Animals play hidden but crucial roles in food webs, nutrient recycling, population regulation, pollination and seed dispersal, and maintaining environmental hygiene and soil fertility.

A Nature study is cited to show that all species contribute to ecosystem services like nutrient cycling, pollination, food-web stability, and climate regulation, and that removing seemingly unimportant species weakens ecosystems.

Labeling animals as useless reflects a human-centered bias that prioritizes direct, visible benefits over ecological functions.

Humans mislabel animals as useless due to visibility bias, aesthetic preferences, reliance on direct benefits, and gaps in ecological understanding.

Examples of commonly mislabeled 'useless' animals and their roles include sloths aiding seed dispersal and host microorganisms, pandas shaping bamboo forests and dispersing seeds, vultures cleaning carrion and reducing disease risk, jellyfish supporting marine food webs and nutrient transport, mosquitoes as pollinators and food sources in certain systems, and possums and rodents aiding seed dispersal, pest control, and carrion cleanup.

The piece warns against the myth of the 'useless animal,' arguing that biodiversity loss erodes ecosystem resilience and triggers cascading harms to soil, water, pollination, climate regulation, and food security.

Ultimately, every species has a role in a connected ecosystem, and discounting them harms biodiversity and human well-being.