The land does not belong only to human beings

For a long time, humans have talked about nature as if it were something to conquer, manage, or control.

Forests to exploit.
Countrysides to transform.
Animals to relocate.
Territories to occupy.

But we rarely stop to consider a very simple possibility:

What if the land doesn't belong only to us?

Animals are not "invading" our cities

Whenever a fox enters a populated area, a wild boar crosses a road, or a colony of cats lives near houses, many people immediately speak of an "emergency."

But animals are not invading our space.

Very often, it is we who have destroyed theirs.

In recent decades, we have:

• paved over natural areas;
• eliminated habitats;
• built roads everywhere;
• reduced wild spaces;
• transformed countryside and coastlines into urban or tourist areas.

Yet we continue to behave as if every free animal is "out of place."

Sicily used to be shared with animals

In Sicily, for centuries, people and animals coexisted much more naturally than today.

Cats in courtyards.
Hedgehogs in the countryside.
Foxes near citrus groves.
Birds in historic centers.
Donkeys, goats, and sheep present in the daily landscape.

Not everything was perfect.
But there was greater acceptance of animal presence.

Today, however, any free form of life seems to need to be:

• relocated;
• controlled;
• locked up;
• eliminated;
• kept away from human contact.

Nature is not a theme park

One of the modern problems is that many people want "decorative" nature.

Nature that is beautiful to look at, but invisible when it disturbs.

Animals, yes... but far away.
Silent.
Controlled.
Sterile.
Not too present.

But real nature doesn't work that way.

Coexisting with animals means accepting that the world is not built exclusively around human comfort.

Animals are not guests

When we talk about wildlife or free animals, we often use the wrong language.

We say:

• "they have entered";
• "they have invaded";
• "they are occupying."

But animals are not guests on Earth.

They do not live here thanks to human concession.

They have the same right to exist on the territory.

Coexisting also means giving up total control

Many people only love animals as long as they remain under control.

A dog on a leash.
A cat in the house.
A horse behind a fence.

But free animals remind us of something we often forget: the world is not entirely ours.

And this is precisely what causes discomfort.

Because truly coexisting with other living beings means accepting that we cannot control everything.

Sotto la Panca Sanctuary and the concept of coexistence

At Sotto la Panca Sanctuary, we believe that protecting animals does not mean dominating every aspect of their existence.

Some animals need care, protection, and recovery.

Others primarily need space, safety, and respect.

This is why we believe that the future cannot be based solely on:

• cages;
• fences;
• control;
• removing animals from their territory.

Cultural change is also needed.

We must relearn how to coexist.

👉 Read also: Saving does not mean caging: coexisting with free cats in Sicily

Giving space back to animals

Perhaps true progress does not consist in occupying every available space.

Perhaps it consists in finally leaving something for other living beings as well.

More trees.
More natural areas.
Less violence.
Less exploitation.
Less obsessive control.

Because a world where animals can no longer find space is not an evolved world.

It is simply a world that has forgotten how to coexist.

🌿 Animals do not have to earn the right to exist

They do not have to produce.
They do not have to be useful.
They do not have to entertain us.

They simply need to be able to live.

And perhaps the first step to building a truly ethical society is to stop considering the planet as the exclusive property of human beings.