Animals United: “What Animals United Teaches About Humans, Nature, and God”

Animals United is a heart-warming animated movie that goes far beyond simple comedy. It is rich with Biblical themes and cleverly exposes human flaws with sarcasm, making the film highly engaging—a quality we will explore further.

The story is set in the Okavango Delta in Africa, where all the animals in the kingdom live peacefully together. Socrates, the lazy lion who enjoys lazing about, is a close friend of Billy the meerkat.

A major life-threatening problem affects the entire animal community: they have no water and are unsure how to obtain it. As Winifred, the old tortoise, says, "Water is not just water, it is the lifeblood of our ancestors." Tension arises between Biggi the rhino and Chino the Cape buffalo over a tiny pool of water. Billy, with his cheerful personality, steps in to calm the situation while also trying to draw water from the same small pool to feed his family.

The animals grow desperate, and Angie the elephant suggests consulting the oracle to find out where or how to obtain water. The oracle, played by Bongo the maroon leaf monkey, deceives them in exchange for bananas and gives them false hope.

One day, out of curiosity, Billy ventures toward the "valley of death" that Socrates had told him about. Socrates had a traumatic childhood experience there while investigating why the river had dried up. "Deep within the valley of death, there lives a murderous shadow... who slices you to pieces before you see it coming." Although frightened, Billy overcomes his fears to discover what happened. To his surprise, he finds a giant wall, walks around it, and discovers a reservoir, immediately realising what has happened. He encounters strange beings—humans—who, for selfish reasons, have built a luxury resort that the promoter ironically calls the "oasis of peace."

Billy is soon joined by Socrates and Smiley, the foul-smelling Tasmanian devil who occasionally releases pungent farts that leave everyone around reeling.

Billy is chased by a hunter. Unlike Socrates, who gets stuck, Billy manages to escape and reunite with the others. The animals organise a meeting to join forces and reclaim the water that was stolen from them.

Among the many animated movies I have seen featuring animals, Animals United stands out for presenting a deep philosophical contrast between the human world and the animal kingdom, enriched by several Biblical themes. Each time humans appear in the film, their flaws, contradictions, and helplessness are clearly highlighted.

For instance, in one scene, world leaders and economists gather for yet another conference on how to tackle climate change—already their one hundred and fifty-eighth meeting—suggesting that despite endless discussions, little real action is ever taken.

The ship's crew members become so drunk that they do not even realise their ship has capsized, spilling oil and destroying the ocean.

A motorcyclist opens his can of drink and leaves it behind, disrespecting the environment, while a chicken is tied up to be mercilessly slaughtered.

Then there is the selfish nature of humans, who do not hesitate to disturb others' peace by destroying nature and its habitats for their own ambitious gain. The construction of a luxury resort, ironically named the "oasis of peace," traps the water meant to sustain the animal kingdom so that humans can enjoy themselves.

Winifred, the old and wise tortoise, has an important lesson to teach, and we humans should pay attention to her words, carrying them as daily reminders in our hearts.

“For Man is a thief who comes in the night and takes what he wants from the land. He is like a snake that eats its own tail to survive. But the Earth does not belong to Man; he is only a tiny part of it. Man did not weave the fabric of life; he is but a thread within it, for we all share the same breath. What Man doesn’t realise is that what he does to the land, he ultimately does to himself. When the land is finally destroyed, and the animals are either driven out or killed, Man will rule over the Earth alone. Then, lost and forlorn, he too will be wiped from the face of the Earth.”

Her words echo the Bible verse about the devil, who is the thief that comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. She also reminds us of Psalm 24: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” Nothing belongs to us; that’s why we leave everything behind when we die.