Aren't humans creatures like all other creatures? We are the product of evolution, of natural selection. The difference between us and other creatures is incremental, perhaps profoundly so. Human and chimpanzee DNA are 96-98% identical. Human social behavior is highly comparable to chimp social behavior.

More importantly, many creatures at many levels of evolution manipulate nature as humanity does. Beavers building dams is a familiar example. Male weaver birds build structures to attract females and gain their approval -- structures that include 3D optical effects.

E.O. Wilson describes ants that literally milk aphids (except the fluid is something other than milk) in an activity that is as well organized as a dairy farm in its efficiency.

Perhaps humanity is just more of a nature manipulator. Our intelligence allows us to manipulate nature more dramatically, which suggests other creatures, if they had more intelligence, opposable thumbs, etc, they would manipulate their environments for their survival benefit as dramatically as humans.