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Guest Column by Jitendra Sharma: Animal instinct
Indian celebrities who visit private zoos and pose with their ‘wild pets’ don’t get that they’re participating in animal abuse
I often see influencers and celebrities going on trips to countries like Dubai and visiting the homes of super-rich people who have exotic wild animals like lion, tigers, cheetahs and apes as pets.
Even as a kid, I knew this was unethical and something that all celebrities should speak up against.
Sadly, greed has taken over humans and, in our quest to expand our influential networks, these celebrities end up posing with drugged lions and tigers.
Take the tiger temple in Thailand, for example. Most of the time, these animals are drugged so that you can take a cute picture for your Instagram. The temple was closed in 2016 because half the rescued tigers had died as a result of constantly being drugged.
However, there are still many places where tourists can click selfies with drugged wild animals.
The private zoos set up by wealthy families in countries like Dubai or anywhere in the world in the name of “conservation” are a scam. These people use these wild animals for their family entertainment. They have billions of dollars to spend and yet they do nothing to conserve wildlife except build a fancy zoo at their home.
In most cases, these animals are declawed too.
If you want to love a pet at your home, adopt a dog, cat, cow, pig or any other animal that can be domesticated.
Wild animals don’t belong in cages and behind closed doors. When you cage them, you deprive these majestic creatures of their freedom. And then you post pictures of that tragedy shamelessly.
It’s a shame that Indian influencers and celebrities don’t think twice before visiting these people and posing with their “pets”, doing things like feeding them milk in bottles. You’re setting a wrong example to society.
Whether you’ve been invited by a wealthy sheikh or that rich dad’s 16-year-old son in Dubai, it’s okay to refuse a visit to their home. Money and contact building should not be the only goal of your life.
These people are doing wrong to animals and it is beyond okay to turn down their invitations.
You have enough money to survive without extra contacts in Dubai and more financial assistance than you already have. Do not let your greed cloud your empathy. Your followers see your posts and are influenced by them, so influence them better. Be wise.
Jitendra Sharma aka @TedTheStoner (26) is an Instagram star and an animal lover, who has facilitated more than 40k dog adoptions.
I Say Chaps is a column that allows passionate, creative people a platform to have their say.
From HT Brunch, January 14, 2023
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