Here we find wild elephants investigating dead carcasses in the wild. How do they connect piles of bones with their relatives? Intelligence.

Those who profess that humans are the only species to have intellectual abilities are short-sighted. The reality is that animals also maintain emotion and intellect, even though their capacity to express these may be limited.

This is because, like human bodies, animal bodies are vehicles of an inner person - the individual spirit-person within.

Why do we consider humans of different races equal? And why do we consider one who is handicapped by an injury or disease to be equal with a non-handicapped person?

Because we recognize that within the body of the handicapped person or within the body of a different race is an equal person.

Who is that person within? It is the soul. The non-physical personality that operates the body.

This soul - the individual spirit-person - also inhabits the bodies of animals, plants, sealife and even plants and bacteria. And despite their handicap of having a smaller brain capacity and less language skill, the person within the body of an animal is equal to the person within the body of a human.

Emotion and intelligence are traits of a feeling, living person within - who is seeking love and approval - just as we do. This illustrates the basic equality between the living spirit within each of us and those dwelling within the bodies of animals.
The spirit-person within the human body is more evolved and maintains the intelligence to pursue spiritual matters. This is the purpose of having a human body - to pursue spiritual life.