Somebody shook a tree and three stories fell out

I was searching for my next subject this week when three stories came across the Facebook news feed and basically wrote the essay for me.

* First, I read that the Ringling Bros. circus is closing down after more than 100 years in operation.

* Next, someone posted a photo of a sad looking dog and asked if I would protect it from harm.

 

* And finally, today, I see that a gorilla born in a zoo has died after 60 years in captivity.

Let me say first of all that I love animals. I care more for animals than for most of the people I have met in my lifetime. No animal has ever lied to me, cheated me, stolen from me, insulted me, defrauded me, discriminated against me or my friends, dumped me, physically or verbally abused me or threatened me with a knife…like some people I know.

I don’t hunt or fish because I couldn’t kill anything that runs in a forest or swims in a lake. I admit I have gone to zoos in both Pittsburgh and Washington but I didn’t like it, even though the animals seemed to have something resembling a natural habitat.

I don’t remember ever going to a circus.

I happily gave away a fish tank that cost a thousand dollars. When we owned it, I felt sorry for the fish. (I don’t believe a fake ceramic shipwreck or plastic plants remind tropical fish of home.) I can’t stand to see those colorful bettas swimming around in a glass not big enough for a good shot of whiskey, and I won’t go into a pet shop because I don’t like seeing animals in cages.     

I almost drove off a cliff once trying to avoid hitting an opossum that was frozen in the middle of the road. Sadly, I ran over it anyway.

Finally, I WILL NOT watch that ASPCA commercial about abused animals that comes on TV late at night and seems to last for 10 minutes. I switch the channel until I’m sure it’s gone off.  

You may be wondering what all this has to do with those three stories I mentioned up top. Well, to me, all of it (except the opossum) constitutes the abuse of animals that didn’t ask to be killed for sport or captured and put on display for our amusement. I assume that most of them would prefer living out their lives in their natural environment.

Ringling Brothers came under fire for years over its treatment of animals. The Humane Society called it unacceptable "to cart wild animals from city to city and have them perform silly yet coercive stunts.” After mounting criticism from other animal rights groups, Ringling eventually phased out its elephant acts entirely.

In Ohio, the first gorilla born in a zoo and the matriarch of the Columbus Zoo’s famous gorilla family, died in her sleep at 60 years of age. “Colo” was the oldest gorilla on record and exceeded her normal life expectancy by more than two decades. The story said Colo “celebrated” her historic 60th birthday surrounded by thousands of fans and with birthday wishes coming from around the world. I just had to wonder how she liked spending six decades in captivity, or if she even cared. I guess none of her “fans” ever bothered to ask.

I suppose this commentary will offend some people and make some people mad, especially hunters, fishermen, zoo and circus lovers and everyone who’s ever been to Sea World. (Don’t even get me started on Shamu.)

But don’t despair. It’s only my opinion. You might not like it or agree with it, but I’m not trying to change your mind and you're not likely to change mine, either. I just feel better for having written it and for having the freedom to publish it in a blog for others to read…

…freedom that captive animals never had.