One day this summer, some shocking news came in. It was that
a zoo in the U.S. got into trouble with managing the zoo and it
might have to be closed. A person concerned said if there was
nobody who aided the zoo financially to keep it open, people
working in the zoo would have to kill all of the animals there.
Could we allow such a silly thing? Animals aren't the toys
of human beings. Recently, we have forgotten this and have tended
to treat them without thinking about them. Today, animals are
under such situations and are troubled by some enemies. What kind
of enemies give them trouble?
One of the animals' enemies is today's terrible enviromnent.
In Aomori prefecture, Japan, there is a pond which is called
Sunasawa Pond and is famous for more than 200 species of wild
birds that gather in winter. According to the Japan Times,
however, the environment around the pond has been getting worse
recently, and the number of fish in the pond is decreasing
rapidly. It badly affects the birds because they eat fish to live
on. The Japanese government especially treasures white storks,
the most famous bird of die pond. Hiroshi Kawaguchi made a group
for saving white storks in Sunasawa Pond in August. The group
released about 100 kilograms of carp fiy into the pond as food
for the white storks, and they also have a plan to release about
one ton of carp for other birds by this winter. For the animals,
people are making an effort and trying to find the way to save
them. This kind of action is very important and should be
continued by all people.
There are people who think deeply about animals and try to
save them from bad situations, like the people in Aomori
prefecture, but on the other hand, most of the people in the
world think that their profit should take priority over the
animals' lives. For instance, the animals in Europe are under
"ill treatment" (Japan Times 2 1). They are sent from
country to country as merchandise under hard conditions. "Animals
sent for slaughter could be transported without water, food or
rest" (Japan Times 21). In spite of that situation,
almost all countries don't regulate the transportation of animals
because improving animals' situation costs too much money. Only
Germany deals with this problem seriously and proposed an
eight-hour limit for journeys, and require feeding, watering and
more than two-hour rest.
Does this situation in Europe stand to reason? Don't you think
human beings are selfish? As people and animals live together on
this earth, we ought to care for each other. However, this is not
only a problem of foreign trade, but people kill animals for
their own profit. In Africa, gorillas and chimpanzees are killed
by hunters because people eat their meat. As a
result, "hunters kill 3,000 chimpanzees and 600 gorillas"
every year and now "there are only between I 00,000 and 200,000
chimpanzees and about 50,000 gorillas" (Japan Times 21).
The World Society for the Protection of Animals said
that if these levels of hunting are allowed to continue,
chimpanzees and gorillas must become extinct in the near future.
The day we never see chimpanzees or gorillas will inevitably come
if the circumstances do not change.
Another example of animals sacrificed is the trading of ivory
or horn. As the elephants population in South Africa was
increasing once, people there hunted the elephants and sold their
ivory or horns. Now, the elephants' population is estimated only
at 9,000. Without the trading of ivory, South African people
can't earn their livelihood well; but according to the Japan
Times, the government decided to ban the sales of elephants. It's
hard for people of South Africa; however, the elephants will be
saved by the decision of the government. The action of the
government was great; however, they have to think about people in
their country. This only goal isn't to save animals from bad
situations. It is also important to maintain the lives of the
people who had earned their living by selling elephants.
Coexistence of human beings and animals is real aim of the
world. In the first example, the terrible environment of the
world is introduced as an enemy of animals. Of course, it is one
of the reasons of animals' suffering today. But ..... imagine,
who made the world's environment worse and worse? It is human
beings. The real enemy of theirs is us. We have sacrificed
animals in the process of developing our lifestyles or culture.
It's true that environmental problems annoy animals, but the ones
who pollute the rivers and the oceans, discharge harmful gas, and
cut down forests are human beings. The protection of the animals
isn't all; however, we have to be careful not to be selfish and
arrogant. Animals also live in this world as we do. Human beings
should not only protect them, but think about the method of
coexisting with animals with keeping a moderate balance.
by Airi Kato
Works Cited
"Aomon group launches effort for endangered white storks."
Japan Times. Tokyo: The Japan Times, Ltd. 9 October,
1994.
"Animals in EU confront painful trek to slaughter." The
Japan Times. Tokyo: The Japan Times, Ltd. 25 October,
1994.
"Chimps, gorillas facing extinction from hunters." Japan
Times. Tokyo: The Japan Times, Ltd. 25 October, 1994.
"South African government wants ban on sales of elephant,
rhino parts lifted." The Japan Times. Tokyo: The Japan
Times, Ltd. 21 October, 1994.
