Quote Response

Quote: "Whenever I see a photograph of some sportsman grinning over his kill, I am always impressed by the striking moral and aesthetic superiority of the dead animal to the live one."

By: Edward Abbey, A Voice Crying in the Wilderness

Edward Abbey was a noteworthy American environmentalist, author, and activist. I truly admire these words of his, as they accurately embody my views on the contentious issue of hunting for sport. Although I am totally against the murder of animals for recreational activities, I consent with the hunting of animals for food. Thousands of years ago, humans were predatory animals whose very existence depended upon the hunting of animals. This rings true in almost every civilization in history, such as the Native Americans and Canadians, the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Inca, and indigenous African peoples. However, the people of these civilizations had to hunt. It was their only method of survival. Once they had killed enough to satiate their hunger, never more than what was needed, they would give thanks to Mother Earth and to the animals for supplying them with a meal. By giving thanks and abiding by the laws of nature, humans lived in harmony with the earth and maintained equilibrium with their environment. The laws of nature that humans once abided by apply to the animal kingdom as well. When a tiger has gorged itself on the flesh of a deer and an animal of prey happens to cross paths with the big cat, the tiger will not even bat an eye. This is because it is satisfied and does not need more. It is aware that if it were to kill its prey for no reason, the balance in nature would be upset. It seems as if we have forgotten these laws as we have become more inclined towards technology and material goods. We are creating an artificial reality, one where Mother Earth and her laws do not exist, which is severely damaging our earth beyond repair.

Another thing I admire about Abbey’s words is how he describes the dead animal as superior, both morally and aesthetically. The way in which he has worded the quote makes it sound as if the dead animal has won the battle. What the battle is, I am not quite sure of. Perhaps Abbey is speaking of the battle to be virtuous, as the sport hunter does not embody this trait at all. He is willing to bring death to innocent animals, and yet when the mere possibility of his own death is apparent, he cowers in fear. By causing the unnecessary death of an innocent being, the hunter is no longer pure. His karma is malevolent. On the contrary, the murdered animal is innocent and its karma is pure.

Abbey says that the dead animal is more “aesthetic” than the hunter. I thought this was a rather humorous way of describing the dead animal. Although it is a strange word to describe a dead body, I find it to be surprisingly true. Human beings are a disgusting species. We have close-set eyes, protruding noses, long and lanky limbs, and our appearances are overall rather unnatural. On the other hand, animals are beautiful. They are elegant and graceful; Mother Nature’s works of art that have been perfected over millennia. They are the embodiment of nature. Perhaps if we had lived accordingly to Mother Earth’s laws of nature, we would have been rewarded with the same natural grace as animals. 

Word count: 540

A Tighter Leash on Exotic Pets

Article: A Tighter Leash on Exotic Pets
By: Sarah Maslin Nir for the January 10, 2012 edition of the New York Times

The events of October 2011 in Zanesville, Ohio were rather bizarre. Terry Thompson, a collector of exotic creatures, set 56 wild animals loose in Zanesville prior to his suicide. Mr. Thompson's actions prompted officials to murder 49 of the animals, which include endangered Bengal tigers, lions and lionesses, a baboon, mountain lions, grizzly and black bears, and wolves. Following these unfortunate events, the New York Times delved deeper into the business of exotic animals. The opening of the article is focused on the Lolli Brothers Livestock Market, which is a purveyor of exotic animals. A few of the animals available for auction are zebus, which are cows the size of Labrador retrievers, ostriches, lion cubs, llamas, baby African porcupines, baby sloths, zebra foal, and kangaroo joeys. The Brothers’ customers purchase the animals for zoos, private petting and animal parks, or as their own personal pets. Recently, however, many of these customers’ and the government’s views on the matter are clashing. The U.S. government has been steadily increasing the restrictions and regulations, as well as the insurance, on owning exotic animals. The number of permits required to keep these animals has also been on the rise. Charly Seale, head of the Exotic Wildlife Association, which represents breeders of exotic hoofed animals, has said, “If the rules and the regulations become so cumbersome the breeder is not going to do it. It can kill people’s livelihoods.” The addition of new restrictions is the government’s response to the multiple outbreaks of attacks from exotics animals kept as pets.

It really shouldn’t be legal to keep exotic animals as pets. If you really admire wild animals, and would love to have contact with them, then do the right thing and observe them in their natural habitats. Seeing them in their original environments allows you to have a glimpse of their true nature and see their beauty for what it really is. Keeping them cooped up in pens and artificial preserves does not do them justice, nor does it respect them. Someone who loves animals would not purchase an animal for the sole purpose of keeping it on display to appreciate it every once in a while as one does with a piece of art. Animals are living, breathing entities that deserve to live in peace in their own environments. Not only is it perverse, disgusting, and irrational to keep a wild animal as a pet, it is also incredibly dangerous for the citizens of the community in which it lives. A woman in Stamford, Connecticut was mauled by her friend’s pet chimpanzee in 2009 and, as a result, had to endure a grueling procedure that reconstructed her entire facial structure and all of her features. A member of the committee responsible for drafting Ohio’s new laws on the subject matter and director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Jack Hanna says, “…the potential hazards exotic animals posed outweighed other factors. ‘I’ve seen a grizzly bear take apart a concrete container or steel like it’s a marshmallow.’” He also gave an account about how a lion tore off a toddler’s arm in 1973 and how he witnessed, “…A grizzly bear take apart a concrete container or steel like it’s a marshmallow.” These gruesome stories are valid proof that it is not only ethically incorrect, but also extremely hazardous to keep wild animals in captivity. I’m hopeful that sometime in the future, the government’s restrictions on keeping wild animals will be so severely strict, that it will be nearly impossible for anyone to harbor exotic animals. Only when these regulations are in place will we be able to learn that animals should be respected and observed in their indigenous habitats. 

Word count: 614

If Peas Can Talk, Should We Eat Them?

Article: If Peas Can Talk, Should We Eat Them?            
By: Michael Marder on the 28th of April, 2012 on "The Stone" forum of the New York Times 

In a recent article published by Michael Marder, author of “Plant-Thinking: A Philosophy of Vegetal Life” and professor of philosophy at the Univeristy of Basque Country, a relatively new question on the consumption of plants is discussed. Marder discusses a recent study conducted by the Blaustein Institute for Desert Research at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, which found that pea plants were capable of relaying biochemical messages to neighboring plants about stressful circumstances such as droughts. Curiously, plants that received these messages were able to better defend themselves and respond to the stressful situations that were experienced by the previous pea plants, therefore increasing their likelihood of survival. Marder continues to discuss whether or not it would be considered morally correct to consume “a being capable of processing, remembering and sharing information — a being with potentialities proper to it and inhabiting a world of its own.” He ponders our reactions to the slaughter of animals for food in comparison to the harvest of plants, and whether or not this curious insight into the realm of flora should alter our indifference towards the organisms.

In conclusion of his article, Marder recounts the story of “The Princess and the Pea.” He makes a valid point that we should not stress over the morality of consuming an organism capable of communication, or lose sleep over such a miniscule organism like the princess in the tale. Instead, the article brings about the issue of morality. Is it truly O.K. for us to kill and devour an organism capable of communication, memory, and processing information, simply because it does not have a central nervous system and is therefore void of feeling pain? The reason as to why society reacts to the suffering of fauna with empathy and compassion, and reacts with apathy towards flora is because animals are just like us. They have brains, hearts, lungs, and blood just like us, whereas plants have stems, leaves, and roots. As animals ourselves, we can relate to animals’ pain and anguish, and can comprehend their suffering. On the other hand, the world of plants is alien to us. It is an entirely different realm, one that is difficult to comprehend. We cannot know what plants feel and so it is impossible for us to feel empathy for them. 

Word count: 380

Article: Tiger Farms in China Feed Thirst for Parts            By: Andre Jacobs for NY Times on February 12, 2010

            Both the Chinese and global market for exotic, medicinal goods have found new purveyors for tiger parts. The suppliers are the 20 tiger farms where tiger products are exported to consumers. Xiongsen Tiger and Bear Mountain Village in Guilin, China is one of the many farms where not only tigers, but bears and monkeys as well, are confined to concrete cages. These exotic creatures are not free to roam their indigenous habitats, nor are they allowed to satiate their wild, predatory instincts. Instead, they madly pace back and forth in their cages, deprived of nutritious and wholesome food, and left to succumb to untreated illnesses. The tigers are farmed for their skins, bones, flesh, and genitals, as they are believed to have medicinal properties. The 300 Asiatic brown bears located on the facilities of Xiongsen are farmed for their bile, which is said to improve eyesight and is “tapped” via plastic tubes that are implanted permanently in their stomachs. Capuchin monkeys share the same doom as the tigers, “as fodder for medicinal elixirs.” However, the monkeys are also sold to drug and pharmaceutical companies where they await unimaginable torture.

Xiongsen’s gift shop boasts a number of tiger products, such as tiger bone wine, which can fetch a hefty price of $132 and, up until recently, their restaurant sold tiger steaks under the title of “big king meat.” Xiongsen’s wines are so popular, it is said that high-ranking government officials often purchase and consume the product in large amounts.

Although China has agreed to aid in global efforts to rescue tigers from the brink of extinction, its support of tiger farms has spurred criticism from people across the globe. The country’s advocacy for the cultivation of tigers in farms will not solve the issue of poaching, since wild tiger parts are considered much more valuable in comparison to those of tigers in captivity. Debbie Banks, the woman in charge of operating the Environmental Investigation Agency, has said, “The [Chinese] government is stimulating and perpetuating demand [for tiger products], which is the real problem we’re facing.”

            The fact that human beings are capable of such grotesque acts of torture amazes me. The cultivation of domesticated animals, such as cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens, is wholly comprehensible, but to go so far as to farm an exotic, majestic, predatory animal for its bones is disgusting. These creatures are made for the wilderness. They are powerful and lithe predators who are native to the forests of Asia, not to the concrete pens of a “farm.” These farms serve absolutely no purpose, but to provide for the never-ending wants of a morally corrupt society. The cultivation of tigers will not put an end to poaching, nor will it save the tiger. If people claim that tigers have a chance, a future, on this planet even though their wild counterparts are extinct, I will argue that a future of confinement in harsh conditions is no future at all.

Tigers serve a purpose in this world: to maintain equilibrium in the balance of their ecosystems. By hunting and consuming their prey, tigers balance out the population of their prey. However, human beings have been hunting down tigers’ only source of nourishment and ultimately destroying the balance that Mother Nature had so lovingly and meticulously tried to maintain. In order to save these beautiful animals we must treat them and their prey with the respect that they deserve instead of condemning them to a life of anguish and torment. They are powerful animals and although they do not possess the intelligence of man, they are beings that are to be feared and respected by us. It is against the laws of nature and life to subject animals to such degradation and obloquy. If we, as a race, do not learn to respect nature, then our world is truly damned.

Not only do I feel sympathy for the tigers, but the monkeys and bears as well. I cannot bear to imagine the anguish and suffering of the poor Asiatic bears. I cannot imagine having a tube implanted in my stomach, and then having my bile sucked through that tube regularly. I cannot believe that monkeys are forced to spend their days in an artificial, unforgiving environment and made to wait for their turn to either be killed for their bones or tortured with chemicals. How is it that humans are capable of such horrors?

Word Count: 754

2nd Post: Group blasts PETA 'Holocaust' project

Article: Group blasts PETA 'Holocaust' project             By: CNN in February 28, 2003

In 2003 the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) opened an exhibition featuring gruesome images of slaughterhouses alongside the horrific scenes of the Holocaust. The exhibition, displayed at the University of California at Los Angeles and in San Diego, California, was titled, "Holocaust On Your Plate." Lisa Lange, the organization's vice president of communications, stated that the purpose of this controversial campaign was to "attack the mindset that condones the slaughter of animals." Having touched upon a sensitive topic, the campaign has evoked angered protests from many. The associations between slaughterhouses and Nazi concentration camps has provoked Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League national director and Holocaust survivor, to make a livid statement. “"The effort by PETA to compare the deliberate, systematic murder of millions of Jews to the issue of animal rights is abhorrent," Foxman said. "PETA's effort to seek approval for their 'Holocaust on Your Plate' campaign is outrageous, offensive and takes chutzpah to new heights." On the show “American Morning with Paula Zahn” on CNN, Lange stated that the inspiration for the “Holocaust On Your Plate” campaign was derived from “Enemies: A Love Story” by Isaac Bashevis Singer, vegetarian, writer, and Nobel Prize laureate. Singer wrote that, “In relation to them [animals], all people are Nazis; for them it is an eternal Treblinka.” Additionally, PETA representative Mark Prescott, whose own family members were murdered in the Holocaust, included that "The very same mind-set that made the Holocaust possible - that we can do anything we want to those we decide are 'different or inferior' - is what allows us to commit atrocities against animals every single day.”

            PETA has always had the best intentions at heart. Although at times their action, campaigns, and protests are often politically incorrect and extremely radical, they have always forced us to take a view on controversial issues and concerns, and to formulate our own opinions on the matter at hand. The link that PETA has drawn between the Holocaust and the slaughter that millions of animals are subjected to each day has caused anger in many Jewish communities and although I agree that it was insensitive towards the plight of the Jews, I believe that the campaign was truly effective in conveying a very important message. To me, it seems as if PETA was not attempting to reiterate the fact that the Jews were treated as “animals”, although that is what humans are, but rather, they were drawing attention to the lack of compassion shown towards the beings portrayed in the exhibition. The installments that portrayed both individuals and animals displayed the complete lack of compassion and empathy shown towards other living beings. I don’t speak for others when I say that PETA’s campaign planted a thought in my mind: If we, as knowledgeable, intelligent, beings who are capable of subjecting others to such cruelty, then surely we must be capable of even greater compassion. Only when we are able to cast aside our own greed, glutton, and hatred, will the world truly be free from suffering. 


Word Count: 520

NEW TOPIC: Animal Rights

Article: PETA's killer whale 'enslavement' lawsuit goes to court

Written by: the CNN Wire Staff

The notorious organization that has assumed the responsibility for the protection of animal rights, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and their lawyers are headed to face the animal theme park SeaWorld in federal court. PETA is filing a lawsuit against the theme park giant stating that the park is holding five killer whales in slavery, or involuntary servitude, in violation of the United States' Thirteenth Amendment. PETA says that the 13th Amendment is not only applicable to humans, but animals as well. Their lawsuit states, "Plaintiffs were forcibly taken from their families and natural habitats, are held captive at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando, denied everything that is natural to them, subjected to artificial insemination or sperm collection to breed performers for defendants' shows, and forced to perform, all for defendants' profit."
In defense SeaWorld has said that the lawsuit is "a baseless publicity stunt by PETA."

The five killer whales that have been placed under solitary confinement in SeaWorld deserve to thrive and flourish in the open, free waters of the ocean. They do not deserve to rot their lives away in stagnant water and be put on display for people to gawk at. If people truly want to enjoy and marvel in their beauty, and appreciate nature's design, they should observe them in their original habitats. However, they are often uneducated and unaware of the effects of captivity on such large, predatory animals.  

Although their hearts are in the right place, I don't believe that PETA's radical lawsuit will accomplish much of anything. I agree that these five killer whales are slaves to the SeaWorld Corporation and should not be confined to tanks like pet fish, but filing a lawsuit against their captors will not improve their lives in anyway, nor will it win back their freedom. It may shed light on and bring awareness to the plight of these animals, but a large, multi-million dollar industry such as SeaWorld will not take PETA's actions seriously. There might be a fuss about it now, but in the long run it will not make a difference. 

Instead, PETA should be making the general public aware of the suffering of the whales. The ignorance that this issue is faced with is unintentional, and it is PETA's responsibility to educate SeaWorld's audience about what is happening behind the theme park's closed doors. 

Even though I have my reservations about PETA's lawsuit against SeaWorld, there is still an inkling of optimism in me that hopes that it might work. 

Word count: 420

Quote blog

Ecclesiastes 3:21
Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?

Many members of Christendom, and other religions, believe that animals do not have souls and are, therefore, unable to experience emotions. How can this be? How is it so impossible for someone to believe that another living, breathing, feeling being does not have the mental capacity to experience life as we do? In Buddhism we believe that it is morally incorrect to mistreat any living being, which is a belief that I have carried with me throughout my life, and so I find it rather difficult to accept the inferior rankings of animals on the ladder of life. Fauna have been place on the lowest rung, just above flora, merely due to their inability to express themselves and prove to us that they feel.  

If anyone has ever had a pet dog, cat, fish, hamster, etc., they would understand exactly what it is I am ranting on and on about. If you have ever lovingly cradled your pet in your arms, and have seen their eyes filled to the brim with gratitude and love, or scolded them for doing something bad and seen how hurt they were afterwards, you would agree that animals have souls. 

One of the most vivid memories of mine, which has influenced my beliefs on the matter, was when I was around 12 years old. I was at my cousins' home in New York and we were watching videos on YouTube, and suddenly we came across a clip of raccoons and dogs being beaten and skinned alive in China. My cousins and I love animals, and so, being foolish children, we dared each other to watch the video. When the video began, the animals were dragged out of cramped, wire cages and then beaten with metal poles. Then, their legs, fiercely fighting to free themselves from the fists that controlled their fate, hanged them. Once tied up, their bellies were sliced open with a single, swift flick of a knife. I couldn't close my eyes, nor could I look away. My cousins had already left the room. After that, the skin from their tiny legs was cut away and peeled from their broken bodies. I felt as if all of my innards were bubbling up my throat, begging to find a way out, but I persevered. Once their pelts were stolen from them, they were thrown into a mass of pink flesh, where their shivering bodies slowly succumbed to the pain. The last frame from the video was a close up of one of the animals. Its body was pink, slimy, and raw, and the only hair left on its body was the eyelashes that framed its large brown eyes. Although I was viewing the image from a computer screen, the misery in its eyes was clearly visible to me. 

After seeing that video, and having those images engrained in my memory, it angers me to know that certain individuals don't believe that animals have souls. I completely disagree with their beliefs and views on the matter, and always will. I will always hate human beings for inflicting such pain on innocent animals, and I will always hate humans for believing that they cannot feel.

Word count: 529

Article: India: Train Crushes Elephants Trying to Protect Young              New York Times

In an article written by Agence France-Presse featured in the New York Times, a herd of wild asian elephants were run over by  a speeding cargo train in India. The causes of the incident were the elephants' attempt to save two of their calves, who had become trapped in the tracks of the oncoming locomotive, and the . A large portion of the herd was killed, including the young elephants. It is said that the remainder of the herd was still lingering on the scene the following day, keeping the dead and wounded company.

The area in which this tragedy occurred, a heavily forested region of northern West Bengal State, is known to be an elephant corridor (a narrow stretch of land that allows elephants to travel from one habitat to another). According to the article, there have been 20 elephant deaths in the region within little over a year. 

While reading this article, it occurred to me how prominent the conflict between humans and elephants is. Throughout history humans have stolen land from one another and encroached upon the territories of others. However, we have not limited our greed and insatiable appetite for more to just our own species. We have stolen the habitats and homes of various flora and fauna as well. I find it staggering that such a physically weak specimen of nature can inflict so much destruction upon the homes of millions of creatures with whom we share our planet. Although there are many individuals and organizations working towards the common goal of equilibrium between nature and what we call civilization, the fruits of their labor are very rarely acknowledged by the public. The vast majority of people simply do not care about the conflicts faced by rural communities and nature. There is very rarely any news in the media regarding the overlapping habitats of humans and wild animals, and the ongoing war over territory. It was a dream of mine as a little girl that someday animals and humans would live in peace, however I don't see that dream coming true in the near future. 

Word count: 307

In 5 Weeks, 200 Elephants Slaughtered

Article: Cameroon: 200 Elephants Killed in Park               New York Times
           

            According to a recent article in the New York Times, over 200 elephants were maimed and slaughtered by poachers in the Bouba Ndjida National Park, which is located in Cameroon. This was a record attack on African elephants, which are considered an endangered species, causing many to worry about the protection of these animals. The International Fund for Animal Welfare has prompted the government to take action in order to ensure the safety of these creatures. The poachers are suspected to have been from Sudan, supplying Asian and European customers with elephant ivory. What troubles me the most about this appalling incident is the safeguard and protection of the orphaned calves. What will become of them? Without the proper guidance and support of a herd, these juvenile elephants will either die or mature into rowdy, uncontrollable pests. This will only bring about an increase in elephant attacks on villages and farms and the destruction of their precious crops, which in turn will instigate more violence against elephants. Are the poachers blissfully unaware of the damage that they are causing, both now and to the future? Or are they aware and simply choose to ignore the fact that they are slowly trashing the existence of these animals. How can people so cruel as to mutilate another living being? I wonder if these people are immune to the elephants’ shrieks of agony as their tusks are cut out of their skulls, or to the cries of a baby as it witnesses its mother being hacked to pieces and butchered for her anatomy. I understand that the majority of these people are uneducated and must find a means to support their families. I understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, but how desperate would someone have to be to resort to mass murder? The greed and madness of this world will eventually consume itself, and I will be glad when that day arrives, because there will finally be an end to the madness and suffering inflicted by the human race. 


Word count: 338

Elephant Nature Park

           This past winter vacation I travelled to Thailand, one of my favorite places in the world to visit, with my mother. The sole purpose of our trip was for volunteer work at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, which was run by a small woman by the name of Sangduen Chailert, or Lek. Despite her looks, Lek is incredibly strong-willed and inspiring and has dedicated her entire life to the much-needed salvation of Thailand’s elephants. After the government imposed a ban on logging in 1989, over 30,000 elephants were stranded and unemployed. The elephants no longer held any purpose in the lives of their mahouts and were either sold or set loose, which has led to many elephants wreaking havoc on farmers, destroying crops and plantations. This has instilled hatred amongst the Thais towards the very animals that had helped build their historic kingdom. Those of the Thai elephants that were sold found work in illegal logging businesses or were exploited as entertainers in circuses, beggars in Bangkok’s busy streets, and rides for ignorant tourists. Unfortunately, the elephants’ legal rights are equal to that of livestock, and so these majestic animals are often abused in unimaginably horrible ways, both physically and mentally, without any consequences. The plight of these gentle giants has caught the attention and compassion of Lek.

            In 1996 Lek and her husband founded the Elephant Nature Park and the park has since become a blissful sanctuary for 35 elephants. Visitors of the park have the option of either touring for a day, or volunteering for a week or more. My mom and I decided it would be an enriching experience to volunteer at the park before I returned to school and worked there for four days. While we were there we had to shovel elephant dung, cut grass and corn for the elephants’ daily meals, wash the tons of fruits that they consumed, and then collect firewood for the massive bonfires that kept them warm on cool nights. Although the work was extremely exhausting and demanding, it was immensely rewarding. The great respect and admiration I have for these beautiful, terribly misunderstood animals grew exponentially. During bathing and feeding time we were allowed to stand face-to-face with the giants, and being so close allowed us volunteers to connect with them on a more personal level. One of the privileges of being a volunteer was that we were taken on an “Elephant Walk”, which was a tour that showed us around the entire park to each elephant and their shelter. Some of the elephants’ bodies had been so badly broken that they had difficulty walking and they were so psychologically scarred by years of torture that, although they had been at the park for years, they were still skittish and mistrusting of humans.

There were two elephants that stood out to me the most, partly because their injuries were so obvious, and partly because that even after all the misery humans had caused them, they were still willing to forgive and love again. As the saying goes, “an elephant always forgives, but never forgets.” One of the elephants had been working for an illegal logging company when Lek found her. She had been forced to carry mammoth logs up mountains, all while she was pregnant. One day, while she was working, she went into labor but was forced to keep on. She was nearly at the top of the mountain when she finally gave birth to her baby. It was a steep slope and massive trunks were chained to her, so she was unable to stop her newborn from tumbling downhill to its death. You would think that her mahout would give her a break after the loss of her calf, however she was put to work almost immediately. She was severely depressed and refused to work, so her mahout repeatedly slingshot stones at her eyes and gouged them with sticks. This abuse caused her blindness. The other elephant had been used as a breeding vessel. She was chained up and raped by bulls in order to produce calves that would eventually complete the malicious cycle that humans have created. The elephant had resisted and fought back during one of the breeding sessions and was severely injured by the much larger bull, leaving her entire lower body crushed. When Lek found her she had an awkward gait and one leg would dangle limply above the ground. Lek eventually hassled the mahouts into selling her the decrepit elephants and they were integrated into the ENP herd with Lek leading as the matriarch.

My experience at Elephant Nature Park has been one of the most incredible times of my life, and I was glad to have had my mother there with me. The work there taught me how hard and demanding it is to support these giants, and that although they appear dangerous and intimidating they are actually the exact opposite. They are sensitive animals that require constant care and compassion, and if you are lucky enough they will be more than willing to reciprocate. It saddens me to see these animals being so cruelly mistreated and to see how little is being done for their cause. I hope that in the near future the elephants of Thailand will once more be able to live in peace with their people and continue to help build their country. 


Word count: 898