The death of Cecil the lion was a tragedy, but his life was no more valuable than any of the millions of farmed animals routinely killed every day, says The Vegan Society.
Social media has been awash for days with both outrage and mourning over Cecil’s death, which has captured the public’s attention and compassion unlike any other animal story in recent months. Is it because Cecil had a name and was perceived as beautiful and powerful that to many his life had greater value than the huge numbers of nameless, and frequently helpless, animals used by humans?
“Trophy hunting is a terrible thing, but no worse than the farming of animals for our consumption. All animals share the same feelings, emotions and individual personalities as each other, and are entitled to the same respect and treatment regardless of species,” said Jasmijn de Boo, CEO of The Vegan Society, who has extensively studied the behaviour of many animals including primates and wild birds.
“If Cecil’s death saddened you, then please take a look into how meat is made, the methods of fish farming, the way dairy products are produced. Understand what goes on in factory farms, how the animals are treated, and how they are killed, and make the connection,” de Boo added.
If you agree that farm animal lives should be valued too, why not share our I am Cecil campaign on Facebook or Twitter?
