Animals have feelings too [Archives:2004/713/Letters to the Editor]
Astrid Klar
[email protected]
I would like to respond to the article published in Yemen Times in its Jan. 22 issue entitled “SARS bites deep into HK snake Restaurant”.
Although, this response is late, because of traveling, it is a timeless issue.
I am an Austrian Artist staying here in Yemen with my husband Werner who is an engineer, managing water and sanitation-projects in the country. We enjoy being in Yemen, since people are very, very nice and the hospitality is unique!
The appearance of all sicknesses and diseases, such as SARS or Bird flue is the consequence of locking up thousands of animals in concentration camps. No care, no feelings! No wonder animals are getting sick!
There are practices of putting hundreds of snakes or other living beings in drawers or glass jars, like books and laundry, waiting to be killed and skinned next to the table of sick and disgusting folks who are able to attend such perverse events. In what world we are living?
Piling up hundreds of guenons (long tailed monkeys) in small iron-cages or dark rooms with no window and no fresh air is outrageous. Would anyone like that?
Yet there is the common practice of putting away poor birds, often alone, in small cages with no way to move, not to mention to fly, with no any space and no trees. How mean! So, one should do the most humanely thing possible to avoid all those incidences.
After all, animals are of flesh and blood, and they have feeling like humans. They have fear, feel pain and joy. They have the same rights like us, people, to live a life of peace and freedom.
I just feel very sorry for people like Betty Chan, who think that wild animals are disgusting. I hope very much that it's a misunderstanding.
Who says such things or is treating people, nature, animal's in a mad way has no right to be a guest on the earth, which is a gift from God. Accordingly we should appreciate, take care and to protect such animals from greediness and people who wish to make profit from them without regard to their entity.
This is needed so that the coming generations would be able to enjoy the divine beauty of our world, with its valuable recourses, it's variety of flora and fauna which have an important purpose and mission in the biological circle.
So, how is it possible for human beings, who claim to be the supreme creation, i.e., intelligent, to be so insensitive, cruel, mean, selfish and egoistic towards other creatures.
I have a wish that all people of Yemen drive a little more carefully in order not to hurt innocent and helpless animals. Unfortunately, nobody cares what they are going through after being run over by cars, suffering a horrible death sometimes few days, with no medical support. Would you like that!
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