Living in harmony with nature

Every year the world loses an area the size of Britain to a layer of concrete. Planet Earth II, the 2016 British nature documentary series produced by the BBC as a sequel to Planet Earth, ended this week with a message calling on viewers to ponder the possibility of peaceful coexistence of humans and other species. The series was a thrilling and fascinating reminder about why we should treasure Mother Nature. The presenter Sir David Attenborough set viewers thinking about these issues. Was it not possible to build cities which were more in harmony with nature? How - and whether - we decide to invite the wildlife in is up to us. But it is surely our responsibility to do everything in our power to create a world that provides a home, not just for us, but for all life on earth. Thus, we present the animal of the year, and let us cherish the world's wildlife.