Daily Times

Nature has given us life. And now we want to destroy nature. In the world of human beings, it is okay to do so. It is okay to explore sophisticated technology and reject to understand the essence of mother nature. We, human beings, have never been in the shoes of animals to a sizeable extent.

And if we continue this brutal behaviour towards nature, we are not going to be spared. We are going to face a far more drastic outcome than the recent coronavirus crisis.

It is a watershed moment for all of us to wake up and face reality. And the reality is, either we and nature have to co-exist to live beautifully or die like we never existed. We will not be able to take a joyful selfie with greenery or mountains in the background. Who the hell will react a ‘heart’ to your Instagram post, then? We got to start by giving an end to global wildlife consumption immediately. I know that’s not all, but we got to start from somewhere. It would be the first step towards a safer planet for all of us.

Amid the novel coronavirus situation, conservation experts insist that not curbing the global wildlife consumption will result in extinction and pandemics. I know we like to think ourselves to be the most potent species, but, honestly, we cannot deal with the drastic outcomes. In many parts of the world, you can see wildlife animals like a stingray, porcupine, or turtle on a menu card. What is more eye-opening is that “these kinds of wild foods are considered something of a luxury,” reports Adam Peyman, the wildlife manager for Humane Society International.

STOP HORRENDOUS BEHAVIOR TOWARDS ANIMALS — treating any animal (not just the wild animal) ruthlessly like a commodity is ‘human’ behaviour. In Pakistan, all of us observe the brutal abuse of animals everywhere. Haven’t you seen an overly loaded cart pushed by a donkey? Haven’t you seen the countless number of chickens put together in a couple of feet-space? And the list goes on.

Such horrendous behaviour towards animals has become ‘normal’ for all of us. This is why we are so insensitive when it comes to talking about animal abuse. So, why complain about the very-little virus nowadays? Nature comes back to bite us. There should be no surprise if COVID19-like pandemics arise on the chest of this planet Earth.

The new coronavirus pandemic has claimed thousands and thousands of lives likely originated in the wet market of China. The market sold snakes, deer, porcupine, and whatnot. The origin of the coronavirus is not known, but it most likely emerged in bat, while the intermediary for the virus was pangolin. In case you don’t know, the pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world. It’s not the first we have faced the outbreaks that have origins in animals. And this will not be the last time, as well, if we don’t stop here.

SUPPLY & DEMAND IN WILDLIFE TRADE — we got to ban wildlife markets in the world, not only in China. And this is not just about the wildlife market, “the real issue is demand,” Prof Dirk Pfeiffer of the City University of Hong Kong suggests. We, humans, demand wildlife animals for our ‘luxurious’ dinner. Who would not like a bag made of coarse skin of some deadly animal? And can you just stop using wildlife to formulize medicine? We think we are “the best specie,” yet we are unable to create eco-friendly and efficient foods and medicines.

SAVE YOURSELF — NOT THE PLANET — according to Prof Cunningham, even in protected forests, the wildlife has gone to our markets and laboratories. And what about those countless unprotected forests? We all need to suppress our deadly demands so that we all may live longer on this planet. We all need to practically say no to animal abuse. I know we humans are very selfish, and thus extinction of other species is not an issue for us. But we got to save us. If we don’t want pandemics in the future, we must end our mad consumption of wildlife animals.

“Wet markets can be time bombs for epidemics,” says Prof Andrew Cunningham. I agree, but I’d go with; animal consumption is like a time bomb for the entire humanity. Only washing your hands will not save you, my dear.

The writer is a web content developer and entrepreneur based in Multan. He can be reached at abdolrauf@gmail.com