SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) is appalled to learn of yet another tragic death of a magnificent animal — a jaguar — at the hands of mankind.
The needless deaths of the jaguar, Harambe the gorilla, the alligator at the Disney resort in Orlando, Florida, the lions at a Chile zoo and countless other exploited wild animals have sparked international outrage, and yet, the exploitation goes on.
We condemn the latest incident and call for a ban on the showcasing of semi-domesticated animals, whether to glorify the military or the Olympics, or for use in ads or any other human activity.
What values is the Olympic committee trying to portray? Is the display of such an elegant and graceful animal a show of power and dominance over a lesser creature? To drug a beautiful animal, have it in chains and display it like a trophy, without any regard as to what a wild animal is capable of doing, is unthinkable.
An awesome and powerful animal has lost its life because humans decided that it should be kept in captivity and, later, paraded in front of spectators for the purpose of exhibition and entertainment. Human stupidity and ignorance led to the unfortunate shooting.
And, there are some who think that jaguars are pets that can be chained up, forgetting that the animals, like all big cats, need to live freely in the wild, roaming in areas covering hundreds of square kilometres.
The repulsive trend of turning wild cats and other dangerous species into urban pets underscores the appalling ignorance of humans, who believe that jaguars can be considered docile or domesticated animals after having lived among people at a zoo attached to an army training centre.
Wild animals will always be wild, and no wild animal has a killer instinct as keen as that of big cats. Wild animals that are held in captivity and forced to perform acts that are frightening, painful and unnatural are ticking time bombs. The actions of man put them at risk.
Another example is an ad on local television that features a milk product for children. In the ad, a tiger cub is surrounded by noisy children. The cub then runs away. The advertiser failed to realise that the cub experienced fear and anxiety due to the noise made by the children.
What is most saddening is the caging and chaining of wild animals, instead of letting them be free and wild. When will the killing, exploitation and mistreatment of animals stop?
It is time for people and institutions to stop exerting power and control through the confinement, taming and showcasing of wild animals. Instead of using such animals as mascots, a better option would be to use symbols of the animals, which would be just as beautiful and powerful, and more compassionate.
It is time for humans to learn to accept the fact that wild animals need to be left in the wild.
Following the fatal shooting of the jaguar, which is a near-threatened species that has been wiped out in Uruguay and El Salvador, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, SAM calls for an end to the showcasing of wild animals, whether in ads or the Olympics.
S.M. MOHD IDRIS, president, Sahabat Alam Malaysia