Let us treat all animals with tender loving care

Let us treat all animals with tender loving care

By Virunga Community Programs

October 4 every year is a day dedicated to animals. The World Animal Day is an international day of action for the rights and welfare of animals and is celebrated on the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

The Virunga Community Programs would like to take this opportunity to salute those who care about various animals, particularly those animals people normally think are of no value to them. There are also animal orphanages around the world, like Nairobi Animal Orphanage that also deserve our salute.

All animals are equal even though to human beings, some animals are regarded as more equal than others. For instance, in the wider virunga massif, so much attention is given to the iconic mountain gorillas simply because these animals are regarded as cash cows, so to speak, because of their status as tourists’ attractions. Therefore, so much care is given to them, they are treated royally when they are sick, their movements are monitored by the second, and they are given protections like POTUS. This goes for other wildlife species like the Big 5 that are also equally given tender loving care because they attract the coveted tourist dollar.

However, even the smallest of animals need our protection, and this is what World Animal Day is all about. All animals are living beings that feel joy, pain, fear, hunger, thirst and everything imaginable. God, in His wisdom, created man and gave them dominion over animals. It implies that we should be their protectors who cherish them, care for them, respect them and show them compassion. We should feel their pain when they are in trouble and share their joy when they are happy.

But disturbingly, are we honestly doing all these? Just recently, it was reported that bushmeat hunting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is still rampant, despite abundance of alternative food that man has at his disposal.

Poaching is still a major threat to the lives of wild animals in the Virunga massif, and this has not only led to the death of animals but also their protectors like rangers. The Virunga National Park was closed to tourism activities this year because of the insecurity situation that targeted both wildlife and humans.

In other parts of the world, animals are treated inhumanely. They are not given enough food though they work like donkeys (pun intended). Those for food are inhumanely slaughtered. Even animals deserve some dignity!

Yes, some animals do tough work for man but less care is given to them. They will only be treated when they are seriously ill. You probably have seen how animals like pigs are transported when headed for slaughter. Are we compassionate enough to these animals?

We all should unite to make this world a better place for animals. Virunga Community Programs proposes that we should establish animal orphanages everywhere, not just in big cities so that animals can be taken care of and rehabilitated. For instance, there are many cats and dogs that roam the streets without anyone to take care of them. But if only we can show a little love and tenderness to them and adopt them! This can go a long way in showing our human compassion.

The World Animal Day is celebrated in different ways in every country, regardless of faith, political ideology, nationality or religion. Through increased awareness and education, human beings are able to create a world where animals are regarded as sentient beings and always full regard is paid to their welfare.