What makes us One Level or more above Animals?

A writer writes!

An observation.  While walking through the local zoo, I noticed in the bird display that all the birds of one color were hanging together in one group.  There was no mingling of the different species of birds.  They all stayed together in the groups that looked like them.  The comparison of course is that to human beings whom also have the tendency to stay around other human beings who look like them in terms of color and nationality.
 
Of course there have always been humans who have crossed the color or racial barrier to begin friendships or marry those outside of our race or nationality.  Is that ability go beyond the "familiar" and expected relationships what makes us mentally a level above animals?  You sometimes hear about animals who are normally enemies, bonding together.  A dog with a cat.  A deer with a dog.  So, even with animals it is possible.

Rising above what is expected, and moving to a higher level is the ultimate challenge of human beings.  We can stay in our ethnic groups and isolate ourselves from others.  But will that allow for us to grow?  I applaud those who attempt to depart from the norm and who try to expand their relationships with people whom they are not accustomed to.  It is important that we all still understand where we come from before we advance to where we could be.  That knowledge of our ethnic history is part of who we are.

So, let's not become a civilization of people living in a zoo like environment.  Let's focus on trying to rise to the next level.  But....keep that historical knowledge of where we each have come from.