William, that's a great point. With the 'smarter than us,' my emphasis was more on humans for seeing other animals as less intelligent. Such kind of thinking alone indicates lower intelligence.

.

But what interests me most is the second part about them stopping us.

I believe that the wiser one gets, the more they trust Nature and its processes, and the less they feel inclined to interfere.

.

If animals are wise(r), they trust Nature and that all other beings in the ecosystem have an exactly-defined role. They don't feel they need to interfere, they just perform their role for the system.

.

Thanks for the comment!