ANTHROZOOLOGY –AN EMERGING ROBUST MULTIDISCIPLINARY SUBFIELD OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE

Humans have long been engaged with nonhuman animals since the beginning of their journey on the Earth. Both human and nonhuman species have been co-existing and sharing the world forming multi-dimensional relationships. Although the non-humans are hunted, manipulated, domesticated, consumed or sometimes extincted by humans, they are also respected, worshiped, symbolized, conserved as well as adored in human societies. For a long time, different academic disciplines have considered the nonhuman animals in a utilitarian approach, considering them as objects for humanity. Therefore, the intangible aspects of emotional and relational bonds between humans and nonhumans have been commonly unrecognized. However, rapid growing interests are seen on the study of human and nonhuman animal relationships in contemporary academic discourses, resulted through various approaches of anthrozoology, an emerging field of anthropological science. Showing its origin, development, study fields, complexities and future perspectives, this paper is aimed to present the essence of anthrozoological studies in Bangladesh and other developing countries.