Man is a selfish being. We go into wars and mass slaughtering to fulfill our selfish desires. And the only way this could be achieved is through the green buck. Money is every man?s desire, human greed for it is eventually making this world disappear.
Every year, every month and every moment of the day land animals and their counterparts are being inhumanely killed or captured, often for consumption or trade. After an animal is plucked from the wild, it is used in breeding operations, sold locally, captive-bred or smuggled out of the country for ?exotic pet trade?. Over the last few years, demand for exotic pets has seen rampant growth in several corners of the world. Prices on animals? heads range from tens of thousands of dollars for a toucan to a few bucks for a green iguana. While transportation, animals often suffer as they change many hands and habitats. This often results in depression among them i.e. they are unable to behave as they would in the wild. For every animal who makes it to the market or auction house, countless others die along the way.
Animals are traded not only as pets but also for human entertainment or illegal sale. Tourists across the world pay thousands of dollars to get entertained by dolphin shows. Them being one of the smartest species are trained to respond to human actions and are captive-bred. While in captivity, they experience unfamiliar circumstances. Specie who travels 100 kilometers a day in the open ocean, suffer from lack of space and inability to interact with tank mates, thereby, sparking aggression and frustration in them. Ric O?Barry, a former trainer of the Dolphins in the famous Flipper Show rightly quotes, ?A dolphin?s smile is the greatest deception. It creates the illusion that they are always happy?. The signs of depression have been commonly seen in Dolphins held in prolonged captivity. They often hurt themselves by repeatedly smashing their heads against tank walls or by logging. Few dolphins have also often committed ?animal suicides? by stopping to breathe.
With fewer ways for animals to seek refuge from human greed, consumption is also resulting in unprecedented disappearances of several species. Our culinary habits threaten 301 land mammal species alone with extinction. Other than meat consumption, species such as Giant salamanders and pangolins are often poached for their use in traditional Chinese medicines. According to estimates, poachers have hunted more than 1 million Pangolins in the past decade. Pangolin scales are prescribed to cure Arthritis, Epilepsy and Menstrual Pain. However, these remedies have no scientific evidence. Rather, the scales of Pangolins are made of keratin, the same to that can be found in our fingernails. Similarly, since many years, Rhinos are being poached at epidemic levels, nearly driving all five species into extinction. Rhino horn is supposed to retrieve fevers and lower blood pressure, though any such effect is debunked by science.
The planet appears to be undergoing a sixth mass extinction as global fauna is drastically falling in numbers. Historically, extinctions have been caused due to certain major catastrophes. However, this time, humans are to blame. Before the world disappears in geological blink of an eye, its time for us to end our selfish greed and raise ourselves for humanity.?
Nayona Banerjee, Consultant, Deloitte??
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect Qrius Editorial Policy
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