What’s your animal doppelgänger?

 It’s an eat or be eaten world. Survival of the fittest is the name of the game, after all.  Wait, am I talking about the animal kingdom or advertising? The answer is yes. In fact, there are so many parallels between these two wild worlds that I decided to take a look at some of the animal doppelgängers I have encountered over the years. XX or XY, see if you recognize anyone (including yourself) below:

I was never here...

The Chameleon: The ability to blend into one’s surroundings is a powerful survival technique. Sit still at all costs and maybe no one will notice you’re there at all.

The Honey Badger: Honey Badgers are hot right now (thanks YouTube) and for good reason: they’ll take anything from anyone at any time in a most tenacious and vicious way. And why not? “Honey Badger don’t care” because Honey Badgers never seem to get caught or hurt by anything. 

Please help us help them.

The Baby Seal: Harmless and helpless, these critters need the protection of others in order to survive. 

The Lion: King of the Savannah. Respect him and he will take care of you. Unless he gets hungry…

The Mandrill: What a colorful rear end.

The Praying Mantis: She’s for sure gonna eat you. Or at least try. So be careful.

The Sloth: How can something that slow-moving get by in the world? Well, much to everyone's surprise (maybe even the sloth's?) they do more than get by. They thrive.

 

Mmm, Twinkie.

The Cockroach: Others may see the cockroach as a disgusting, annoying pest, but do you think that’s how a cockroach sees itself? Of course not. Besides, the cockroach will be laughing it up and eating Twinkies long after we’ve gone the way of the Dodo.

Deer/Gazelle/Antelope/Etc:  The backbone of any ecosystem: indoors or out. These hard-working gentle souls just mind their own business and do what needs to be done: which is occasionally literally giving the skin off their own backs.

So the next time you’re on the elevator or in a status meeting, look around. Listen closely for a hiss or a growl. It's there, I promise.