By participating in a two-week marine ecological investigation and volunteer service at a feline shelter in South Africa, the student reflects on how she can continue to follow the wildlife conservation issues in Hong Kong.
Having seen different animals in the wild, I couldn't imagine how cruel we are to put them in captivity. I hope people realize the sheer inhumanity in zoos, animal shows, canned hunting, trades and any kind of illegal practices on animals. Here we went on cetacean-watching boat trips for observational data collection and worked in extremely spacious sanctuaries by taking care of rescued or confiscated felines. Truth be told, we could be exploiting the animals. However, as a research organization and a sanctuary, they provide chances for people to learn about wildlife with a respectful heart. To justify, they bear educational values and are under more comprehensive maintenance and stricter monitoring than zoos to restore a living environment that is closest to the wild. In terms of animal welfare, no one can understand how they think and what brings more happiness to them: to live under spoon-fed conditions with lengthy lifespans or to unleash their ferity in the Freeland ruled by the law of nature? However, throughout the trip, I could see that people in these organizations never leverage animals to earn filthy money. From the cheetah trainer and the horse groom who took care of the animals to every volunteer who came over miles and gathered for the passion of nature, they all sincerely hope others will learn to appreciate and respect the wildlife.
