Eighteen volunteers in Somerset, England, finished a special six-week project. They wanted to understand the lives of wild animals. This study was done by the University of the West of England and a group called ASRA. The volunteers tried to live like different animals, such as otters, fish, worms, deer, and birds. They wanted to see the dangers that animals face because of human activity.
The volunteers learned how animals see and feel the world. Animals use different senses, like smell or touch, to find food and stay safe. For example, Anita Roy acted as an otter. She found that otters use their whiskers to feel things. She also learned that loud trains are a big problem. The loud noise from the trains makes it hard for otters to hunt for fish.
Other volunteers also found many problems. Helen Lawy acted as a kestrel bird. She saw that it is hard for birds to find food because the land is broken into small pieces. Also, the volunteers found that dogs can hurt wild animals. When dogs use medicine for fleas, the chemicals go into the water. This is dangerous for the otters in the river.
The volunteers felt very stressed during the study. They felt like people in a war zone because it was hard to find food and safety. This study shows that humans change the world for animals in many ways. To protect nature, we must understand how animals feel and live.