Question

Empathy towards animals not only makes us good at heart but also instills in us a quality much needed to be a good citizen

Answer 1

                                 Empathy Towards Animals

Edward Freeman has rightly said, “The awful wrongs and sufferings forced upon the innocent, helpless, faithful animal race form the blackest chapter in the whole world's history." God created all life forms with equal care and love. As man loves freedom, so do all forms of animals. Man uses animals for his pleasure, entertainment and convenience. This is man’s cruelty to animals! Have animals ever encroached into man’s world and hunted him? Has any animal ever encaged any man? If man were treated with the same cruelty, how would he feel? Certainly, he would feel the pain, hurt, suffering, and torture if being in the cage?

Animals are equally precious and should equally share God’s earth and should not be caged at all. They should be in the wilderness with their families. Animals should live in their natural habitat and be allowed to roam freely because animals’ natural instincts will vanish if they are caged in zoos. Also, some animals are forced to live in climates that they are not accustomed to and this is cruel. For example, the elephant is accustomed to live in tropical climates but is forced to live in zoos in cold countries like Canada.

Animals feel pain and pleasure, and have emotions. Those who have kept pets in their life know animals feel pain and pleasure. Have you ever seen a pet dog’s joy when he sees his master returning home after a day’s work? Have you ever seen a pet’s sadness when its master is separated from it for a long time? There are many real life incidents in all parts of the world that are touching examples of animals’ understanding and care towards human beings. Some famous books such as ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘The War Horse’, and certain movies such as ‘The Eight Below’, ‘War Horse’, ‘Jungle Book’, etc. endorse the argument that animals are not only emotional, they are intelligent also.

 We must treat them with respect. We must not subject them to pain, separation from their habitat or natural environment. We must stop exploiting and killing them for fun and food. Besides, it is not morally and ethically right to deprive someone of the right of living in their own home. Forests and their other habitats are the natural home of animals. We must let them live there. We must follow the precept of ‘Live and let live others’ conscientiously. Being the most intelligent animal, it is man’s responsibility to take care of the less endowed animals.