Animals not only provide food to humans but also provide unhindered access to basic needs like air and water.
Marina Raj Vatican
Animals are the gift of nature, created by God. As a five-sense creature, animals function more than six-sense humans due to biodiversity. These animals, which cater to the needs of humans as domesticated animals and to nature conservation as wild animals, sometimes act with a sense of affection that surpasses human relationships. World Animal Day is celebrated on 4th October every year to protect and transform these animals. This day is celebrated to make the people of the world aware of the value of animals, which are the most important reason for human living environment, and to increase the welfare and quality of animals.
Saint Francis of Assisi
World Animal Day is celebrated on the death anniversary of the conservationist St. Francis of Assisi to show the world his love for nature and animals. The most important factor behind the creation of this day was Heinrich Zemmermann, a Spanish journalist and social welfare activist. His immense love and affection for animals is the reason for celebrating this day. Animals are a creation of God like human beings, and he wanted them to be treated with dignity and took all his efforts to celebrate this day. Thinking that it would be most appropriate to celebrate this day on the fourth day of October, the day of St. Francis of Assisi, he decided to organize the most famous palace playground in Berlin for it. This day was celebrated for the first time on 24th March 1925 due to the fact that Ammaidan was not available on that day. Around 500 animal welfare activists attended the event.
Some believe that this day was first celebrated in 1931. Originally started by Zemmermann’s initiative, this day was initially celebrated only in a few countries like Austria, Switzerland, Yugoslavia and Germany. Zimmerman worked tirelessly every year to make this day the best it could be. Being an excellent journalist and animal welfare activist, he conveyed his views on Animal Day to the world through the press and through various awareness programs. Emphasizing that his efforts as an individual should be taken up by the entire world, he put forward his request at the World Congress held in Florence, Italy in May 1931. His opinion was unanimously accepted by those gathered at the conference and officially announced to celebrate 4th October every year as World Animal Day.
Social activists believe that the ecological zone in which we live depends on the number of animals in the world. Because animals are the main source of basic human needs. Wild animals like tigers and lions are said to help keep rivers and waterfalls from drying up. A type of grass that grows naturally helps to store water flowing from waterfalls for human use. Such grasses are eaten to prevent them from being eaten by herbivores like deer and cows and these animals work in the food chain system. Many times we forget that we humans can live better only when such animals and nature work together.
As humans, the greatest help we can do to animals is to do no harm to them. Because animals are capable of self-preservation and reproduction. As they mostly live in forests, they are very important factors for the richness of nature and the well-being of humans. Animals do not like to save anything for the next day and live contentedly on what is available that day. It is humans who destroy forests out of their greed to add material to the next generation. Due to this, the animals whose habitat is the forest enter the human habitations and cause harm. Wild animals such as elephants, tigers, lions, etc., which are the most important factors for natural resources, the proliferation of plant and animal life, and the protection of natural resources, are being hunted and destroyed due to the selfishness and greed of humans. Cutting down and trafficking of rare species of animals, valuable wild trees and plants for human consumption is a very painful practice. Thus many wildlife prevention laws were brought to stop the trafficking of animals for many purposes such as medicine, leather, ornaments, beauty and desire. The Wild Animal Protection Act was enacted in 1972 worldwide to prevent the loss of animal populations due to human greed and increase their fertility. Through this, poaching of animals is declared as a crime and appropriate punishment is given.
Tamilnadu that protects animals
Tamil Nadu is a state that cares a lot about nature and animals. They set up sanctuaries to protect animals, protect them and provide them with ways to breed and multiply. In order to protect not only animals but also birds, bird sanctuaries have been set up in Vedantangal and are functioning with safety. Vedantangal Bird Sanctuary, Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, etc. were created in Tamil Nadu before the creation of wild animal protection laws. Especially some districts of Tamil Nadu are special for protecting and caring for animals. It is admirable that people treat animals used for plowing agricultural lands and for professional work as part of their family. India is the first country in the world to have a wildlife protection law. World researchers say that 25 percent of the total forest area in each country should be set aside for animals to live. It is our specialty that 29.32% of the total forest area in our state has wildlife sanctuaries.
The Bible says that God created animals before He created mankind, and science says that man came from monkeys. Therefore, it is our duty to protect the animals that appeared in this world before the appearance of the human race and protect the natural resources. Animals help nature through the food chain system, fulfilling not only the natural ecology but also the needs of humans. Animals that are used not only for food but also for medicinal purposes and for beauty products, attract humans to live a life in harmony with nature. This is why people take mind-pleasing tours.
Nature is a wonderful medicine that gives peace of mind to man. That’s why there are tours that we humans undertake in search of places rich in nature, pleasure tourism, spiritual tourism, animal and bird sanctuaries, quiet islands, deep highlands. The reason we do these things are the animals that maintain nature. Man hunts animals to make quick money Biodiversity provides basic human needs like air water food etc. Natural disasters occur when animals responsible for biodiversity are hunted and their numbers dwindle.
Awareness
We have to make an effort to live well with the animals in this land which is a common home for all. When we unite and raise our voices to prevent the animals from suffering, there is a chance that they will be prevented. Let us realize that the recent deforestation and destruction of wildlife is the beginning of the destruction of our future. If we protect nature, it will protect us. There are innumerable species that live in forests. It is the duty of each one of us to preserve and inherit them.
We will make every effort to stop climate change, use of plastic, deforestation, poaching of animals, conversion of forests into tourist sites, clearing of forest trees to widen roads. Let’s share the good news about wildlife with the younger generation. We will make the youth more aware of wildlife conservation events. Wild animals and the forest are intertwined. If one of these is destroyed, the other will automatically be destroyed. Let us realize that if these two are completely destroyed then the human race will also be destroyed in a short time.
Rare species of animals and trees are being cut and smuggled due to human selfishness. The trees which are the habitat and shelter of the animals are cut down and used for human needs. Deforestation leads to reduced rainfall, ecological changes and natural disasters. This world created by God is beautiful with each and every living being. It is the duty of each one of us to pass it on as He created it beautifully. In earlier times humans had to be saved from animals. In this era too, it has become an environment to save animals from humans. If everyone lives with the idea that this world is not created only for humans then everyone can live happily with natural balance. Happy World Animal Day everyone.