Who cares?
It is too much effort, and too expensive (even if flying with Ryanair) for us to all visit their habitats, their communities, to explore their differing ways of life. But nonetheless, the existence of a particularly peculiar (at least in comparison to a semi-detached student house in the middle of Cardiff) society arouses intrigue and curiosity. Is it comparing our double bedded Cath Kidston bedsheets to their straw stuffed mattress and scrappy rug, is it the relief of not having to climb the eighty-odd foot high tree just to go to bed? Or perhaps the prospect of willingly choose to live in a house MADE OF ICE puts your mind at ease for choosing to get underfloor heating in your new conservatory? (One cold foot is only acceptable in bed, no where else).
Western society is spreading like the plague and before we know it, the tree-houses will have aerials, central heating will send the igloos melting and mud huts will be rocking the double-glazing. These rare and unique societies are becoming endangered and it is up to us to save them.
Like I said, it is too much effort to visit them first hand and tell them to stay as they are, to keep them expanding and breeding. So my ingenious proposition/business plan is to have them shipped over to the Western world, (starting with the UK and US of course), and erect a precise, almost identical reconstruction of their own habitat in an enclosed/caged environment, but with limits to funding and space it will be scaled down by about 1000 times.
I know what you're thinking, you're not going to want to pay your precious money to look at these families if it's all rather run-of-the-mill, but don't you worry! Daily shows will commence where certain members of families and tribes will be led out of their habitat and perform traditional rituals to roaring crowds, the public will be able to purchase foreign foods to feed the families in their enclosures, and we will have night time walks for those who are a tad more daring and willing to witness these civilizations in their precarious sleeping state! Hashtag livinglifeontheedge.OH AND DON'T WORRY! The humans love living there, you can tell by their expression on their faces!!!
In order to ensure they do not become extinct (God forbid), annual breeding programmes will take place but due to the nationwide success of these parks, the babies will most probably be transported swiftly to another park to ensure a fair proportional distribution for the happy public be exposed to!
Of course not all family members can be guaranteed to be bought over from their natural habitat to this country as that would be an expensive procedure, and some of the elderly would be rather pointless at a family orientated park, so it'd be deemed rather unnecessary! Therefore we can reiterate that there ARE still societies in the wild, and we have not captured them all for public purposes. I am a people pleaser and like to think that this will please the majority, so activists will feel no need to spend an afternoon sellotaping cereal packet signs to the ends of broomsticks for 'peaceful protests' outside my crib urging me to free the last remaining of these societies, as I - personally- maybe - will be ensuring there are always a minimal amount of the breeds still where they originally came from.
Of course all of this is sarcastic heap of elephant poo.
Speaking of elephants, I hope this makes you think twice about visiting zoos, sea life centres, wild life parks etc.
The killing of Cecil has sparked outrage in the media, but if eyes could be opened a tiny bit more, perhaps the truth of animal captivity could be seen. We don't treat humans like this, so why does it make it okay to treat innocent animals like this?
From orca's at Seaworld that are strictly trained in confined swimming pool enclosures, to a black leopard at Drayton Manor zoo that lives behind a glass window with just about enough room to fit a trampoline in. Or dolphins at waterparks that are forced to 'give rides' all day, all week, to paying tourists. Or the chained up, shackled down tigers in Thailand that are sedated, all for us(!), all for our oh-so-important need to get up close and personal, to capture our perfect #TigerSelfie.
I could go on and on and on.
I hope you get the message.
And I am sure many people can argue against me - that's fine, it's your choice.
I just hope that we look back in a decade or two or three, and feel disgusted and ashamed of ourselves for such places ever existing.
P.S to read interesting articles about animal rights, animal issues, or just to gawp at cute animals, visit: https://www.thedodo.com/
