Some food for thought
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 1:42 pm
Hello all Wildies -O
Not sure where this would/should go, so it ended up here.
Its a letter from the EWT's CEO, and I thought something to think about, many of these points are so valid - circuses for example. For heavens sake, in this day and age a circus should be about human achievement, not lions, elephants and tigers being degraded and ill-treated (likewise dogs).
As for hunting of antelope and rabbits for sport, well, we may as well have bear-baiting... Although, and sad to say, despite so many advancements in the world there still are so many dark, shadowy places where cruelty and killing are considered sport, within our beloved SA included.
Still, with the present company of people about there is always hope
In any case, it's only the tip of the ice-berg, but I thought the letter well-written and thought-provoking, and certainly worth spreading around.
'John Steinbeck once said that “of all animals in God’s creation, man is the only one who drinks without being thirsty, eats without being hungry and talks without having something to say.” It is unfortunate that the list of what humans do without being driven by a life-sustaining need is endless. Despite the fact that not one human-being’s survival depends on the composition of rhino horn, the features of elephant ivory or the taste of lion bone tea, these three species are being mercilessly targeted for their body parts to the point where biologists are now modelling their extinction rates. I have said this before: before South Africans condemn foreigners and bemoan the injustices of poaching and illegal wildlife trade, take note of the trends within our own cultures that may otherwise be undetected… the rampant theft and domestication of wild birds for the pet trade; the increasing numbers of ‘predator parks’ that serve as repositories for traders in both live and dead animals; the continued use of wild animals like lions and elephants in circuses for the amusement of our children; the proliferation of ‘wildlife rehabilitation centres’ with profiteering being their sole motive; the hunting of small antelope and rabbits with domestic dogs for ‘sport’… ‘Strict’ conservationists will argue that unless the ‘sustainability of wild populations’ is under threat, these issues are animal ‘welfare’ issues and are not the domain of the conservation sector. The EWT views this slightly differently. Indeed, a great many of these acts do threaten the survival of our wild populations. But they also threaten society’s understanding and appreciation of the role, place and purpose of wild species, and places; they tarnish our ability to value the contributions of a universe of beings that do not exist solely for our pleasure; they undermine a regulatory framework that should in fact be focused on ensuring the survival of species but which is increasingly being forced to address (but often overlooks) the fate of individuals; and in so doing, they undermine what it should mean to be a human. Buda said that “when man feels compassion for all other creatures, then he will be noble”. Nobility may be a long way away but for most of us, but doing the right thing is not. The EWT has taken up the fight against immoral, unlawful actions involving wild animals, be it illegal hunting, trading, breeding or dealing; poaching; fraudulent fundraising and the abuse of public funds. It will be a sad day when children believe that lion cubs were born to be bottle-fed and that elephants want to swing hoops around their trunks for the sound of applause. When cycads only exist behind 6 foot walls and the cry of a free-ranging Wild Dog is probably a ring-tone. That day may in fact be here for many… This newsletter touches on some of our efforts to bring about a rapid reversal in the way that we are commoditising, and to some degree, destroying our wildlife heritage. We believe that our precious ‘wildlife’ needs to be both ‘wild’ and ‘alive’ in order to remain intact. We hope that you do too. '
Yolan Friedmann
CEO
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Not sure where this would/should go, so it ended up here.
Its a letter from the EWT's CEO, and I thought something to think about, many of these points are so valid - circuses for example. For heavens sake, in this day and age a circus should be about human achievement, not lions, elephants and tigers being degraded and ill-treated (likewise dogs).
As for hunting of antelope and rabbits for sport, well, we may as well have bear-baiting... Although, and sad to say, despite so many advancements in the world there still are so many dark, shadowy places where cruelty and killing are considered sport, within our beloved SA included.
Still, with the present company of people about there is always hope
In any case, it's only the tip of the ice-berg, but I thought the letter well-written and thought-provoking, and certainly worth spreading around.
'John Steinbeck once said that “of all animals in God’s creation, man is the only one who drinks without being thirsty, eats without being hungry and talks without having something to say.” It is unfortunate that the list of what humans do without being driven by a life-sustaining need is endless. Despite the fact that not one human-being’s survival depends on the composition of rhino horn, the features of elephant ivory or the taste of lion bone tea, these three species are being mercilessly targeted for their body parts to the point where biologists are now modelling their extinction rates. I have said this before: before South Africans condemn foreigners and bemoan the injustices of poaching and illegal wildlife trade, take note of the trends within our own cultures that may otherwise be undetected… the rampant theft and domestication of wild birds for the pet trade; the increasing numbers of ‘predator parks’ that serve as repositories for traders in both live and dead animals; the continued use of wild animals like lions and elephants in circuses for the amusement of our children; the proliferation of ‘wildlife rehabilitation centres’ with profiteering being their sole motive; the hunting of small antelope and rabbits with domestic dogs for ‘sport’… ‘Strict’ conservationists will argue that unless the ‘sustainability of wild populations’ is under threat, these issues are animal ‘welfare’ issues and are not the domain of the conservation sector. The EWT views this slightly differently. Indeed, a great many of these acts do threaten the survival of our wild populations. But they also threaten society’s understanding and appreciation of the role, place and purpose of wild species, and places; they tarnish our ability to value the contributions of a universe of beings that do not exist solely for our pleasure; they undermine a regulatory framework that should in fact be focused on ensuring the survival of species but which is increasingly being forced to address (but often overlooks) the fate of individuals; and in so doing, they undermine what it should mean to be a human. Buda said that “when man feels compassion for all other creatures, then he will be noble”. Nobility may be a long way away but for most of us, but doing the right thing is not. The EWT has taken up the fight against immoral, unlawful actions involving wild animals, be it illegal hunting, trading, breeding or dealing; poaching; fraudulent fundraising and the abuse of public funds. It will be a sad day when children believe that lion cubs were born to be bottle-fed and that elephants want to swing hoops around their trunks for the sound of applause. When cycads only exist behind 6 foot walls and the cry of a free-ranging Wild Dog is probably a ring-tone. That day may in fact be here for many… This newsletter touches on some of our efforts to bring about a rapid reversal in the way that we are commoditising, and to some degree, destroying our wildlife heritage. We believe that our precious ‘wildlife’ needs to be both ‘wild’ and ‘alive’ in order to remain intact. We hope that you do too. '
Yolan Friedmann
CEO
Endangered Wildlife Trust
