Importance of Animals in Human Lives

By Kristin Jirovsky

Animals affect everyone's life, whether you're an animal-lover, animal-hater, animal-eater or animal-saver, and their presence is important. Importance ranges from companionship to food source, and it varies by person. Pets impact our lives in a positive way, as do work animals and food animals. We may not realize how much impact animals have on our lives.

Companionship

Pets impact human lives on a face-to-face basis by being our companions, whether it's a cat or a dog or a guinea pig. Nothing is more comforting than having a dog greet you at the door, or a cat curl up in your lap or a guinea pig squeal for treats.

Rehabilitation

Pet animals are often used for rehabilitation. Certain dogs, with special certification, are allowed to visit the residents in nursing homes and similar living arrangements. Not only does it lend variety to the day, but a dog or puppy can often bring the most introverted and grumpy person out of her shell. Rehabilitation with pets happens most on rehabilitating a social level.

Caretaking Skills

Having a pet is a great way to teach a child caretaking skills. A pet must be fed and watered daily, on some days given a bath, and trained. Having a child take charge of some or all of these tasks installs a sense of compassion along with responsibility.

Working Animals

Animals have helped throughout history by working for humans. Horses and oxen have pulled ploughs for farming, and carriages and covered wagons for travelling. Now horses are used to win awards or just for easy rides into town for families living on acreages.

Livelihood

Many farmers use animals for their livelihood. Farmers raise cattle, lamb, sheep, goats and other animals simply to make a living. Many of these animals are used for meat or for milk, and the milk and meat have several different uses.

Food

Biting into that hamburger with extra mayo? How about carving that rosemary chicken? Animals raised on farms are often our food sources. Vegetarians avoid this food choice, but are still impacted by milk, eggs and other food items, while vegans choose to eat no animal-related foods. But even these choices impact humans: vegetarian restaurants or vegetarian items on menus are now more common, and many people, while not vegetarian, choose to decrease their consumption of meats.

Sport & Leisure

Animals are often used in sport and leisure activities. Dogs are used to hunt pheasants, quail, and other birds. Other animals are trackers. Horseback riding and polo are sports that revolve around horses.

II. Questions for discussion:

1. Do animals affect everyone's life?

2. How does importance of animal presence in human life range?

3. What kinds of animals can become our companions?

4. What kinds of rehabilitation are pet animals often used for?

5. What kinds of animals can be used for rehabilitation?

6. Is having a pet a great way to teach a child caretaking skills?

7. What result can be expected?

8. What is the historical role of animals working for humans?

9. What is the role of animals in food processing?

10. Why are so many people becoming vegetarians or even vegans today?

11. What animals are used in sport and leisure activities?

III. Prepare a short dialogue with your group mate:

a) impact of animals on our lives;

b) dog-lovers and cat-lovers;

c) animals used for rehabilitation;

d) police-dogs and military dogs;

e) animals and birds in modern farming.

IV. Study the vocabulary notes. Read the text consulting the dictionary.

sanctuary – заповедник; приют, убежище

insufficient – недостаточный, неудовлетворительный

ruthlessly – безжалостно, жестоко

poach – незаконно убивать диких животных, заниматься браконьерством, незаконно охотиться

poaching – браконьерство

plough – плуг

adorn – украшать, служить украшением

musk deer – мускусный олень

musk gland – мускусная железа

blunder – грубая ошибка, большая ошибка

encroachment – вторжение, посягательство

fodder – корм для скота, фураж

indulge in – позволять себе, не отказывать себе в удовольствии

Wildlife Protection

India's 59 national parks and 254 sanctuaries, which occupy an insignificant 4 percent of the country's geographical area, have proved insufficient to protect the country's wildlife. The animals have been driven away from their natural habitats and are being ruthlessly poached. The so-called 'sheltered sanctuaries' too, have not been able to provide total security to these animals. There is constant conflict between the wildlife and the people.

The farmer's plough and the poacher's gun are responsible for the extinction of several species. Take the snow leopard, for example. With its grey, soft coat and rosette-shaped black dots, it ruled over the Himalayas. This beautiful cat was targeted for its beautiful fur coat which now adorns several beautiful women. As of now, there are less than 300 snow leopards. Their numbers are decreasing rapidly.

The musk deer, which haunts the lower Himalayas, was wildly hunted for its musk gland, which is widely used in the perfume industry.

The Indian leopard has now become a highly endangered species. The skin of the Indian python is the cause for its merciless killing. This is not the end of the story.

Ecologists claim that the Indian wolf, the sloth bear and the Hoolock Gibbon are rapidly being depleted in number due to habitat loss!

So far, Project Tiger has been the only successful and sincere effort of the government to protect the Indian Tiger. But the one blunder that the government is making is that while taking protective measures to prevent the killing of wild animals and encroachment into wildlife sanctuaries, it has not been able to provide alternative sources of cattle fodder and fuel to the villagers.

Poaching still continues. Quite often, the people who indulge in these inhuman acts are responsible, educated citizens. Every individual should feel responsible and protect the country's wildlife resources.