BUT YOU TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT
Unfortunately as we get older, we are methodically drawn away from our connection to other animals, and conditioned to turn a blind eye to their suffering. Living in an anthropocentric world, we are trained to find various excuses for the exploitation of animals and are constantly assured of our inherent superiority to all other beings. As a result of this problematic mentality, most wild animals have been hunted to extinction and those that remain, are doomed to suffer the horrific consequences of the Anthropocene.
Though it is true that the ever – growing presence of humans has affected the lives of all living beings, those suffering the most devastating consequences of our greed are farmed animals, who are raised and kept in frightening conditions for the sole purpose of becoming someone’s supper.
However, as much as we try to ignore the ugly truth of our consumer choices, or how desperate we are to convince ourselves of our inherent superiority and the subsequent right it gives us to erase the value of the lives of other animals, the truth remains that we are directly responsible for the suffering of trillions of sentient animals who are tortured through every life stage and eventually brutally killed while their loved – ones watch in terror, waiting for their turn to enter the kill – floor.
It is time we take a look at the life of the victims…
Donkeys
Donkey farms are not very common. They have started to become a trend only recently, focusing mainly on donkey milk, which is considered highly nutritious.
Although donkey breeding is at an early stage, the procedures followed are well known. The animals give birth and are almost immediately separated from their young, so that the farmers can steal their milk and sell it for human consumption. Apart from food, donkey milk is also used as an ingredient in various cosmetic products, since it is said to have powerful anti – ageing and healing properties.
For hundreds of years, Donkeys have also been human’s first choice when it comes to assisting them with arduous tasks. Their personality, physical strength and endurance threshold, has unfortunately made them ideal candidates for exploitation.
Many donkeys are left tied up under the burning sun for days, with limited access to food and water, if any. Usually, their legs are tied together to prevent them from running away, while many donkey owners overburden them with heavy loads, using them as a means for transportation. As a result, the animals get sick, while the strain on their bodies is such, that they often suffer from several musculoskeletal injuries, eventually collapsing, or simply losing their appetite for life.