1. ANIMALS’ PLIGHT IN ZOOS
Picture this: a leopard in
the wild. It doesn’t matter if it is bringing down a150 pound buck, having a
game of rough-and-tumble with a litter-mate, or simply snoozing on a shady
branch. Out there, it is wild, unfettered, and free in every sense of the word.
Did you know that leopards can
reach running speeds of up to 58 km an hour? Or that they can climb trees
easily, even while carrying heavy prey? Now, take the leopard out of its
natural habitat and stick it in a cage, and all these marvelous features
dwindle down into meaninglessness. It doesn’t matter if it has the ability to
run at 58 km an hour, 20 km an hour, or if it just crawls along at snail’s pace
‒ there is no room to run in a cage. It doesn’t make a difference if it is the
master of tree-climbing or not; there are no trees to climb behind bars.
The suffering of animals
in captivity can be blamed chiefly on ignorance, profit, entertainment, and
lack of proper legislation concerning animal cruelty. Today, there are countless
creatures silently suffering abuse and captivity at the hands of people. The
problem areas are vast, affecting everything from floppy-eared rabbits
languishing in poky pet shops, to the majestic elephant, forced to walk in
chains for miles in the searing heat in some parade or the other. Even the
Dehiwala Zoo is now a
sad, shabby place that
is steadily getting worse, the animals being incarcerated in the most appalling
conditions. In spite of growing concerns for the welfare of our furred and
feathered friends, the situation seems to be escalating rather than declining,
prompting animal rights activists and animal lovers all over Sri Lanka to push
hard for a change. What is truly distressing is the fact that despite being a
culture that takes pride in its compassion and kindness towards all living
creatures, cruelty towards animals seems to thrive in many forms. A testament
to this was the recent horrific episode involving a group of men who inhumanely
killed an eagle by skinning it alive and cutting off its claws ‒ an incident so
sickening, cruel, and pointless that it left people reeling with shock.
2.
Animal Shows And Parades
How
many times have you sat down to watch the Elephant Show at the Dehiwala Zoo? Or
paid Rs. 150 to a gypsy to see his dressed up little monkey perform a few
quaint tricks? We are often guilty of enjoying these displays without ever
really realising that our few minutes of entertainment come at the cost of
years of captivity and subjection to cruelty and negligence.
Take another look at the
Elephant Show ‒ after the initial delight wears off, there is something
horribly wrong with the sight of these regal animals, so unassailable in the
wild, reduced to balancing on lurid wooden stools and performing tricks for
crowds, all the while cringing from the jabs of the mahout’s henduwa.
Recently, a new problem has
come to light; it seems to have become the trend for even schools to use
elephants in their school parades. This is the latest blow to animal rights
activists and animal lovers who are already rallying against exploiting these
creatures in all kinds of parades, pageants and shows. Not only does this
practice pose a serious public safety risk, but the elephant is also forced to
walk long distances on the burning asphalt, amid all the revelry and noise of
the celebration, with the mahout giving it regular pokes and prods to keep it
under control. And just in case you were under the impression that the elephant
is swaying because it is enjoying the papare,
it is not ‒ elephants are known to sway and rock when they are distressed.
Elephants are also used
as tourist attractions in many hotels all over the island. No doubt an elephant
ride will make a one-of-a-kind experience for the tourists to take back home,
but it is no joy ride for the creature itself.
Zoochosis
That sounds a bit like
something out of a cartoon, but it is not. Scientists and researchers are now
uncovering the disturbing truth about animals kept in zoos ‒ zoochosis.
A term coined by Bill Travers, co-founder of the Born Free Foundation, zoochosis is a behavioural problem faced by
animals confined in small, empty cages or enclosures. Studies and research have
proved that animals can feel bored,
depressed, frustrated, or stressed out when they have little room to move
around in, and no physical and mental enrichment. Our Dehiwala Zoo fits the
bill on both counts ‒ not only do many of the animals (like the big cats) have
very little space, but the enclosures are also depressingly bleak and devoid of
any stimulation whatsoever, bearing not even the slightest semblance to the
habitats these creatures are used to.
So are zoos around the
world closing? Not likely. Animal rights activists can howl in protest till
they are blue in the face, but zoos will go on. The same can be said of the
Dehiwala Zoo. However, it would make a big difference to the creatures in it if
the authorities got their priorities right and started improving the conditions
in which the unfortunate animals are forced to live in.
Pet
Shops From Hell
Yes, the silver arowana
is pretty, the puppies can melt your heart, and that crested cockatoo will look
just lovely in your hall alcove. But stop and take a closer look ‒ the arowana
swims round and round in a tank a mere six inches longer than its length, the
puppies are packed together like sardines in a can, and that handsome cage
holding the cockatoo actually has barely enough room for the bird to stretch
its wings. Most of these small pet shops look attractive enough from a
distance, with all the cute rabbits and puppies on display, but closer
observation usually reveals the appalling conditions under which these creatures
are kept. More often than not, the cages are unclean, unventilated, and
cramped, and exposed to all the dust, dirt and noise from the busy roads.
So Is
Anything Being Done To Right This Wrong?
As it turns out, policy
makers haven’t been completely ignorant or inactive where these issues are
concerned. The Animal Welfare Bill was approved by the Cabinet on the January
13 this year. According to the Otara Foundation, this is Sri Lanka’s first monumental step towards
the protection of its animals. Of course, this is only one step out of many,
but it is a step nevertheless; hopefully, with a little more pressure (or
probably a lot more, seeing the way things are run in this country), the others
will follow soon. This Bill will replace the ancient Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals Ordinance drafted more than a century ago in 1907, which though
occasionally amended, is no longer adequate when dealing with prevailing issues.
(The maximum fine for cruelty under this legislation is only Rs. 100 ‒ so yes,
it’s high time we did away with this archaic law).
Another initiative which
seems to be encouraging in terms of animal welfare is the Ridiyagama Safari Park which was opened to the public in March this
year. It is early days still, but the project, which aims to educate the
public, carry out breeding programmes and provide suitable environmental
conditions to its animal inhabitants, seems promising so far.
Many animal rights
groups like the Otara Foundation and AWPA (Animal Welfare Protection Association) are
actively urging for change with campaigns, events, and awareness programmes.
he
Otara Foundation Independence Day Campaign aimed to increase awareness of the
plight of animals suffering in captivity/ Image credits: Otara Foundation
There is no doubt that
all this plays a significant role in educating people, but Sri Lanka needs to
do much more before we can truly say that our animals are protected. As a
nation, we have learned the hard way that freedom is a privilege to be
cherished. Let us not deprive our animals of this right.
Cover image credit: yamu.lk
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