Day 264 of 365 - Animal Welfare
Although not exactly a topic related to my own health and vitality, I wanted to draw attention to some animal welfare issues that have come into my awareness from a World Animal Protection newsletter that I get.
A lot of animals which should be living comfortably and naturally in the wild have become victims of our social media and selfie craze. I get as hooked as anybody watching cute animal videos on FB, but in future I will be paying more attention to the source.
Here is something quite bizarre. Did you know that Japan has interactive 'otter cafés' now? Incredible, but true. In order to meet the demand, wild otters are being poached. Of course this is illegal but money talks. Photos and videos of selfies with these otters apparently show up on social media and receive thousands of likes, perpetuating the craze.
There are also many travel destinations around the world which offer photo ops with various types of animals which are kept in captivity for these purposes. Examples of these include baby sloths, tigers, dolphins, elephants, monkeys and sea turtles. Why are people not realizing how unnatural this is, or thinking about how these animals might be kept captive in poor conditions just to have them available for some grinning tourist?
It's one thing to go on a guided safari or wilderness hike where you view wildlife in their natural habitat from a reasonable distance. It's quite another to have them made docile through mistreatment so they will tolerate a close up photo with you.
Some people have even gotten so cocky as to try and do selfies with bears in the wild! Social media is frying our brains people!
Thankfully, in Canada, it will soon become law that the whales, porpoises and dolphins in captivity for the entertainment industry will be the last generation in that role. Breeding in captivity for that purpose will also be banned. There is an exception to captivity for animals needing care and rehabilitation.
In the interests of transparency, when my kids were small, I did take them to Marineland, where large numbers of fawns roamed around, bears were kept in a concrete pit where they were thrown marshmallows and there was a water show with dolphins. It was an odd feeling situation, especially the bears in the pit, and the fawns charging towards people who had cups of the kibble type food sold. Somehow, I didn't think much about it beyond that at the time.
I'm glad that more animal welfare organizations are now bringing to our attention the living conditions of animals at attractions. Please reconsider taking kids or grandchildren to these kinds of places this summer. Also, pay attention to the source of videos which show up on social media. Do not like or share if they are a tourist photo op from a captivity source. If the public would stop demanding this kind of entertainment, it would come to an end. There are plenty of great documentaries and videos of animals in the wild which can satisfy our cravings to know more about wildlife without threatening animal welfare.
A lot of animals which should be living comfortably and naturally in the wild have become victims of our social media and selfie craze. I get as hooked as anybody watching cute animal videos on FB, but in future I will be paying more attention to the source.
Here is something quite bizarre. Did you know that Japan has interactive 'otter cafés' now? Incredible, but true. In order to meet the demand, wild otters are being poached. Of course this is illegal but money talks. Photos and videos of selfies with these otters apparently show up on social media and receive thousands of likes, perpetuating the craze.
There are also many travel destinations around the world which offer photo ops with various types of animals which are kept in captivity for these purposes. Examples of these include baby sloths, tigers, dolphins, elephants, monkeys and sea turtles. Why are people not realizing how unnatural this is, or thinking about how these animals might be kept captive in poor conditions just to have them available for some grinning tourist?
It's one thing to go on a guided safari or wilderness hike where you view wildlife in their natural habitat from a reasonable distance. It's quite another to have them made docile through mistreatment so they will tolerate a close up photo with you.
Some people have even gotten so cocky as to try and do selfies with bears in the wild! Social media is frying our brains people!
Thankfully, in Canada, it will soon become law that the whales, porpoises and dolphins in captivity for the entertainment industry will be the last generation in that role. Breeding in captivity for that purpose will also be banned. There is an exception to captivity for animals needing care and rehabilitation.
In the interests of transparency, when my kids were small, I did take them to Marineland, where large numbers of fawns roamed around, bears were kept in a concrete pit where they were thrown marshmallows and there was a water show with dolphins. It was an odd feeling situation, especially the bears in the pit, and the fawns charging towards people who had cups of the kibble type food sold. Somehow, I didn't think much about it beyond that at the time.
I'm glad that more animal welfare organizations are now bringing to our attention the living conditions of animals at attractions. Please reconsider taking kids or grandchildren to these kinds of places this summer. Also, pay attention to the source of videos which show up on social media. Do not like or share if they are a tourist photo op from a captivity source. If the public would stop demanding this kind of entertainment, it would come to an end. There are plenty of great documentaries and videos of animals in the wild which can satisfy our cravings to know more about wildlife without threatening animal welfare.
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