In fact, at the dawn of human existence, animals for him did not perform the functions of the notorious “our smaller brothers”, but, on the contrary, served as objects for imitation and reverence. In this regard, there were a lot of rites and rituals that were carried out, for example, before going hunting or collecting honey from wild bees. Corresponding ceremonies were performed both after butchering the carcass of a dead animal and after the burial of its remains. An unusually respectful attitude towards animals was characteristic of the religions of the ancient world. Many ancient deities appeared to people in the form of animals or semi-animals, for example, with a head, legs or tail belonging to a lion, bull or eagle.