World Animal Day

World Animal Day 

So it is World Animal Day today. What is the point in glorifying the animals for one day when, for the rest of the 364 days we treat them inhumanly, cruelly. Something  strange -- humans treat animals inhumanly, but the animals don't behave 'inhumanly'. Here, one shouldn't point fingers at the attacks by the wild animals, there isn't any pre-planned motive behind the attacks; it is only instinct, sheer basic instinct - food and hunger. What can they do when their food, their habitat is taken over - without a provision of an alternative.

Mostly the animal day is celebrated as Pet day - as if apart from our own animals, no other animal exists or they do not matter, they are not worth the bother. But majority of the animal world lives out there - out of the boundaries of our abode.

Most of them we look down upon as 'strays' or 'wild'. But aren't they a 'life' like us and our pets? 

Is it his fault that he is a stray or wild? Was he given an option to select the circumstances or surroundings of his birth? How can we brand a life as an outcast? (But if a human can outcast another human, then what is a mere animal?)

And they are capable of returning love in immense measures. All that they need is a wee bit of attention, a speck of love. Ever tried making a soft, cooing sound while passing a stray on the road? His ears would immediately perk up, he would look alertly at you and if you say a word or two, he would follow you like a slave. Next time whenever you pass that path, he is sure to remember you and indicate that he has recognized you.

People may argue that they create a lot of nuisance, then we have to take measures to minimize the trouble, but without eliminating the lives.

Don't they have any right to live? All they need is a little food. But for that they have to search garbage bins. If some kind souls offer them a little bit of food, they get criticized for their kindness.

There are three or four families in our locality who regularly try to give something to the strays and one should see it to believe the way these strays react as soon as they spot any of these human friends.

Surprisingly, some among these strays are pedigree dogs, probably abandoned by their masters. Their plight is even more pitiable - always used to cozy life and pampering, they cannot even fend for themselves.

Many youngsters who come to this city seeking job opportunities, perhaps feel lonely and homesick and they take in pets as companions. A young girl staying in our housing complex on a live-and-license basis, had a cat at her home. While vacating the place after eleven months, she left the cat behind. May be she had her own reasons or difficulties, but now this poor pretty cat roams around, not knowing from where to get her meals. After leading a protected life, she is so innocent and trusting that she goes after whoever she sees, rubbing her back, pleading for attention and food. It never occurs to her that the opposite person could be a threat to her. Every once in a while she produces a brood of tiny, cute kittens, takes them along from place to place and gets shooed away by one and all. 

What is her fault?

So, I feel we can celebrate World Animal Day when each person on this earth realizes that - 

THIS PLANET BELONGS AS MUCH TO THE ANIMALS AS TO US HUMANS.

(Here are a few videos, I know that these are not exactly new or novel ones, but still I can't get enough of the love of the animals shown here.)

The first one is an adorable apology of a four legged on getting scolded for being a bad boy.

This video is courtesy a beautiful National Geographic article.