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| Bust of Caesar (Photo by Andrew Bossi) |
When it comes to animal rights, it seems as though we haven't progressed all that much in two thousand years.
Back when Julius Caesar ruled (from 49 to 44 BC), the Egyptians gifted him with a giraffe. Listverse.com
tells us that Caesar named it "cameleopard." You might suppose that naming this animal indicated a growing attachment of some sort.
Not in the least.
Instead, Caesar prioritized self-glorification of the basest kind.
He first paraded the giraffe around Rome for all to admire, and then "stuck the poor animal in a circus arena and fed it to the lions to show his power."
A recent occurrence at the Copenhagen Zoo seems not that far removed from this ancient scenario. BBC News Europe reports that this zoo not only "put down" (deliberately shot) a young healthy giraffe against the wishes of "thousands of people" - but then made a public spectacle of skinning its carcass, cutting it up and feeding it to the lions.
This showmanship (all in the name of duty, of course) was not only broadcast live on the Internet, but also took place in front of young children. A
zoo spokesman stated the following: I'm actually proud because
I think we have given
children a huge understanding of the
anatomy of a giraffe that they wouldn't have had from watching a giraffe in a photo.
These children might have also been given "a huge understanding" of another sort: that it's perfectly okay to sensationalistically butcher innocent creatures.
After all, Caesar did…
Resources
http://listverse.com/2013/10/12/12-fascinating-facts-about-giraffes/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26098935
Copyright February 9, 2014 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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