Our World 2023: Animals

Example of inadequate living conditions in captivity:

• Tigers and lions have about 18,000 times less space in their captive enclosures than what they would have in the wild.
• Polar bears have one million times less space in captivity.
• Wild orcas swim up to 100 miles a day and dive up to 850 feet, yet no orca tank measures longer than 220 feet or deeper than 50 feet.
• Additionally, orcas kept in marine parks are often forced to stay in tiny pools (about 20 by 30 feet) with no light or stimulation during periods when they are not performing; it is estimated that they spend up to two-thirds of their lives in these tiny pools.
• Most enclosures for callitrichid monkeys do not provide dense tangles of vegetation even though this is where this species would spend 89% of their time in the wild. 
• Some animals face constant artificial noise pollution from the sounds of blasting music, screaming crowds, fireworks, construction, etc., and there is no quiet, peaceful place for them to escape the noise until the park closes.

Human caused reasons that animals die in the wild:

• Overhunting
  • Causes animal extinction and disrupts the food chain.
• Overfishing
  • When too many fish are taken out of the ocean, it creates an imbalance that can erode the food web and lead to a loss of important marine life, including vulnerable species.
• Polluting the environment
  • Triggers climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water.
• Deforestation
  • Causes habitat destruction, increased risk of predation, reduced food availability.
• Introducing new species to areas. 
  • Could cause extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing of biodiversity, competition with native organisms for limited resources, or altering of habitats.
• Factories polluting the air and the oceans.
  • Toxic gases and fumes from factories harm animals all throughout the world.
  • Plastic from factories cause many deaths in oceans.

Killing or using an animal for selfish needs.

Examples of exploitation:

• Food
  • Bred to be killed.
  • Suffer terribly before they are slaughtered.
• Clothing
  • Killed for their leather, feathers, fur, wool, and other products.
• Entertainment
  • Hunted or fished for fun.
  • Confined in places such as circuses, or killed in shows such as bullfights.
• Companions or leisure
  • Bred and bought because people like to spend part of their free time with them. 
  • Sold as “companion animals.”
• Workers or tools
  • Used as workers all around the world.
  • Used as weapons.
• Experimentation
  • Used as laboratory tools for many purposes in which most people would never think of using humans.
  • Not given the same kind of moral consideration as humans.

Ways to avoid animal exploitation:

• Go vegan or don't eat as much meat
• Wear clothing that is not made of animals
• Have fun without hurting animals
• Adopt, don't shop!!!!

The killing, trapping, or taking of wild animals or fish without permission.

Poaching Facts:

• Nearly two rangers a week are killed protecting the wildlife.
• Illegal wildlife trafficking is a business worth $5–$23 billion a year.
• 100 million sharks are killed every year throughout the world.
• In Africa, poachers kill thousands of endangered animals every day.
• Rhinos are poached at a rate of one per 12 hours.
• Rhino poaching is likely to increase by 356% by 2030.
• Every year, 35,000 elephants in Botswana are slaughtered.
• On average, poachers kill 96 African elephants every day.
• Only 13 countries in the world have populations of wild tigers.
• Over 30,000 green sea turtles are poached every year in Baja, California.

The use of non-human animals in experiments that seek to control the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study.

Animals used:

• Rodents
• Fish
• Farm animals
• Cats
• Dogs
• Monkeys

What's wrong with animal testing?

• Unethical
  • inflicts physical pain causing psychological distress and suffering
• Does not reliably predict human outcomes
  • nine out of ten drugs that appear promising in animal studies go on to fail in human clinical trials
• Can impede and delay discovery
  • drugs and procedures that could be effective in humans may never be developed because they failed in animal studies

Overall, animal testing does not give correct results and causes unnecessary pain and death to innocent animals.

Alternatives Options to Animal Testing

• Testing cells and tissues in test tubes or cell cultures.
• 3D tissue culture, also referred to as organs-on-a-chip.
• Computational and mathematical models.
• Stem cell research.
• Non-invasive diagnostic imaging.
• Clinical research involving people.

What is considered a therapy dog?

"A Therapy Dog is someone’s pet that has been tested for its social temperament, trained to be well behaved and registered with a therapy dog organization. A therapy dog provides comfort to people in nursing homes, hospitals, schools or other institutions." Medical Mutts, July 15, 2022

How is this different than a service dog?

There are different qualifications as well as duties. Emotional Support Animals (ESA) provide comfort or bring their owners joy, relaxation, or comfort simply by being present.

Qualifications for being a service dog?

• The handler must have a disability
• Psychiatric service dogs must be trained in a way that helps with a person's mental disability

Coral Reef -

Butterflyfish, Fishes, Clownfishes, Corals, Sharks

Grasslands - 

bison, deer, pronghorns, prairie dogs, elk

Desert -

Addax, Fox, Coyote, Meerkat

Forest -

Squirrel, Orangutan, Wolf, Deer, Birds, Owl

Tundra -

Arctic Fox, Polar Bear, Musk Ox, Walrus, Snowy Owl

Savanna - 

zebra, giraffes, ostrich, african buffalo, spotted hyenas, elephants