Anthropocentrism, i.e. the belief that human being are the most significant species on the planet. I’m certain all of those who’re reading this article have at some point of time seen something similar to this story. Some may have felt the disgust as I did when looking at this poor fellow. Some others, knowingly or unknowingly, may have been the culprits themselves at some juncture of their life.
I once visited Madhyamgram to try and photograph a few snakes, and found this macaque in this old and rusty cage with this very short chain on his neck. It’s pitiful how we sometimes treat our pets. Just like us, Rhesus monkeys are very social animals and need constant companionship just as a dog does. This poor fellow was kept alone in this rusty enclosure without proper food or water; but he seemed so deprived of companionship that the former didn’t even seem to matter!
He was so happy to see me that he started showing me various tricks and started screeching whenever I was moving away. I stayed there for about an hour or so before it was getting dark and I had to leave. You can almost feel his emotions in these pictures. The irony was that his so-called owners were govt. affiliated animal rescuers.
This is neither a debate nor a philosophical discussion, rather a request to everyone to broaden their minds and contemplate the possibilities of a better life for all beings. If you must have a pet, please make sure you can treat them as your family. If not, please don’t get one, you’ll both be better off without each other!