Animals Help Humans: Hunting Them Is Cruel

Last month (August 2019) a large group of “European parliamentarians and conservation groups” called for a ban on trophy hunting of “endangered animals” according to a piece on Phys.org[1] that apparently originated with AFP. A Reuters article[2] and other sources also discuss this. I agree with the proposed ban. I even advocate eventually banning all hunting.

All animals are useful. See links later in this article to some true stories about a variety of animals that helped humans in various ways.

I used to eat meat without even thinking about it. As a boy I often ate meat even when other members of my family chose not to. But in recent years, I’ve sought to progress toward a vegan diet, avoiding eating meat, dairy, or egg products. I don’t agree with PETA’s methods, but I feel they do convey an important basic message about the cruel treatment of animals raised to be killed for food.

Personally, I even hate swatting a fly. I’m one of those people who tries to trap them between a cup and a flat surface, slide a piece of paper between the cup and the flat surface, then carry the cup outside to release the fly.

Therefore, you can probably guess how I feel about hunting deer, squirrels, turkeys, rabbits, etc., just for sport. And, it’s not just wild animals that are killed or injured by hunters. Though the number may be relatively small, each year some hunters and innocent bystanders are killed or injured by hunters.

But, most of the deaths and injuries occur to wildlife. While some hunters may claim they weed out the weaker animals offering them euthanasia in a sense, most hunters I know take pride in the health of the animal they kill. They enjoy the sport of it and less sport is involved in killing a weak, diseased animal.

Killing something doesn’t seem like fun to me. Not at all!

If mice are in your home, they can be caught in a glue trap, then taken outside and released. Even better, we can take action to prevent them from coming in initially.

Killing an animal just for the sport of it seems cruel. And some hunters I know who claim to kill animals for food to reduce their food costs spend so much money on their motor vehicle traveling to and from the hunting area, guns, hunting dogs, hunting clothes, etc., that they could buy the meat cheaper.

Of course some hunters enjoy the outdoor life, being in the woods close to nature and hiking, more than the sport of hunting. I urge these hunters to give up the sport of hunting. Why not just enjoy watching the animals, as well as the other benefits of being close to nature?

Native American Indians, Pioneer Days, and Now

The Native American Indians hunted for food and used parts of dead animals for various purposes. Little went to waste. That was probably true also for some of the pioneers on the frontier in the early years of the United States.

But, now we can buy, prepare, and eat food faster that is tastier, cheaper, and more nutritious without hunting. We can buy clothing assembled from manmade materials that is cheaper, more comfortable, and nicer looking than homemade clothing from animal hides. And modern manmade materials can fulfill many other functions better and cheaper than products made from animal parts.

Stories About Animals Helping Humans

If we treat animals well, I think they will treat us well. Stories abound of cases where an animal befriended by a human returned the favor. You can read numerous stories about trained dogs aiding humans in various ways. Dolphins have guided ships safely through treacherous waters and rescued swimmers.

An article on CheatSheet.com[3] tells about animals including lions, a gorilla, a pig, a whale, a horse, and a rabbit that helped a human.  A OneGreenPlanet.org piece[4] includes stories about a sea lion, a deer, and beavers that aided humans. One of fourteen stories in an AnimalsLook.com article[5] is about a parrot that helped save a baby’s life. A Reader’s Digest article[6] includes a story about giant rats trained to find land mines and TB. AnimalsAustralia.org[7] tells the story of a man and a crocodile who became good friends. BlazePress.com[8] and other sources tell about an eleven-year friendship between a man and a lion.

Furthermore, you may be familiar with stories from the Bible of other creatures helping humans. I remember reading about ravens feeding Elijah (see I Kings 17) and Jonah being rescued by a big fish. I believe both stories are true. Let’s seek to love all God’s creatures and enjoy the benefits that come from it, including their efforts to reciprocate.

ENDNOTES:

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[1] “Conservationists, EU MPs urge ban on trophy hunting of endangered species”; Phys.org (apparently from AFP); August 18, 2019; webpage accessed September 15, 2019; https://phys.org/news/2019-08-conservationists-eu-mps-urge-trophy.html

[2] Forrest Crellin; “Conservationists push at CITES conference to ban trophy hunting”; Reuters; August 20, 2019; webpage accessed September 15, 2019; https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-hunting/conservationists-push-at-cites-conference-to-ban-trophy-hunting-idUSKCN1VA1CY

[3] Amanda Harding; “Crazy True Stories of Wild Animals Saving People’s Lives”; CheatSheet.com; April 23, 2018; webpage accessed September 15, 2019; https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/crazy-but-true-stories-of-wild-animals-saving-peoples-lives.html/

[4] Aisling Maria Cronin; “These Five Stories of Amazing Times Wild Animals Saved People in Need Will Leave You Awe-Struck”; OneGreenPlanet.org; webpage accessed September 15, 2019; https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/stories-of-amazing-times-wild-animals-saved-people-in-need/  

[5] “Animals Helping Humans in Most Critical of the Situations – 14 Stories”; AnimalsLook.com; webpage accessed September 15, 2019; http://www.animalslook.com/animals-helping-humans-in-most-critical-of-the-situations-14-stories/?f=1

[6] Amanda Riley-Jones; “Not Your Ordinary Pets: These Heroic Stories Prove Animals Are True Life-Savers”; Reader’s Digest website; https://www.rd.com/true-stories/survival/surprising-animal-heroes/

[7] “The true story of Pocho the crocodile: when man and croc become best friends”; AnimalsAustralia; last updated February 17, 2017; webpage accessed September 15, 2019; https://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/amazing-croc-story.php

[8] “Man and Lion Become the Best of Friends after 11 Years of Friendship”; BlazePress.com; last updated March 24, 2015; webpage accessed September 15, 2019; https://blazepress.com/2015/01/man-lion-become-best-friends-11-years-friendship/

NOTE:

This piece being submitted to Google Blogger on September 16, 2019 is virtually identical to one the author submitted to Craft News Report, a website operated by his friend  Paul Craft, on September 15, 2019.