My friend and I met Maxi the Urban Parrot perched on the shoulder of his owner in a pleasant street in West London.
Twas late summer and Maxi and his owner were relaxing together. The parrot seemed very content and rather sophisticated. It is such a blessing for animals like Maxi to find loving homes which allow them to evolve and to be as free as possible, yet protected . Not cramped say in a tiny cage with no room to move around and stretch their wings let alone fly.
I once saw a parrot in a small coastal town in the southern Mediterranean, it was trapped in a tiny cage placed very high beyond reach on a building, below which was a garage that did car repairs. The parrot eventually died the owner of the garage was sad and wistful about this and wanted to get another replacement bird.
In that same town I met a young boy of about 12 years old with his pet parrot on his shoulder, the parrot seemed content, the boy told me as we spoke that it was important to respect animals,though around him was disrespect and he was unaffected by it.
The illegal trade in exotic animals is cruel, one day it will cease. I came across a young macaque monkey in a sanctuary who had been rescued efficiently by the police in that very same town. The little monkey was so joyful in his temporary enclosure, and very curious . Found hidden in the bag of a long distance coach traveller destined for?
The non human primates, are closely related to us, they are social animals, highly intelligent and for this they suffer greatly at the hands of humankind.
What is legal as far as the treatment of animals are concerned varies in different places and different epochs. Peace is the way for us humans. We don’t have to get bogged down in intellectual concepts and circular arguments about the animals or anything, no more than the child and adults did who spoke the truth, that the Emperor wore nothing in Hans Christian Andersen’s famous story ” The Emperor’s New Clothes”.
The Emperor ‘s New Clothes- the expensive ( though actually non existent suit of clothes) commissioned for regal purposes was in fact worthless. The Emperor had been conned by thieves and rogues and he was unfortunately deluded. So,that which was portrayed as being of worth, was worthless, and the delusion was shattered.
The agony of the animals, the affronts to Gaia and her children, wherever they are and, wherever they are hidden , will also be shown to us as cruel delusions and will be shattered, and cleared away by Gaia .The forces of nature are stronger than us and our alignment can be with nature not in opposition or attempted subjugation of her.Respect for wild life is not to plunder it , not to harm it for destructive and selfish human purposes.
There are however many people and organizations who are helping wild life and other animals , in various countries including the western world, for the encroachment of humans, and deforestation for example affect the habitats of many creatures. Wild life encompasses many creatures e.g from the majestic and exotic, to birds of prey great and small and the tiniest scruffiest little mammals, for they are all loved and important.
The help given in certain cases can be seemingly low key- incidental ,but nonetheless vital for the animals. Various farmers in south west England and other regions for example ,have taken the care when growing crops to leave a border , a verge around fields so that small mammals like voles can thrive which in turn provides food for hard pressed birds of prey.
One feels much gratitude that those farmers are actually aiding the conservation of wild life by helping strengthen the food chain of a vulnerable ecosystem . Conservation and respect for wild life , means that future generations , and young children can experience and enjoy the beauty of the Earth.
Posted 1st December 2014
© Wendy Datta 2014