Whether up close and cuddly or from a safe distance, I’d venture to say that most people have a long-standing respect and fascination with the animal kingdom. As the daughter of a high school science teacher, I really couldn’t avoid them. Our house was always populated with a variety of creatures — from cats, dogs and birds to rodents, reptiles, insects and arachnids, including scorpions. Undoubtedly, the near-universal appeal of animals has resulted in the widespread use of them as symbols, icons and representations throughout history. As such, they’ve taken on a whole different level of cultural ...