Two videos, which had gone viral this week, on social media in the Arabian gulf region, were very interesting to watch.
Actually, interesting to some. But, infuriating to animal lovers.
One, of an adult tiger that fell out of a moving vehicle, and was seen roaming between cars on a busy highway in Doha, Qatar.
And another, of a huge ostrich that was being chased by men and boys, as it was running on a street, somewhere in Sehla, Bahrain.
It both cases, it is apparent that the tiger and ostrich had somehow managed to escape from where they were kept captive. And in both cases, they were not the average pets that people raise.
The bird and the animal were far, far, away from their natural habitats. Cruelly confined to restrictive spaces. Only to satisfy the whims and fancies of certain rich individuals, who obviously have the financial wherewithal and political pull that allows them this peculiar pursuit. Of keeping exotic pets.
It is illegal to keep wild animals as pets in Qatar. But it is no secret that many rich kids in, not just Qatar, but in the entire region, secretly raise exotic pets.
A 2012 CNN article titled “Lions, tigers become problem pets in the Gulf” says: None of the pet owners we approached would speak on the record about illegally purchasing exotic animals, but many amateur videos uploaded online attest to their popularity among young men in the Gulf.
“In one YouTube clip that was widely viewed in the region, a man frightens his friend by chasing him around the living room with a chained lioness. Another clip shows a group of men walking a cheetah on a leash in an indoor location. There's even a man trying to ride a fully grown lion”.
So, quite clearly, the rich kids of the Arabian Gulf aspire for bragging rights. They desire these wild animal pets as ultimate symbols of status.
All GCC countries, I found, are signatories to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), an international agreement between governments. It ensures that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
However, it is overlooked not just in the Gulf but the world over. From snakes to iguanas, and from flying squirrels to prairie dogs, there is a global demand for these wild pets.
In December 2010, PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) had conducted an undercover investigation into a company U.S. Global Exotics, and found a warehouse in Arlington, Texas, with more than 27,000 animals subjected to crowded living conditions, poor ventilation, and a lack of food, water, and basic care. This government seizure is believed to be the largest animal confiscation in history.
Some argue that lions, tigers and elephants are human like. But we must understand that even if they show signs of love towards humans, wild animals cannot be effectively domesticated. Even in a simply playful romp, a tiger’s claw can easily tear up human flesh. Wild animals are meant to be in the wild. Not in our backyards.
If removing them from the vast expanses of their natural environs is a crime, subjecting them to harsh chaining, beating and training, should be treated as an even bigger one.
The sooner the governments and individuals distinguish the difference between domestic animals and wild animals, the better it is for all of us.
Actually, interesting to some. But, infuriating to animal lovers.
One, of an adult tiger that fell out of a moving vehicle, and was seen roaming between cars on a busy highway in Doha, Qatar.
And another, of a huge ostrich that was being chased by men and boys, as it was running on a street, somewhere in Sehla, Bahrain.
It both cases, it is apparent that the tiger and ostrich had somehow managed to escape from where they were kept captive. And in both cases, they were not the average pets that people raise.
The bird and the animal were far, far, away from their natural habitats. Cruelly confined to restrictive spaces. Only to satisfy the whims and fancies of certain rich individuals, who obviously have the financial wherewithal and political pull that allows them this peculiar pursuit. Of keeping exotic pets.
It is illegal to keep wild animals as pets in Qatar. But it is no secret that many rich kids in, not just Qatar, but in the entire region, secretly raise exotic pets.
A 2012 CNN article titled “Lions, tigers become problem pets in the Gulf” says: None of the pet owners we approached would speak on the record about illegally purchasing exotic animals, but many amateur videos uploaded online attest to their popularity among young men in the Gulf.
“In one YouTube clip that was widely viewed in the region, a man frightens his friend by chasing him around the living room with a chained lioness. Another clip shows a group of men walking a cheetah on a leash in an indoor location. There's even a man trying to ride a fully grown lion”.
So, quite clearly, the rich kids of the Arabian Gulf aspire for bragging rights. They desire these wild animal pets as ultimate symbols of status.
All GCC countries, I found, are signatories to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), an international agreement between governments. It ensures that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
However, it is overlooked not just in the Gulf but the world over. From snakes to iguanas, and from flying squirrels to prairie dogs, there is a global demand for these wild pets.
In December 2010, PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) had conducted an undercover investigation into a company U.S. Global Exotics, and found a warehouse in Arlington, Texas, with more than 27,000 animals subjected to crowded living conditions, poor ventilation, and a lack of food, water, and basic care. This government seizure is believed to be the largest animal confiscation in history.
Some argue that lions, tigers and elephants are human like. But we must understand that even if they show signs of love towards humans, wild animals cannot be effectively domesticated. Even in a simply playful romp, a tiger’s claw can easily tear up human flesh. Wild animals are meant to be in the wild. Not in our backyards.
If removing them from the vast expanses of their natural environs is a crime, subjecting them to harsh chaining, beating and training, should be treated as an even bigger one.
The sooner the governments and individuals distinguish the difference between domestic animals and wild animals, the better it is for all of us.
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