The human mind attaches voraciously to metaphors and metaphors attach very well to animals.

I love the old-school style of political cartooning where you use an animal say a bear as a metaphor for fiscal debt, but then you write 'fiscal debt' on the side of the bear, because honestly- without that, I have no idea why there's a bear in the paper.

From the Oglaf creators, linked to in the comic posted today