Slowly, progress is being made on animal rights

Rym Ghazal notes recent moves to send circus elephants and lions to wildlife parks

Asian elephants perform for the final time in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Bill Sikes / AP

At a time when newspapers are filled with tragic tales from around the world, there is, occasionally, some good news. After spending their entire lives in cruel conditions, 33 lions arrived in South Africa after being rescued from South American circuses, in what is being hailed as “the largest airlift of lions” in history.

“These lions have suffered tremendously,” said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International. “It is a wonderful feeling to bring them back to their home.”

When they are not targets for hunters, animals are sought after for entertainment and profit by circuses or individuals who want exotic pets as a status symbol. Thankfully, attitudes towards animal welfare are changing worldwide, including the UAE. A law that would regulate the possession of wild animals is being discussed by the FNC.

Another group of animals who have also found a new lease of life are the elephants who formerly worked at Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. They have taken their last bow, ending a 145-year spectacle.

The last 11 elephants from this circus are leaving behind their feather costumes and tiaras to live at the Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida.

I have been to several sanctuaries, and it is wonderful to see the variety of animals that are getting a second chance to live freely and with dignity.

Most of us love animals and proof of it is that zoos, aquariums and many other places like them remain popular. So we all have to do our bit in keeping nature’s creatures safe and happy.

There are continuing debates for animal rights in all fields, countries and cultures, from the whales, dolphins and seals used for entertainment or even the military, where dolphins are used to locate underwater mines.

Often, the “cuter” animals and more exotic ones get the most attention.

But as the latest images from Lebanon show, it’s the more regular animals we take for granted, like cows, sheep, goats and even chickens that end up horrifically abused.

An image doing the rounds on social media is of a street lined with mutilated sheep and goats in Beirut’s Tareeq Jdeede district.

They were slaughtered as a gesture of “honour” by supporters of former prime minister Saad Hariri, who is currently campaigning in municipal elections.

Some will argue it is tradition to sacrifice an animal in honour of a guest, but regardless, there have to be regulations and there are actually strict rules stipulated by religion such as not slaughtering one animal in front of another to reduce its stress.

There is enough meat to buy from the store, so sthere is no need for senseless slaughter. A lot gets thrown away as it is.

I will never forget how bags upon bags filled with bread, meat, chicken and vegetables were thrown into the rubbish bin at the end of a day at a grocery store I used to shop at. What looked like a whole cow was being carried off to the bin.

“It won’t be fresh tomorrow,” said the owner. The amount of food being thrown away could have fed a few poor families, if not a village.

The debate about dietary choices and lifestyle is a continuous one and people from different sides have a hard time agreeing. A vegetarian will argue for something and the meat eater will argue for another point, and so on. All views should be respected.

We still have a long way to go in terms of managing animal rights, be it exotic or domestic, and thankfully, there are some milestones being reached. If everyone did their bit, there will be more progress, less abuse and hopefully less senseless waste.

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