Animal Rights and the Crisis in the Congo

Human beings are not a subtle species. Since our arrival upon the earth, we have made a deep and indelible mark. We consider the earth and all of its resources to be a pantry closet, neatly storing things readily available to use for our whims and desires. The question of whether or not we have the right to utilize these resources has never really come into question. The way in which we use them, how quickly and how efficiently, may be considered, but we automatically assume that they are ours to manipulate. However, if we take a step back, we realize that we are not the only creatures inhabiting this planet. There are thousands of other species of animals, but what remains to be clarified is whether or not we are one of the many species or if they are one of the many resources. Historically, people have used animals in order to further our own situations, training them and using them as it serves us best; however, more recently, the issue of animal rights has come into question. Do animals have rights? What are these rights? And why do they deserve them? 

One of the most renowned theorists on the subject of Animal rights is Tom Regan. In his article, “The Case for Animal Rights,” Tom Reagan declares an unwavering argument for the inherent value of all beings, human and non-human animals alike. A lot of people love animals, but, often, they love them for companionship, or recreation, or as an aesthetic amenity. Humans often have little or no tolerance for animals that are unattractive, unaffectionate, or bothersome. We assign value to them based on what they do for us. Regan cites this concept of “instrumental value” as the primary problem with how animals are treated, “The fundamental wrong is the system that allows us to view animals as our resources, here for us – to be eaten, or surgically manipulated, or exploited for sport or money.” Many people might agree with this statement not even realizing that they, too, are guilty of a utilitarian view toward animals. How many people exist that buy grade-A dog food for their precious canine while paying just as much to have the exterminator rid their garage of unsightly rodents? These people may imagine themselves to be animal-lovers, but they only love them in-so-far as it pleases them. They love what animals provide them, but they don’t respect them as beings in-themselves.  

The issue of Animal rights has recently become an issue in the news via the reporting of incidents involving Gorillas in the Congo. In mid-August of this year every news channel featured the story of 4 massacred gorillas in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These gorillas, 1 male and 3 female, were shot execution style in the middle of a protected wildlife reserve where half of the remaining 700 mountain gorillas left in the world live. There was international outrage over the brutality of this crime. In late September another adolescent female gorilla was murdered; however, this event failed to make the same headlines. The less gruesome murder of one is no more acceptable than the execution of four. The crisis in the Congo is not a one time event and the word needs to be spread wide that if something is not done now to save these gorilla’s it will soon be too late.

The media attention to this summer’s gorilla massacre has been very beneficial in highlighting the precarious situation of the gorillas; however, it is imperative that the concern not wane with the passing of time. The danger that these gorillas face is neither new nor temporary. Since 1996 special attention has been paid to the welfare of gorillas and other great apes in Africa. For more than a decade, threatened and endangered species are being killed for meat resulting in widespread local extinctions. This practice is referred to as bush meat, a direct reference to wild game residing in the African bush. Each year one million metric tons of wildlife is killed for food. These killings are not done for sport or malicious intentions but rather out of necessity; rapidly increasing human populations are driving this very lucrative meat trade. The largely uneducated local population that is dependant on this nourishment does not realize that the loss of wildlife and plant species jeopardize stability of ecosystem and the people dependant on them. This year alone, the bush meat trade will result in illegal killing of 8000 endangered apes. Though rational and compelling, these statistical arguments will do little to curb the practice of bush meat hunting because stopping this means finding alternative ways to satisfy needs that drive this trade. This brings up the question of priorities. Is the stability of the species, and the long-term ecosystem, more important than the nourishment of human lives? This question, along with many others similar to it, forms the center of the on-going debate of animal rights. However, while we debate and question the morality of the situation and our possible responses to it, gorillas and other great apes continue to die. By the time we resolve the debate, if we ever do, we will be looking back at the memory that was the great apes, the species that share up to 99% of our DNA, and we will wonder what might have been or what we might have done.

The urgency and magnitude of animal rights is a worldwide concern, one with which Villanova students are actively involved. Among the many issues that Villanova clubs and organizations form to support, animal rights finds its place in the organization of Villanova Students for Animal Rights. The club which was formed about five years ago meets on Mondays at 6:30 in the Peace and Justice center. The members, who have joined to further the awareness of animal rights and to bond with others that foster the same interests, believe that a difference can be made though increasing awareness at a local level. They sponsor events on campus, and trips to vegetarian restaurants. One of their current campaigns involves switching dining services to using cage-free eggs. Anybody interested in the cause of animal rights or how to get involved with the organization can contact Amy Knop-Narbutis or Michael Mannix.   

The issue of Animal Rights spans a wide range of sub-topics from animal testing to African bush meat and affects a great number of people in more ways than can be feasibly understood. Every individual can find an aspect of this broad moral issue that affects them personally or touches their lives in some way. It is more important now than ever that we as individuals identify the importance of animal rights in our lives and in turn do what we can to advocate and support the betterment of our fellow creatures. 

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