“THE PLIGHT OF THE PANGOLINS”

Still another of God’s creatures on the “extinction list”.

“THEY DID EVOLVE FROM A DISTANT “AGE”

MAKING THEIR “HOME” ON THE “ASIAN-STAGE”

IN LANKA, THEY LIVED, OUT UNDER THE STARS

THIS “GROUP” THAT INCLUDED KABARAGOYAS”

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO DESERVE THIS FATE ?

TO BE CLOSE TO EXTINCTION, AT THIS RAPID RATE

THEY HAVE NOT COMMITTED ANY “MORTAL SINS”

UNFAIR, IS THE “PLIGHT OF THE PANGOLINS”

I remember certain Chinese Cafes that kept lobsters in special water tanks, in full view of everyone coming in for a feed. Then “some” patrons” would choose one or two, for a “fresh lobster” meal. The poor lobster would then be yanked out of the tank, killed, & cooked “on the spot” for the poor hungry patrons..

Even as a child, I would not patronize these so-called cafes. Sure, they had a business to run, but to get rid of what their business was “running” in this horrid, in-humane manner was “not-on”, as far as I was concerned. ANY food that has to be consumed by humans should be killed in private, killed quickly with as little “suffering” as possible.

They might be animals, birds, whatever, but slaughtermen,

trophy-hunters, duck-shooters & others of this nature, MUST remember that these “victims” also feel pain & suffer before they die.

I remember this “true story” as though it happened yesterday. Just entering my “teens”, we were living in a little Suburb called Kirillapona (close to Nugegoda), and had my very first “catapult” in hand. I went outside, picked up a small stone, had nothing to shoot at, so I simply aimed it towards the top of a big tree and thought, let me try this thing out, shooting at nothing in sight. Something then happened, that I will never ever forget. That stone had struck a small “kondaya”, nesting in that tree, and the little bird fell, almost at my feet, wings fluttering and making tiny “tweets”as it lay there, dying. I picked it up, tears streaming down my face, fondling that little bird, trying to undo the act that I had unwittingly done, but to no avail. The kondaya died in my hands, teaching me a lesson that will always remain with me. That little bird WAS suffering pain & shock.

Tiny, though it was, it was still a creature of God. Yes, we humans do eat the flesh of some animals, birds, & fish. We have to, in order to survive, but there is NO REASON whatsoever to kill them inhumanely. There should be a law against slaughtermen who torture animals before killing them. There should be a law against Governments who “export” cattle, etc., before ensuring 100%, that these animals will be well-treated as they go to their “final” destination. “Duck-hunting” should be banned altogether.

Brave “hunters” who wish to use their shotguns or whatever should be directed to the nearest ” shooting-range”, so that, at least, they will learn to shoot straight & kill their prey outright. Elephant hunters who kill these huge animals for nothing except the ivory in their tusks, let me give you a “tip”

Firstly, get a little closer to your “target” so you can judge the size of the tusks, you are after, secondly, just a little bit closer man, so the big beast can reach out with his “trunk”, grab you by the neck, lift you & your bloody gun high up in the air, and dash you to your death, suffering the pain that you were about to inflict on “him”, before you go to hell.

I do think that I have made my point here. The KELLY’S

of my entire family, are all “Animal-lovers”& because, as I always say, “the pen is mightier than the sword” I am proud and privileged to be able to pass on my message to the thousands of eLanka readers, who, hopefully, are Animal-lovers as well. They (the animals), my friends, are more trust-worthy, loyal, loving & giving, than most of your human companions.