Metal Bars

Other people might find me a bit odd or stupid trying to torture my mind and convincing myself that these creatures need to stay in the zoo than to roam around in the city. Yes, I’m in the middle of weighing and rationalizing things for the simplest reason that what we have now is right and just.

“Ibon mang may layang lumipad, kulungin mo at umiiyak.” sounds familiar? Yes, this is an excerpt from the famous song of veteran singer Freddie Aguilar entitled “Bayan ko”. This song has a very powerful message that conveys that all of us needs freedom. He compared the life of the people and the country to a bird trapped on a cage. Everyone don’t deserve to be chained nor trapped behind bars. You don’t deserve to cry at night and waste tons of tears thinking of the possible things you could have done out of those cages.

I’ve heard a lot of people saying that animals need not to stay in the zoo because we’re taking away their freedom. They said that animals live longer in their natural habitat and they deserve to run in the wilderness with their families. Yes, they do have a point. We humans are also animals and as the highest form of animal we need to give them the same freedom like what we have.

However, there is a danger that awaits once we let these animals out of their cages.

Imagine walking in the street and suddenly a bear appears in front of you. Imagine sleeping at night and a loud roar of a lion wakes you up. Imagine the danger that these wild animals can do once you let them out of the zoo. Yes, we can put them to their right habitat but there are no assurance that they will stay there forever and will not do any harm.

There is a polar bear being exhibited on a mall in China dubbed as the saddest polar bear in the world. More than 285,000 people have signed a petition to close the aquarium thinking that the bear named “Pizza” is being maltreated there but the management of the aquarium disagreed and told everyone that Pizza is not being mistreated.

The issue resulted to a national outcry and undergone investigation. They found out that there are no indication that the aquarium needs to be close nor the animals need to be sent back home.

According to Wikipedia, zoo, zoological garden or zoological park is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public and in which they may also be bred.

Zoos are created for the welfare of animals. Most of the animals being brought into the zoo are victim from its natural habitat.

I strongly believe that animals need to stay in the zoo than to let them out. It’s not like they are on a hot seat and they have to undergo torture every day in fact, they are kept on a well looked after environment where they have the same habitat as the wild. They will receive proper care from veterinarians and there health will be monitored.

Zoos are also very useful in studying the behavior of animals and the animals itself, through this we can be able to know and identify their needs and the reasons why they behave that way. There are also animals that are near to extinction and because of this special places such as the zoo, we can monitor and save them. Children will also have the chance to have a close encounter with animals and at a young age it will be very helpful to them to understand and learn about them.

Not everyone can run and manage zoos, breed animals, treat or train them. There are a lot of things that you need to do before you can manage one so there is an assurance that animals are safe and sound inside those zoos.

According to Republic Act No. 8485, an act to Promote Animal Welfare in the Philippines, otherwise known as “The Animal Welfare Act of 1998” Section 1, “It is the purpose of this Act to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines by supervising end regulating the establishment and operations of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating or training of all animals either as objects of trade or as household pets. For purposes of this Act, pet animals shall include birds.”

The shiny metal bars are a nightmare for others but for some it is a home. A home where new knowledge is born and a new understanding will sprout. I’ve tried to equip this argument with the things that I know to let everyone know that my brain and conscience is on the right track and it need not to fight whether I’m on the right side or not.

I’ve squeeze all the juices in my brain and bombarded myself with the fact that what we have is right and just. Those metal bars is not a prison, it’s a home.