The Denuding of Britain.

Posted on by Opher

As a Biologist I am dismayed by the destruction of nature I have witnessed in my own lifetime.

As a boy I played in the fields and meadows, collected frogspawn from the ponds and snakes, lizards and slowworms from the heaths.

The meadows were awash with colour, adorned with all manner of flowers. When you lay back in the long grass there was a buzz of insects, a multitude of bees attended the blossoms, grasshoppers stridulated, beetles crawled through the undergrowth. golden eyed, luminescent green lacewings flew by, hoverflies wavered in the air, butterflies of all hues bobbed over the fields. In the air above house martins, swallows and swifts zipped and soared. The swifts shrieking in delight as they fed off the abundant insects. A journey in the car resulted in a splattered windscreen. Clouds of insects hung in the air around lamps.

The streams were alive with red throated stickle-backs that darted from cover to cover. The ponds were full of globes of frogspawn each spring. Thick with pond weed in which the newts and frogs sheltered.

The heath rustled as lizards and snakes darted into the dry undergrowth. We’d dive and catch them. We’d move the old corrugated iron and collect the grass snakes and slowworms.

I dug a big pit at home with a pond in which I kept my creatures.

Every year we’d collect the Puss Moth caterpillars and Poplar and Eyed Hawk moth caterpillars from the poplars and willow, Drinker Moths from the grass, and Privet Hawk Moth caterpillars from the privet hedges. I’d rear them to moths and release them.

I’d breed the voles, rear the tadpoles to frogs and toads, and delight in nature.

Back then I did not realise that even that was just a mere vestige of what once had been. Back in the days of King Harold – 1066 – England had been one vast forest full of bears, wolves, beavers, otters and wild boar. When Harold marched to and from Stamford Bridge to first defeat Harold Hardrarda and then lose to William they travelled through trails in the forests not roads.  I doubt they saw the sky. Those forests were cleared and the animals that lived there in abundance destroyed with them. I lived in the green patchwork fields that were a desert compared to before. Yet they were still full with that rump of life.

In my lifetime the decline has been rapid. The fields no longer buzz, crawl or bob with insects. The car no longer gets splattered. The skies are not full of swifts. The streams are either culverted or stagnant, devoid of darting fish, the ponds are devoid of newt, frog or spawn. The heaths no longer rustle with lizards and snakes. Hedgehogs are no longer squashed on the road. They have all become rarities. No longer do little boys go collected their frogspawn or jars of fish or hunting lizard and snake. The butterfly nets are a thing of the past. Those creatures, once abundant, are not to be found.

Yet people still tell me that I am wrong. We are not destroying nature. No animals are being pushed to extinction.

The evidence of my own eyes both in England and across the world is a lie.

I despair.

More than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries issue ‘warning to humanity’ (CBC)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/15000-scientists-warning-to-humanity-1.4395767

Could we set aside half the Earth for nature? (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2016/jun/15/could-we-set-aside-half-the-earth-for-nature

Sixth mass extinction? Two-thirds of wildlife may be gone by 2020: WWF (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/26/world/wild-animals-disappear-report-wwf/index.html

How many species are we losing? (WWF)
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/biodiversity/

 

 

Witnessing the Destruction of Nature around the Planet.

Posted on by Opher

We are now in the Anthropocene where humans are impacting on the planet to such an extent that they are affecting climate, polluting habitats globally and causing mass extinctions on a scale not seen since major comet hits or volcanic events. And those natural events were disasters for life on this planet. It is humans that have the intelligence and means to affect the flora and fauna on a universal basis so it is to them that the rights of animals must be directed.

I see nothing wrong with that.

We need to start to view all animal life as sentient beings with feelings and needs and to treat them with respect. We also need to appreciate the balance of life within the food webs of ecosystems

Unless we afford animals rights we violate their right to life. We have abused animals with impunity and treated them abominably. The world used to teem with creatures but we have reduced their numbers drastically. Many farming methods are incredibly cruel and need altering. Many people treat animals with great cruelty causing agony and suffering. We need to afford these creatures rights and form a better relationship with them.

I know the world has too many people. Over recent years my trips to Asia, Africa, South America, India, China and Indonesia have shown a world full of squalor and misery with rubbish, pollution and immense environmental damage. It is heartbreaking. The planet is being systematically trashed to feed and accommodate these masses. I am not proposing radical reductions. We merely need to bring in a series of measures and the population will control itself:

a. Educate girls

b. Provide sickness benefit

c. Provide pensions

d. Provide contraception

e. Give incentives for families of two children

f. Move away from this constant capitalist mantra of growth

That is probably is all that is necessary. In the days of automation we no longer have a need for large armies of workers. They are redundant and destructive.

‘A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest’ is true for all of us. I go by the evidence of my own eyes as much as anything. I have seen the huge decline in wildlife in Britain and I have seen the destruction all around the world. It is undeniable.

In search of koalas, echidnas, wombats and platypus in Australia I can’t begin to tell you the number of times we were told that there used to be lots but they’re gone now.

Vietnam was silent. I asked my guide why the jungle was so quiet and he replied that the people eat everything that moves. No birds, no insects.

In Tasmania we stood on denuded hillsides overlooking bare rock and stumps as far as the eye could see – logging.

In Peru the refuse trucks from Lima unloaded directly on the beaches – mile after mile. The sea was a mass of garbage.

In Cape Town South Africa the raw sewage from the township was piped directly into the sea. A great brown slick hugged the coast.

In Brazil we flew over the denuded landscape previously thriving rainforest teeming with animals.

In Kenya the elephants, once plentiful, no longer roam in herds. The waterholes are no longer spectacles of abundance.

Sailing along the coast of South America, once bountiful with life, where records from the first sailing ships record how many tons of fresh meat was taken on board, the seas, skies and shore were almost empty of life. What had been abundant was now rare. We biologists had to search for the remaining vestiges.

It is a tragic catastrophe of our making.

More than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries issue ‘warning to humanity’ (CBC)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/15000-scientists-warning-to-humanity-1.4395767

Could we set aside half the Earth for nature? (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2016/jun/15/could-we-set-aside-half-the-earth-for-nature

Sixth mass extinction? Two-thirds of wildlife may be gone by 2020: WWF (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/26/world/wild-animals-disappear-report-wwf/index.html

How many species are we losing? (WWF)
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/biodiversity/

 

MPs just voted for cruelty to animals – make them change their minds!

Posted on by Opher

Mike Baillie – Avaaz

Animals can’t feel pain — that’s what MPs just voted, paving the way for industrial scale cruelty. But it’s not too late to stop this plan!
Sign now

Animals can’t feel pain — that’s what MPs just voted, scrapping key animal protections. But it’s not too late to stop their heartless vote! Join the urgent call for the House of Lords to overturn this outrage and share everywhere you can. Sign with one click!

Sign now
Dear friends across Britain,

MPs just voted that animals can’t feel emotions or pain. It’s our government at its most cruel and heartless — but a massive outcry from the public can overturn this outrage.

EU law protects animal welfare, but as we fumble towards Brexit Britain, MPs just voted to remove this vital safeguard, reducing animals to deaf and dumb creatures that exist purely for our benefit.

The vote narrowly passed in parliament and will go to the Lords — that’s our chance. If we can create a massive outcry from right across the country, we can give the Lords the backing they need to reject this heartless amendment. Add your name, with one click, and tell everyone:

Lords: Stop the Heartless Animal Vote!

 To the House of Lords:

“As citizens across Britain, we are horrified by the parliamentary vote that animals aren’t sentient beings. The vote strips animals of the rights they had under EU law — and so we urge you to amend the EU Withdrawal Bill when it comes to the House of Lords.”

Lords: Stop the Heartless Animal Vote!

Wagging tails, excited little lambs, cats that nuzzle your arm — it’s obvious to everyone that animals have feelings and are aware of their surroundings. It’s been proven in over 2,500 scientific studies.

There can only be one reason to deny animal sentience, and that’s to exploit them. Strip away that recognition and there’s no reason to worry about animal testing, barbaric hunting games, and gruesome slaughterhouses. But we won’t have it.

When this bill arrives at the Lords, let’s make sure they have the backing they need to overturn this outrage — we need to make it massive! Let’s show our government want compassion and humanity looks like — sign now with one click!

Lords: Stop the Heartless Animal Vote!

There are many beliefs that unite our community across the world, but surely one of the most beautiful is the understanding that we don’t own or rule the planet — we share it with every other being. It’s why time and again we’ve risen to the challenge of defending animals around the world. Let’s make sure this time isn’t any different.

With hope and determination,

Mike, Alex, Antonia, Bert and the whole team at Avaaz

More information:

MPs vote ‘that animals cannot feel pain or emotions’ into the Brexit bill (Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brexit-bill-latest-animal-sentience-cannot-feel-pain-…

 Yes, Animals Think And Feel. Here’s How We Know (National Geographic)
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150714-animal-dog-thinking-feelings-brain-science/

 After 2,500 Studies, It’s Time to Declare Animal Sentience Proven (Live Science)
https://www.livescience.com/39481-time-to-declare-animal-sentience.html

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/uk_animal_bill_loc/?cCAwEjb

The Universal Declaration of Animal Rights – a document for discussion.

Posted on by Opher

I said a while back that I thought we needed a UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF ANIMAL RIGHTS. This is it.

I adapted the wonderful UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is only a draft so I am more than happy to accept contributions, modifications and improvements. In fact I would be really glad of that. I would also be glad to have this disseminated far and wide. Animals need our protection like never before. Perhaps we can start to raise awareness of how they are being mistreated and abused and begin to do something about it?

The Universal Declaration of Animal Rights

Preamble

 

The recognition of the rights of all living creatures is fundamental to human beings. As members of the family of life we acknowledge our relationship, that we all share the same origin, the same DNA and interact in a wondrous web of life on this planet. As conscious organisms with the intelligence to see the consequences of our actions we have a duty to protect that delicate web of life that has taken billions of years to evolve. We recognize that it may be unique to this universe and each creature has contributed to its extraordinary complexity. The loss of any creature is cause for grief. We are of the same family. Our intelligence alone has conferred guardianship over all creatures.

 

Disregard and contempt for animal rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind. We seek the advent of a world in which all wild animals should live a life free of fear from humans and be free to pursue their lives in the habitats to which they have evolved. Those animals that man has domesticated as pets, working animals or for food or products should be respected, treated humanely and not be subjected to ill-treatment, cruelty or abuse.

 

Whether it be in zoos, farms, homes or the wild all animals should be protected and respected.

 

Animal rights should be protected by the rule of law.

 

These rights should be universal.

 

The people who support this Charter reaffirm their faith in fundamental animal rights, in the dignity and worth of all creatures and in the social progress that will lead to better standards of life for humans as well as animals.

 

We support the promotion of universal respect for and observance of animal rights and the fundamental freedoms of wild creatures, big or small, even to the tiniest insect.

 

We believe that a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge.

All who support this pledge proclaim THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF ANIMAL RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.

All animals are born free and with inherent dignity and rights. They are all worthy of respect and have a role in the web of life.

 

Article 2.

All creatures entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as species, order or family, size, beauty or use to humans

 

Article 3.

Every creature has the right to life and security.

Article 4.

No animal shall be abused, worked cruelly or treated without respect.

Article 5.

No creature shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Every creature, no matter if it be the tiniest insect or protozoan, should have the protection of the law.

 

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Every creature, via a human counsel, has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted them by the constitution or by law.

 

Article 9.

No creature should be subject to death without due consideration.

 

Article 10.

Every creature has the right to their habitats being respected so that they are able to go about their lives in the natural manner to which they are accustomed in the full richness of their unique environment, with regard to fauna, flora and physical attributes.

Article 11.

All creatures have the right to live within the family groups and settings to which they find most conducive to their well-being.

Article 12.

When human activity intrudes into the habitats of animals then due attention should be paid to the rights of the creatures living in those habitats. Due care must be taken to preserve those habitats so that the animals that live within them may prosper.

 

Article 13.

Every creature has the right for their case to be represented in court.

Article 14.

Humans should restrict their operations within 50% of the planet and the other 50% be given over to protected wilderness with the full gamut of habitats so that the complex spectrum of life on this planet retains the ability to live freely without human threat.

 

Article 15.

Humans have the responsibility not to pollute or damage the natural world so their impact is not severe on the other organisms we share the planet with. Both fauna and flora have the right to live free of human interference.

 

Article 16.

Every creature has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of both themselves and of their family, including food, shelter, water and a place to breed.

 

Article 17.

Every creature has the right freely to participate in the richness of life within the community they are part of.
Article 18.

For creatures considered pests due regard must be taken to their role in the wider community of ecology before any action is taken against them. It is recognized that all creatures have a function in the web of life and any damage done to one will have repercussions throughout that web.

 

Article 19.

It is incumbent on mankind to preserve the complexity of life that adorns this planet and protect its uniqueness, to reduce the suffering of creatures and enrich the lives of humans through the beauty of nature.

 

 

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Donald Trump’s Son – Disgusting Elephant Killer!!

Posted on by Opher
SIGN HERE

This is Donald Trump’s son with the tail of an elephant he killed. Trump just gave him a sick gift, changing the law to let bloodthirsty American hunters murder elephants and bring their heads home as trophies. Let’s build a massive global campaign to shame the US into dropping this disgusting plan — Avaaz will work with African countries to deliver our call at a major wildlife protection meeting in days. Sign with one click:

SIGN HERE

Disgusting Trump Sanctions the Killing of Elephants!!!

Posted on by Opher
Dear friends,

Trump just gave a sickening gift to his son, changing the law to let bloodthirsty American hunters murder elephants in Africa and bring their heads home as trophies.

Trump Jr. shot and mutilated an elephant — and now his dad is rewarding him by making it so anyone can join the slaughter and bring home elephant body parts as souvenirs, even as ivory poaching threatens to wipe these amazing creatures out.

Let’s build a massive global outcry to shame the US into dropping this disgusting plan, and when it’s huge, Avaaz will work with key African countries to deliver it at a major wildlife protection meeting days away. Sign with one click:

Save the elephants, drop this disgusting plan!

To President Trump, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and conservation authorities around the world:
Elephants are facing extinction and this is no time to strip them of protection. Trophy hunting drives the slaughter of elephants, increases demand for their body parts, and projects a double standard that makes it harder to tackle ivory poaching. We call on you to do all you can to reverse the US decision to allow the import of elephant trophies, before it is too late.

Save the elephants, drop this disgusting plan!

The Trump administration says it will only lift the ban on trophy imports from Zambia and Zimbabwe, countries it says have sustainable, well-managed elephant populations. But the population of elephants in Zambia is just 21,000, down from over 200,000 just 45 years ago, and in Zimbabwe government officials trap baby elephants to sell them to zoos!

Experts say it’s almost impossible to stop poaching when wealthy Americans are shooting elephants for fun. The only way to save elephants from extinction is to stop killing them, and reduce demand for their body parts.

When Cecil the lion was shot, an international outcry forced the US to better protect lions. Now we need to do it again – before it’s too late for elephants!

Let’s make sure that when government officials in charge of wildlife protection gather in a few days, we meet them with a giant call for the US to drop this disgusting plan. Sign now with one click and share with everyone!

Save the elephants, drop this disgusting plan!

Time and time again, our movement has rallied for elephants. We’ve pushed for ivory bans, funded undercover stings against poachers, and pushed for even greater protections. Now we need to come together for these amazing creatures again.

In hope and determination,

Bert, Spyro, Sarah, Danny and the rest of the Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Donald Trump reverses ban on elephant trophy imports into US — The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/16/donald-trump-reverses-ban-elephant-trophy-imports-us/

Trump Is Allowing Hunters To Import Elephant Trophies Back To The US — Buzzfeed
https://www.buzzfeed.com/briannasacks/trump-is-allowing-hunters-to-import-elephant-trophies-back?utm…

Trophies from elephant hunts in Zimbabwe were banned in the U.S. Trump just reversed that. — Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/11/15/trophies-from-elephant-hunts-in-zimbabwe-…

https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/trump_vs_elephants/?cCAwEjb

Animal Rights.

Posted on by Opher

Do we need to give rights to animals? I think so.

All life on this planet came from one single cell. Every living thing on this planet has the same mother. We all share the same DNA and protein. We have all evolved for exactly the same length of time.

The trouble with human beings is that we like to create a hierarchy. We put ourselves at the top, of course. In fact some people don’t actually recognise us as animals at all. They think we are some god-created being who is so special that they are not related, not part of the animal kingdom. Except that we are. We are made of the same DNA as everything else.

Then we anthropomorphise. Anything that resembles us, like Chimps, Gorillas and Orangutans, are given special status. In fact we are generous enough to award this status to creatures whose intelligence is pronounced. So whales, dolphins, porpoises and orcas are awarded special status. Some even include elephants, dogs, cats and pigs in this elevated status.

In actual fact all creatures are important. The slugs, snails, beetles, spiders and flies are equally important. They form the basis of the food chains. When they go the frogs, newts, swallows, hedgehogs and swifts all disappear.

My contention is that we need to protect all life.

A Charter For The Rights of Animals

It is recognised that all animal life on this planet is born with the natural right to life. All animals feel pain and have a natural instinct to survive. They should be respected. A rich diversity of animal life is necessary for the health of humans.

  1. No animal should be killed without good reason.
  2. No animal should be tortured or mistreated
  3. No habitat should be destroyed without due respect and consideration given to the creatures living in it
  4. All creatures are part of a rich web of life that we are part of and their contribution to this rich web should be valued and understood whenever any  human interference in this natural order is considered.

Well it’s simple but it’s a start.

I welcome any additions, improvements or comments.

Genetic Engineering – Good or Bad?

Posted on by Opher

As a Biologist I like Genetic Engineering.

We now have the technology to insert genes. We can take a gene from any organism and insert it into another. We have successfully inserted luminescence genes from jellyfish into pigs who ended up with luminescent noses.

Just think – we could take a chloroplast producing gene, paste it into all animals and they would produce their own food, absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. Well actually they wouldn’t. But they would reduce their food needs and give out less carbon dioxide.

We can replace defective human genes and replace them with working genes and thus eradicate all those horrendous genetic diseases.

We can put genes into crops that enable them to grow in arid conditions.

We can introduce genes that hugely increase the crop yield.

We can put in genes into crops that give resistance to disease and pests and thus no longer need expensive, dangerous pesticide sprays or herbicides. That would save our beleaguered insects. At the moment our bees, butterflies and flying insects are being massacred.

We could bring back to life extinct animals. Jurassic Park is becoming possible.

Of course there are many health and ethical issues to consider. We now have the power to engineer the perfect children. We could select for intelligence, looks and height as well as gender. But would that ever be desirable? Do we want designer babies?

Then there are the other considerations. Would the genes were engineer in be spread to other plants around? Would the chemicals produced in our crops to give them immunity have health risks for humans?

What are the risks?

Every time there is a new development there is a knee-jerk reaction against it. We don’t like change. And scientists, or at least the companies that employ them, do not do themselves any favours. They cut corners, lie, deny any wrong-doing and cover up their disasters. The nuclear industry is a good example. It undermines trust. People do not believe them.

GM is a good example too. Is it being rushed out too quickly? Is it safe? Are the huge companies just looking at the profit line?

Well, for me, I think GM is the future. We need a full and open debate about safety and ethics. But I am excited by the prospects it opens up. I think it is the start of a revolution that could be extremely beneficial for us and for nature.

A Chinese proverb from the Auspicious Sutra – in the Chi Lin Nunnery Hong Kong.

Posted on by Opher

Animal Rights.

Posted on by Opher

Animal Rights

 

The UN has drawn up an incredible set of Rights for Human Beings. It is about time that they did the same for animals. It might put a stop to the mindless slaughter of our wildlife and the cruel treatment of our farm and laboratory animals.

 

Animals are sentient. They feel pain, fear and terror the same as human beings. They also have emotional needs. They need to explore, communicate and socialize. These were crucial for their survival in the wild and evolved in much the same way as with human beings. We are animals after all.

 

A good example of this is with pigs. Pigs are highly intelligent animals that enjoy investigating, solving problems, meeting other pigs, exploring, rooting out delicacies and playing. Unfortunately on many pig farms they are kept for the whole of their lives in pens so small that they cannot move and have nothing to do. The farmers do not appreciate how cruel this is for an intelligent animal. They think that if they give them food and water and inoculate them against disease they have done their job well. They haven’t.

 

Those pigs need rights. They need woodland to snuffle around in, mud to nuzzle and things to do.

 

I used to work in an Animal House. The Animal House had four animal rooms, plus a wash room, for cleaning cages, an office and a pen for cats.

 

 Those rooms were all ultra-sterile.

 

Room one was typical. It was the rabbit room. It had high strips of windows just under the ceiling, which were of reinforced frosted glass and could not open, and would only allow a diffuse light into the place. The main lighting came from a bank of strip lights which blasted every crevice with incandescence. The walls were plain white tiles and the floors were composition. Every day I had to wipe down the tiles and swab the floor with disinfectant until they were spotless and germ-free.

 

Inside the room were two rows of plain white plastic cages in their white tubular steel frames on wheels so that they could be moved in order to mop the floor.

 

There were no posters, no decorations. The whiteness was unremitting.

 

Sitting in each of those cages was a huge, obese white rabbit. They were kept for possible experimental purposes but never used. They lived in plastic cages too small for them to turn around. They had a water bottle stuck on the grill at the front and a food dispenser that fed them sterilized pellets. They sat on a grill which allowed their faeces and urine to pass through on to a tray of sawdust. They sipped water from their bottles and chewed pellets that tasted like sawdust.

 

My job was to change and top up the water and food pellets, and regularly change the sawdust in the tray underneath. When these tasks were performed I did not even have to touch the animals.

 

The rabbits sat on their grills and stared out straight ahead all day in a state of catatonia.

 

The highlight of their day was when I came in to the room and talked to them. I also put the radio on. I don’t know if they liked loud Rock Music or not? But I figured it couldn’t make their life any worse.

 

I was used to keeping pet rabbits and guinea pigs so I went out front where there was a patch of wasteland, tidied it up and built a rough fence around it. I then carefully took the big bloated rabbits out one at a time and placed them in the enclosure I had created.

 

At first they sat there, their noses twitching, eyes adjusting to the sunlight, looking like the proverbial rabbits caught in the headlights. You could see the bewilderment and fear. It was palpable.

 

After a period of adjustment, tentatively they started to edge forward, paws feeling soil, noses sniffing the tufts of grass and dirt. Gaining in confidence they began exploring further, sniffing each other, nibbling the grass and weeds, and lolloping hesitantly around the enclosure.

 

I can never forget the moment. It was as if a lightbulb went on in all their heads at once. They suddenly realized that they were free, they were out of the room; they were out of their cages and out in the big world – a world that was so stupendous that they could never have imagined its existence. That patch of wasteland might have looked like a measly dump to us but it was like paradise to them.

 

Within minutes they were running, leaping in the air, bucking their hind legs and testing muscles that had never been used before.

 

It was the start.

 

Their days were now spent tasting weeds, running, madly bonking each other – regardless of gender, digging holes, prancing wildly and delighting in their infinite freedom.

 

I would watch them gleefully carrying on and their delight was contagious.

 

In the morning I would come into the whiteness of the room and see sixteen pink noses twitching in anticipation, pressed up against their grills.

 

The weight dropped off them. They lost their lethargy. Those rabbits were alive for the first time.

 

Then came the visit. The powers that be had heard about my rabbit run and decided to pay it an inspection.

 

A serious posse of men in suits with clipboards walked around. They ignored me. They looked at the sterile room with its white tiles, composition floors and strip lighting. They inspected the rows of pristine white cages and sniffed the disinfected air. They conferred. Then they inspected the ramshackle run with its delinquent denizens exuberantly engaged in nefarious acts, without so much as acknowledging my presence.

 

They walked off without a word.

 

The letter was delivered the next day. The rabbit run was unhygienic and did not meet with Home Office standards. It was to be taken down forthwith and the rabbits returned to the safety of their room.

 

Looking at that room through the grill of that cage – just tell me that animals don’t need rights. The room was eloquent in oh so many ways.