, and often forget that we to are a part of the animal world. Here are few images that will remind you that we are not that different from other animals, they are also are capable of love...

We often forget about our place in nature's bigger scheme of things. It is so easy to generalize, to see other animals as inferior to people, as wild beast, or even as stupid, primitive creatures. But maybe it is equally easy to realize how wrong we can be? Perhaps all you have to do is stop being so ignorant, and observe nature and its creatures. See animals for what they really are. Change your perception of the animal kingdom.

That is exactly what Marina Cano did. Being a photographer, all she had to do was to observe. This was enough to fall in love with nature, and start seeing animals as being full of warmth and kindness. She chose to focus her work on portraying natural environment and presenting animals in their native habitats. Her photos show not only the “obvious” beauty, grace and elegance of life’s amazing creations, but also their emotional character.

Cano spent three years exploring the animal world, the glory of nature and her wonderful creations. Results of her work can be seen in her book titled “Cabárceno”, which should end up on a shelf of every person thinking that animals are just “beast inferior to humans”. Marina Cano managed to capture really intimate, heartwarming moments of animal life. Her photographs show closeness, love, tenderness. It is really hard to look at them and still remain confident about the uniqueness of human emotions. The similarities are so obvious - tenderness of a gentle touch, protective nature of a parental hug, delicacy and trust of a child's’ kiss, calmness ensured by parental closeness... We all experienced similar feelings at one time. And we all long for these moments, even if they are rare. Can’t we put ourselves in those situations? Of course we can - and we should.

When you finally realize these similarities, and change your way of thinking about animal kingdom, you should at the same time keep in mind how close we are from loosing many of these beautiful, enchanting creatures. How many of these animals are close to extinction? How many are endangered only because of human stupidity or peoples’ shallow desires? Desires to possess animal fur, ebony, or - even worse - to hunt these animals just for pleasure. Now imagine yourself in one of the situations portrayed on Cano’s images one more time. And now imagine someone takes this closeness, tenderness, love away from you just because she wants to wear your skin, or he wants to feel how it is to kill you... How do you feel now?

Marina Cano’s photography should not be viewed just for its beauty, it should raise peoples environmental awareness, and maybe change their attitude towards nature and wild animals. We are all equal citizens of Earth and we all deserve the right to live and to love....