“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
- Sir David Attenborough

World Animal Day was first celebrated on 24th March 1925 in Germany by Heinrich Zimmermann, a Cynologist who organized the first celebration at the Sports Palace in Berlin which was reputedly attended by over 5000 people. Thereafter it was shifted to 4th October to align with the feast day of St Francis of Assisi the patron Saint of ecology and animals.

As Animal Welfare Activists in Sri Lanka and around the world, prepare to celebrate World Animal Day, the theme for 2023 being ‘Great or Small – Love Them All’ most of us are at a loss as to how in an ever developing world animal rights are still at such a low ebb .

In Sri Lanka we are yet to have an Animal Welfare Bill in place!
In fact more often or not I feel that we have regressed as a nation and as a global community when it comes to the welfare and wellbeing of our animal companions without whom this planet cannot survive.  Just take the activities of the last week – we need go back no further. A chained elephant was shot at by an official of the Wildlife Dept, the CMC sends out what they term  an educational video on keeping the environment clean and free of rabies, but is in reality a totally misguided, misinformed piece of work, which actually I feel propagates animal cruelty,  and very conveniently ignores  their duties , whilst placing the onus on keeping the environment clean on the public. Feeding of community animals is condemned , particularly in the vicinity of religious places. However we all know that every religion urges compassion and the humane treatment of all creatures.

As per statistics, for the year 2022, 439 elephants were killed. In 2023 during a period of 150 days, a staggering 120 elephants were killed. Is this how Sri Lanka looks after the Great and the Small?

Rescue Animals Sri Lanka feeds community dogs from Battaramulla to Galle Face and beyond, treats accident victims, sterilizes and re-homes. Some of the most unhygienic places we feed in are the CMC offices – I would be delighted to take the officials featured in this video to view their own offices. As responsible activists, we are well aware of our responsibilities vis a vis environmental cleanliness.  

Cattle, goats, elephants, and all wildlife including porcupines, monkeys, dogs, and cats, in fact, all forms of animal life contribute towards the perpetuation of our beautiful planet. Global Animal Protection is a critical issue that we all fight for on a daily basis.

Annually over 80 billion land animals including chickens, pigs, goats, and cattle are used for farming. It is estimated that over 56 billion are trapped in food systems. This vast number does not even include the billions of aquatic animals who are locked in underwater factories, out of sight and very much out of mind.  On factory farms,  animals live out their lives in unnatural environments and endure needless psychological and physical suffering. Factory farming is a global issue and it is only with a global solution that animals can be safeguarded and animal welfare be improved. Governments the world over need to establish respect for animals and nature which sits at the heart of our food system which is equitable, sustainable, resilient and capable of feeding the world, with people being made aware of the impact of factory farming on animals, the environment and human health. Thousands of tigers across the world are captured and bred for profit as are bears. They are exploited as exotic pets, for entertainment,  and for medicinal purposes; all this in an environment where the species are fast disappearing.

Currently, there are over 3000 whales and dolphins held captive in zoos, aquaria and marine parks around the world. Here in Sri Lanka where they can be marketed in their natural state as a tourist attraction with strict guidelines in place, they are killed for consumption and tortured as they are world over. In cash-strapped Sri Lanka, we continue to import expensive pedigree dogs and cats which are bought by people who have absolutely no idea as to how an animal should be fed and looked after but consider it an ornament to boost their own inadequacies. Elephants in the name of religion undergo untold suffering, wildlife are shot at and considered pests due to a complete lack of planning and relocation of towns and villages and agriculture, monkeys are exported to boost our economy [ thank goodness this was stopped ], veterinary clinics abound which are not monitored or run under specific guidelines, the list is endless.

World Animal Day as with all other days, should be part and parcel of our daily lives and in our actions, not just limited to a specific day. This world belongs to all of us, it is not the sole property of us humans.

The Garden of Eden is no more. We have changed the world so much that scientists say we are now in a new geological age – the Anthropocene – The Age of Humans.  When you think about it, there is perhaps no more unsettling thought. The only conditions modern humans have ever known are changing and changing fast”.
- Sir David Attenborough.

text Anusha David