Question

In Life of Pi, what does Animalus Anthropomorphicus mean and why is it so dangerous?

Answer 1

The phrase 'Animalus Anthropomorphicus' refers to the tendency that people have to pretendthat animals are very similar to humans. ... Martel uses this phrase in the novel to show that these tendencies are dangerous because they cause people to ignore the very real risks that come from interacting with animals.

Answer 2

Anthropomorphicus: a word the author [of Life of Pi] made up to sound like a zoological term, basing it on the word "anthropomorphic". In an anthropomorphic approach to animals, one judges animals by human standards, so a furry rabbit may enchant us, while a large rat is most likely to disgust us.