Tuesday, July 26, 2011

A Ray of Hope – Wild Animals & Birds Rescued in India

Over 150 wild animals & birds were rescued in a raid conducted in the Jama Msjid area of Delhi by the police. In all, 55 rabbits, 42 rare pigeons, 5 ducks, 5 fighter cocks and 30 exotic birds of the budgriger variety were found squashed in tiny cages and were being sold by a poacher to some local buyers.



Animal smuggling rackets are on the rise and Delhi has become a hot spot of such activities. In fact, the whole world has become a market for these smugglers who catch animals and birds, and sell them for their skin and flesh. According to animals activists in India, smugglers breed these animals and birds in rural India, and then bring them to big cities from where they are further smuggled to Pakistan and Arab countries.


Rare pigeons are sold at a very high price while ducks are sold to farmhouses. Duck meat has become highly popular and is sold for slaughter. Rabbits are sold as pets and exotic birds are sold for shows! Tigers are sold for every part of their body!



This cruel treatment of innocent animals and birds is outrageous. The government and the authorities concerned have to be more vigilant and try their best to stop this cruelty meted out to animals and birds. Let us not forget that the Earth belongs to them as much as it belongs to us.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Human – Animal Conflict

With a human population bursting at its seams, more and more people are settling in areas that were once the habitat of elephants, big cats and other wild animals. This has resulted in human – animal conflicts. Consequently, issues of animal conservation and mitigation are becoming more important.



Some time ago, hundreds of flamingos died of electrocution as they were flying into high – voltage electricity cables passing over their habitat n the outskirts of Bhavnagar city in Gujrat, India. This mass electrocution was apparently triggered by stray dogs as they chased the flamingos and the panic – stricken birds collided with the wires overhead.



We need to save these animals and birds for our own sake, if not out of compassion. Compassion is ruled out for us humans as we have killed and traded our lower cousins, animals and birds, for thousands of years. We talk of love and peace, and in the same breath murder millions of animals everyday to enjoy tasty dishes made out of them. Can we really have love and peace in the world when our whole existence seems to depend on hatred, cruelty and cold-blooded killing of animals? Isaac Bashevis Singer puts it correctly, “There will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and destroy those who are weaker than he is”.