Animals of today

The present-day part of the wheel holds animals you could meet now: in your kitchen, on a city square, on a farm, in a European forest, or on another continent entirely. Some are pests, some are pets, some are livestock and some are endangered.

Being reborn in the present does not guarantee an easy life. Many of these species live only a year or two, most wild animals die young, and farm animals' lives are shaped almost entirely by human decisions. On the other hand, a house cat in a caring home or a capybara on a quiet riverbank may have one of the most comfortable spins on the whole wheel.

Each entry describes the real biology and behaviour of the animal: how long it lives, what it eats, how it raises its young, and how it gets along with humans.