Having seen some pretty horrific scenes yesterday about the way people can sometimes treat animals it started a train of thought that made me think and reflect.
When I was a little girl I loved elephants....I collected pictures of them and even pink ones got my vote. When I was taken to the zoo it always included a ride on an elephant. I don't remember ever feeling sorry for the elephant...it was just a treat, to be moving steadily forward and be able to see everything from on high!
This week we have seen elephants being cruelly treated , made to work in bad conditions and worse slaughtered for their tusks and left to die. I got angry and then reflected that I had contributed to some of these unkindnesses.
Long before the ban on Ivory was introduced my husband gave me an ivory bangle during a holiday in Portugal. I loved it, never questioned where it had come from. The street seller held about twenty on each arm. Only in retrospect have I realised that an elephant must have suffered in order that I should have an ivory bangle!
New ivory now is banned but the cruelty continues....
I still have my bangle. I look at it with sadness...but it's a reminder and makes me feel ashamed...
On my travels I still see street vendors selling apparently harmless artefacts...it's worth keeping in mind that some of them may be the cause of suffering in either people or animals.
As the so called intelligent, dominant species on this planet we all have a part to play. Most of us have no real clout apart from supporting various good causes and signing petitions on the internet but awareness of the greed and resultant cruelty might mean fewer animals suffer on our behalf and I'm not even thinking about laboratory testing...
We have all got some say in what is done around the world by what we chose to buy. I think that would have a greater impact than just signing petitions.
Posted with Blogsy
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