Animal Poaching Essay

Ever since a young age, I have been a passionate animal enthusiast. I cannot image a life without a dog by my side. Animals are not just pets, or food, or part of the environment. They are intelligent creatures and deserve to be treated as such. Animals have evolved just as we have. The evolution theory even says humans evolved from primates. So why do animals not have rights? They have a brain and can learn and grow, just as we can. It can also be argued that animals have a soul. I believe animals not only have dignity, but they also have rights.

As a child, many people would often go to the zoo or to the circus and see animals in real life. In circuses, animals would often perform tricks and stunts, dazzling the audience. In the zoo, people would often see animals in their native habitat, or what looks like it. Children were mainly amazed with the animals and were always exited to go see the animals. As the years go by, they start to realize that some of the animals are suffering and are being mistreated, especially in circuses. They see that the animals in zoos are depressed and lonely and the animals in the circuses are chained up. What is worse is that animals in laboratories are often treated very poorly; more poorly than what Americans treat prisoners and refugees. There have been many debates on whether animals should be held in captivity. Some groups believe that animals should not be held in captivity because they have the same capacities as humans. They believe that animals can feel emotion and have a sense of morality. Animals in captivity are deprived of their natural habitat and their instincts. Animals raised in captivity tend to rely more on humans compared to animals raised in the wild. They also believe zookeepers and trainers are putting themselves at risk when taking care of the animals. There have been many incidents including the death of trainers by animals, one highlighted by the movie “Blackfish” by director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. There are others who believe that putting animals in captivity is beneficial for not only the animal, but for humans as well. Humans get more jobs if more animals are put into captivity because there is an increase in the amount of people needed. Another benefit of keeping animals in captivity is that it could help save a species who is endangered and close to going extinct. Another benefit is that it helps increase the amount of food available because some animals are raised for food. Putting animals in captivity wrong unless they are being used for the animal’s benefits.

The deeper I dig into animal abuse , the more I want to become a vegetarian. But it is not easy as it seems. The things that I have seen and read makes me sick to my stomach. To watch a hopeless cow, get whipped , is sickening. Watching baby Chicklets die in a big machine , brings tears to my eyes. Millions of animals every day die cruel deaths , and I no longer want to be an accomplice to the crimes. While it may be hard to retrain myself , I should and intend to just stop eating meat.

A place without life is hardly even a place at all. The waves would flow over the oceans rocks, the sun would shine on the green leaves without prevail. The world builds with pollution, plants expand, and food virtually ends. In an environment, lacking the fundamentals of life, the existence of humans would experience complications of survival and health. The living cells of species provide a world of opportunity, health, and life. Over the last one hundred years, the population of endangered species has drastically risen. With the inadequate decisions regarding living species, the rate of endangered and threatened species will continue to increase. Through many different developments, species can be considered endangered or threatened and this condition can result from a multitude of factors and direct effects to the species. Groups, services, and organizations work together to protect these species through conservation practices and government assistance.

Endangered species can change a habitat due to their role in the environment. The EPA helps protect these endangered species with the help of National and State Parks in the United States. Each endangered species has different factors of why it is becoming endangered. Endangered species are sometimes caused by their loss of habitat. Reasons for the endangerment of a species can vary greatly from their loss of habitat to high genetic vulnerability to invasive species. Rapid climate change contributes to the endangerment of many arctic wildlife. The Endangered Species Act and the Endangered Protection Agency protects endangered and threatened species.

Imagine hearing the screams of hundreds of cows as the butcher slices their throat, the squeal of newborn male chicks as they are grinded up alive, and the tears that would fall out of male pigs’ eye as they are neutered without any anesthesia. There is no humane way to slaughter animals. It’s not right to take another precious creature's life for our own selfish reasons. How can we, as humans, be so insensitive and turn a blind eye on animals being mutilated for us to ingest? There are several benefits to becoming a vegetarian because not only will you live longer, but you will also save the lives of millions of animals.

What would our world be like if animals were not walking the streets, begging for food, attacking people and other pets, starving to death, and even causing jail time for humans? The amount of animals we have on our planet is massive. Since 2011, the number of dogs and cats entering shelters annually has declined from approximately 7.2 million. It is about a twenty to one ratio of pets to humans, and that’s not including the wild animals we have illegally being kept here in people’s backyards. From the number of animals on the streets and in shelters, hoarding cases and abuse, animal cruelty, laws on animals, dog fights, neglect, to people doing jail time due to their pets, there’s an abundant amount of issues our country has with the furry creatures and nothing being done about it. This issue is a hot topic in our own town hall meetings and neighborhood meetings with citizens. Placing a pet limit on every household in the United States should be a must in today’s society, due to people not being able to juggle their pets, home life, work life, money issues, and family life.

Almost all living things have a cycle or a system which they are part of. Most species depend upon each other. “The U.S. for service like parts of the human body, to make functioning hole.” That basically means like a human body to work together with all of its organs humans need animals to work together that way we can all survive. Should we prevent excessive hunting and poaching to help our environment and the fate of the human existence. I think the answer is yes! Saving most of these endangered species have become crucial.

Can you imagine being forcefully impregnated and once you give birth have your children ripped from you hours after birth? Can you imagine being stuck in a dark cage without enough room to turn your body around for your whole life? Can you imagine being forcefully fed so much that you can’t support your huge weight on your own two legs? For billions of animals this is a reality which they will have to endure their whole lives because they are living in a factory farms. In the US, one of the biggest animal products producers in the world, around 99% of all farm animals are captive to this cruel and inhumane industry. That means that only 1% of animals are like those happy cows grazing in the field like you see in milk adverts. Cruelty isn’t even the only bad thing about them factory farms are one of the biggest producers of pollutants in the world. They are one of the biggest problems of the 21st century but everyone is happy to turn a blind eye as long they don’t judged for stuffing their face with meat and washing it down with milk not meant for human consumption.

Despite this grim outlook, there are many ways in which species are currently being or can be helped. Because so many areas, nearly 99.4% of (or 2450) counties in the United States alone, house at least one species on the endangered species list, there are a lot of actions that can be taken to help protect and prevent the organisms living even as close as the backyard. (United) Simple action, such as decorating windows, could help to protect bird, who cannot see glass. While a seemingly small step, this would help to protect the 11% percent of known bird species that currently hold a position on the endangered species list. (Pellerin) Another way to help would be shutting the faucet off when you brush your teeth and taking shorter showers. Reducing water usage reduces the need for damming and water diversion for commercial usage, which are responsible for the loss of nearly 40 mussel and snail species. (Campbell) On a small scale, these actions have a great impact on those more local species. On the greater scale, however, and especially in terms of the animals everyone discusses, such as big cats, rhinos, and elephants, these small steps seem obsolete in the race to save biodiversity. Its pertinent to remember that “all forms of life, large and small, help maintain the land, water, and air on which our lives depend.” (Mann) In other words, all actions make a big difference when it comes to saving the ecosystems that support human life.

32.2% of animals are abandoned, 12.4% hoarded, 11.4% shot, 8.7% used for fighting, 7.0% beaten, 5.6% tortured, 2.5% thrown, 2.5% stabbed, 2.1% burned, and the rest are kicked, choked, hung, drowned, and burned(Statistics). Animals like orcas, tigers, dolphins, leopards, elephants, blue whales, sea turtles, sea lions, monkeys, pandas, tortoises, hippopotamuses, polars bears, rhinos, great white sharks, beluga whales, jaguars, bison, narwhals, brown bears, gorillas, and penguins are going extinct(Species List). The list of animals going extinct gets bigger and bigger every year. The extinction of animals is increasing because of animal experimentation, animal captivity, and in-home abuse.

Children, and some adults enjoy going to an Animal Park, or zoo and seeing animals that they do not encounter in day-to-day life. For many it can be a learning experience to witness animals from other areas of the world. What many do not think of is the animal’s well being living in captivity. The documentary “Blackfish” gives an inside look at the animals of SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, in particular the Orca whales. The animal’s well-being is not thought of in many instances, it is more about the amusement of the guests who visit. Not to say that animal parks are bad, many are conservation areas to help keep the population of animals where they should be. May animal parks also have breeding programs where they release healthy, young animal species back into the wild to raise endangered species populations.

“More than 50 million animals and over 1 billion rabbits are violently killed for use in fashion every year” (BornFreeUSA). Think about what that really means. Only about 85 million people in the US own pets per family, and that doesn’t even compare to how many animals are bred and trapped for the fashion industry. Any type of material seems fair game to designers these days. The use of animal fur and skins as a fashion statement is morally wrong according to most animal activist organizations. However, many corporations with interests in animal fur argue that animals do not have the same consciousness people do. Also, the production of faux fur has actually given rise to higher prices of real fur and pelts. The animals have no say in the matter, which is cruel and unusual in itself. Many corporations have made an argument that the alternative is worse and the profits made from the use of animals in fashion is worth the inhumanity for the economy, whereas myself and animal rights activists believe animals do not deserve to suffer like this and the pain is not worth it. These factors show the importance of the creation of a law that protects animal rights and a way to compensate people who work in the fur industry, to discourage continued harm.

When people hear the word “extinct,” many will immediately think of the Mesozoic Era – dinosaurs. Since dinosaurs seem to be classified with extinction, many people believe that they are one of the only animals that have ever become extinct. Sadly, this is not the case. As years pass, countless animals have become extinct, and many more are finding themselves critically endangered. The number of critically endangered animals will continue to rise, especially if people don’t give this serious cause a second thought. All animals should be protected from endangerment and extinction, because of each animal’s value to every ecosystem, the frequent disturbances of their habitats made by humans, and the significance of the Endangered Species Act.

Bridget Dillon is the youth campaigns coordinator for peta2, the youth division of PETA. In this position, she is mostly responsible for creating compelling, fun, relatable, inspiring content that will get teens excited to take action for animals and join the fight for animal liberation! Another big part of her job in peta2 is being a resource for young people looking to wage and win campaigns—from getting their school to offer veggie burgers or their parents to adopt from shelters and never buy animals.