How on earth will we become a five trillion economy with no mines and only mongooses and macaques?
Dear Pain Akka,
I think the end of the world is upon us. Recently I read a report about a Belgian zoo banning a female from visiting the park’s chimpanzees because she allegedly had an affair with a primate. Now, I have nothing against (wow) the human-animal love that could inspire award-winning films like water sizeWhere the heroine falls in love with a fish. What I find objectionable is that the zoo said it was banning the female for the good of the chimpanzee. What’s up? The other day I saw a notice on Twitter at a zoo in Dublin that said: “Don’t stand, sit, climb or crouch on the zoo fence. If you fall, animals can eat you and make them sick.” Hello, what next? Will the koala and kangaroo be placed at the center of the universe? How do we deal with this chaotic trend?
– anxious and tense
dear kat,
You are quite right to be angry and upset over the way animals are being valued, when we humans are suffering so much every day. Imagine that hundreds of millions could be spent on zoos and animal sanctuaries, when the money could be used to build a huge new statue somewhere. Actually, I think it’s a really good idea. We should get rid of all the animals and erect statues of animals here and there in all the cities. Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren can see what a gorilla or rhino looks like, without wasting time and energy trying to keep them alive and safe from poachers and industrialists and what not.
And it’s not just about keeping them alive, is it? Next thing you know, people are demanding that their homes be protected as well. So no one is allowed to cut trees or dig mines or extract minerals or anything. I mean, come on, this is ridiculous. How on earth will we become a five trillion economy with no mines and only mongooses and macaques? If we keep conserving trees and forests, I am warning you soon that people will have no place to live.
I am especially concerned because my friend Monisha has bought a flat in an upcoming condo project. They are going to build a beautiful place on the outskirts of the city where they have reclaimed some marshy land. Pretty soon, all those noisy pelicans and herons will be gone and there will only be tall, tall concrete in the horizon. Construction crane instead of water crane.
But if a busy person demanded that the swamps should also be protected, what would have happened to the many monishas? The builders are anyway planting a lot of trees in the compound and it is a green building and has eco certificate. Monisha is also raising two-three pet parrots as she is very fond of wildlife. enough is enough.
In Chennai, long ago, only a crazy American made a place to grow crocodiles like this one. can you imagine Trying to save an animal that can open its mouth and carelessly swallow two or three humans. If you go there, you will see them lying there in the sun, hundreds of them, lying there doing nothing. Unlike monkeys or birds, they don’t look cute. Unlike oxen or horses, they are not useful. There is no justification for their existence in the same format for more than 200 million years. I am saying, why not rent that place out as a useful settlement site for relatives, politicians and sadhus? Good money during lockdown, and creatures can finally make themselves useful.
However, as you say, reptiles can get sick. No worries, we’ll give them some krokonil.
– Come
pain.akka@gmail.com
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