Many animals are ill treated by their owners.

Animals such as cows, buffalos, horses and donkeys are whipped cruelly by their masters to get the work done. Horses are often made to run faster than their strength allows. Donkeys and camels are overloaded with goods. Oxygen is made to plough fields throughout the day without adequate rest. Lot of made to plough fields throughout the day without adequate rest.

Lot of cruelty goes on behind the scenes of a circus, too. Chains, hooks, whops, electric prods and other tools are often used to inflict pain to force animals to perform. The animals are kept in dirty cages and not fed with good food and water. They are not given enough rest or sleep for days.

Many animals are also used in laborites to be tested upon. The shampoo industry uses rabbits to test their products. Tats are used to test medicines.

Dependence on animals

Man depends on animals for many things. Early man killed animals for food. Later, he learnt to domesticate for other products like eggs, milk, leather, wool and honey. He even began to use animals as means of transport.

Pre –historic hunters used spears and `Atlatl’ to kill wild animal. Atlatl was stick with a hook at one end that was used to hurl spears to great distances.

Bhagat is a farmer. He uses oxen to plough his fields. He also has two cows whose milk he sells everyday. This is common. It is useful to all.

Kiran Rao is a snake charmer. He provides street –side entertainment with his cobra. He blows on his been and the snake sways rhythmically to the movement of been. His family has been in this occupation for generations. But now, Kiran Rao is worried, as the government has enforced a law that bans that catching of wild animals. This is because some people kill animals and sell their skins at high prices. But no one in Kiran Rao’s family has ever killed snakes. In fact, they treasure the snakes they keep and pass them on from one generation to another! Just because some people are cruel to animals, Kiran Rao will be left with no means to earn his livelihood.

Nathuram is madari. He was trained a pair of monkeys to perform on the streets. He is quite popular with the children of the locality.

Suryanarayana pundit (as he calls himself) has a pet parrot. He claims that his parrot is an astrologer and can tell anybody’s future by pulling out a card.

Anand is a languor keeper. He takes his languor to colonies where monkeys trouble the people monkey is scared of languors. They run away on seeing one and do not return for days. People pay Anand for his services.

Saranath is a mahout. He keeps an elephant that he lends for processions and parades. These days it is becoming difficult for Saranath to maintain his elephant.

*All these people are dependent on animals for their livelihood. Most of them take good care of their animals but, there are many who ill-treat them.

• We must be kind to animals and should not use them for our own selfish reasons.