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centered on the "orca revolution" have inundated the online realm. They gleefully depict orcas launching and .

One particularly ingenious image showcases an orca posed as a sickle crossed with a hammer. The cheeky caption reads, "," a nod to the orcas' penchant for sinking lavish yachts.

A in Santa Cruz, California has also claimed the media spotlight. Headlines dub her an "" "."

Memes conjure her in a beret like the one donned by socialist revolutionary Ché Guevara. In one caption, she proclaims, " … an otter world is possible."

centers on animal-human relations through the prism of social justice. As I see it, public glee about wrecked surfboards and yachts hints at a certain flavor of . At a time marked by drastic socioeconomic disparities, white supremacy and environmental degradation, casting these marine mammals as revolutionaries seems like a projection of desires for social justice and habitable ecosystems.

A glimpse into the work of some political scientists, philosophers and animal behavior researchers injects weightiness into this jocular public dialog. The analyzes structures of oppression and power and considers pathways to dismantling them. These scholars' insights challenge the prevailing view of nonhuman animals as passive victims. They also oppose the widespread assumption that nonhuman animals can't be political actors.

So while meme lovers project emotions and perspectives onto these particular wild animals, scholars of critical animal studies suggest that nonhuman animals do in fact engage in resistance.

Nonhuman animal protest is everywhere

Are nonhuman animals in a constant state of defiance? I'd answer, undoubtedly, that the answer is yes.

The entire architecture of animal agriculture against confinement and death. Cages, corrals, pens and tanks would not exist were it not for animals' tireless revolt.

Even when hung upside down on conveyor hangars, , scratch, peck and defecate on line workers at every stage of the process leading to their deaths.

Until the end, hooked tuna resist, gasping and writhing fiercely on ships' decks. Hooks, nets and snares would not be necessary .

, female pigs and cows wouldn't need to be tethered to "" to prevent them from struggling to get away.

If they didn't mind having their , dairy cows wouldn't need to be blinded with hoods so they don't bite and kick as the calves are removed; they wouldn't bellow for weeks after each instance. I contend that failure to recognize their bellowing as protest reflects ""—w³ó²¹³Ù Frans de Waal calls the rejection of obvious continuities between human and nonhuman animal behavior, cognition and emotion.

The prevalent view of nonhuman animals remains that of René Descartes, the 17th-century philosopher who , like those of a machine. From this viewpoint, one might dismiss these nonhuman animals' will to prevail as unintentional or merely instinctual. But political scientist Dinesh Wadiwel argues that "even if their defiance is futile, the , perhaps the only act of dissent available to animals who are subject to extreme forms of control."

Creaturely escape artists

Despite humans' colossal efforts to repress them, nonhuman animals still manage to . They also break out , circuses, aquatic parks, and . Tilikum, a captive orca at Sea World, —an act at least one marine mammal behaviorist .

Philosopher Fahim Amir suggests that depression among captive animals is likewise a form of emotional rebellion against unbearable conditions, . Dolphins engage in self-harm like thrashing against the tank's walls or cease to eat and . Sows whose body-sized cages impede them from turning around to make contact with their piglets into the metal struts, .

Critical animal studies scholars contend that all these actions arguably demonstrate nonhuman animals' yearning for freedom and .

As for the marine stars of summer 2023's memes, fishing gear can . Sea otters were . by human activities including overfishing, oil spills, plastic, chemical and sonic pollution, and climate change. It's easy to , including bodily harm and interference with their turf.

What is solidarity with nonhuman animals?

Sharing memes that is one thing. But there are more substantive ways to demonstrate solidarity with animals.

Legal scholars support nonhuman animals' resistance by proposing that their current classification as property should be replaced with that of or .

Nonhuman animals including songbirds, dolphins, , horses, and increasingly alleging their subjection to extinction, abuse and other injustices.

is another pathway to social and political inclusion. It would guarantee the right to appeal arbitrary restrictions of domesticated nonhuman animals' autonomy. It would also mandate legal duties to protect them from harm.

Everyday deeds can likewise convey solidarity.

Boycotting industries that oppress nonhuman animals by becoming vegan is a powerful action. It is a form of political "counter-conduct," a term philosopher Michel Foucault uses to describe of power and control.

Creating killed by motor vehicles encourages people to see them as beings whose lives and , ."

Political scientists recognize that human and nonhuman animals' . At different moments, the leveraged against nonhuman animals have cast segments of the human species as "less than human" in order to exploit them.

The category of the human is . I argue that no one is safe as long as there is a ." It confers , legally and ethically condoned.

Might an 'otter world' be possible?

I believe quips about the marine mammal rebellion reflect awareness that our human interests are entwined with those of nonhuman animals. The desire to achieve sustainable relationships with other species and the natural world feels palpable to me within the memes and media coverage. And it's happening as human-caused activity makes our shared habitats increasingly unlivable.

Solidarity with nonhuman animals is consistent with democratic principles—for instance, defending the right to well-being and opposing the . Philosopher Amir recommends extending the idea that there can be no freedom as long as there is still unfreedom beyond the species divide: "While we may not yet fully be able to picture what this may mean, ."

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