Mahesh Rangarajan explores the intersection of nation-states, borders, and nature, emphasizing how human-made boundaries conflict with the natural world’s disregard for such limits. Rangarajan highlights how animals and landscapes symbolize unity and could be used as tools of exclusion, reflecting broader societal inequalities and power dynamics. The article concludes by advocating for a new ethic that transcends these legacies, urging nations to prioritize ecological futures over repeating patterns of conquest and exploitation.