In the beginning, God gave man dominion over the fish, the birds, and the beasts of the earth. God also inspired scriptures to identify which kinds of animals, fish, and fowl He created to be eaten by humans, including game animals. It is not against God's will to catch, kill, and use animals for food, nor is it wrong to kill predators, as David killed a lion and a bear that threatened his sheep. However, game should not be killed indiscriminately or recklessly, and leaving a carcass to rot after taking only antlers or horns is wrong. The humane culling of herds like deer and bison is necessary and merciful for the conservation of nature. God gives mankind permission to kill animals for food, affirming that it is not wrong to do so.

In the beginning, God's creation existed in total harmony and peace. However, due to disobedience and rebellion, the earth came under a curse, altering the nature of most wild animals to become fierce and hostile toward man and each other. Instead of being a help to man, the earth turned into a hostile environment. Yet, there is hope for restoration. When Jesus Christ intervenes and establishes God's Kingdom on earth, the nature of animals will return to gentleness and tameness. As foretold, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. Even the nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all His holy mountain. When the influence of the devil is removed, the nature of animals, including poisonous snakes and spiders, will be changed, bringing peace and prosperity to the entire earth.

God created wild animals on the earth according to their kinds and placed them under human dominion alongside all other living creatures. This dominion carries the responsibility to act with love and concern for their well-being rather than exploitation. After the Flood the relationship shifted, so that fear and dread of mankind now rest upon every beast of the earth, bird of the air, and fish of the sea. Wild animals share mortality and an earthy origin with humanity yet remain distinct, lacking the image of God and the male-female emphasis given to mankind. Observation of wild animals supplies practical wisdom through their God-given traits. The ant demonstrates self-motivated diligence without external oversight. Serpents such as the adder, asp, cockatrice, and viper illustrate the poisonous, painful effects of slander. The hind and hart portray graceful femininity and dignified, protective masculinity. The wild ass embodies an intractable, aimless, and exploitative character, as seen in the description of Ishmael. The fox represents stealthy cunning that disrupts order. The goat, though clean, leads through aggressive pride that harms the group. Even the lowly worm pictures extreme debasement. God supplies vegetation for wild creatures and sustains them through the seasons, showing His care for all living things. Humans must not abuse the weak and defenseless among them but extend mercy, as when returning a stray ox or donkey or refraining from taking a mother bird with her young. Such acts reflect the same principle that God pleads the cause of those unable to defend themselves. By studying these creatures people learn both what to emulate and what to avoid, fulfilling the call to live by every word that proceeds from God.

As God's creation renews itself each spring, the animal kingdom multiplies according to His original blessing and command that living creatures be fruitful and fill the earth (Genesis 1:22, 24). Yet because the planet has limited space, humanity and wild animals have historically competed for territory. Nimrod rose to leadership after the Flood specifically because he protected people from dangerous beasts (Genesis 10:8-9), and God Himself used this dynamic when leading Israel into Canaan, promising to drive out inhabitants gradually so that "the beast of the field" would not multiply beyond the people's ability to manage (Exodus 23:28-30). Throughout history, as human populations expanded into new territories, conflicts with predators such as mountain lions, bears, wolves, snakes, alligators, and other creatures led people to attempt their eradication for safety. This pattern appeared vividly in America, where wildlife initially sustained early settlers but declined sharply as human populations grew. By the early 1900s, species such as the whitetailed deer, wild turkey, Canadian goose, and black bear faced near extinction, and by 1967 the alligator was federally listed as endangered. Remarkably, all five species not only survived but have rebounded dramatically, even thriving in densely populated eastern regions. Whitetailed deer, no longer checked by natural predators, have multiplied so rapidly that some call them "hoofed rats," damaging crops and forcing reduced speed limits at crossings. Wild turkeys now inhabit every state except Alaska, while over 130,000 Canadian geese have stopped migrating altogether, causing crop damage and sanitation problems in populated areas. Predator species have also returned in force: black bears now roam the entire U.S. mainland, alligators have fully recovered in Florida (generating thousands of citizen complaints annually), and gray wolves thrive in Canada, with attacks on livestock reported and reintroduction into the U.S. anticipated. Even coyotes have been spotted in the Bronx. These developments raise the possibility that the resurgence of wild animal populations may represent an early sign of end-time prophecy. Leviticus 26:21-22 warns that disobedience would bring divine judgment through wild beasts sent to rob children, destroy livestock, and desolate highways, a warning echoed in Deuteronomy 28:26. Revelation 6:8 describes one of the Four Horsemen, Death, granted power to kill a fourth of the earth through sword, famine, plague, and "the beasts of the earth." These prophecies may extend beyond direct animal attacks to include animal-borne diseases such as rabies, malaria, bubonic plague, hantavirus, and Lyme disease, with rabies cases reportedly doubling in the U.S. within a short span. Amos 5:19 further illustrates the terror of divine judgment through the imagery of a man fleeing a lion only to meet a bear, or being bitten by a serpent while seeking refuge, a passage that may carry both metaphorical and literal significance. While it remains uncertain whether the current resurgence of wild animal populations will culminate in such prophesied scenarios, this trend stands as one more observable sign to watch as the end of the age approaches.