| A. The animals, to some extent, become tools to us. B. Although violence against zoo animals is often reported, the issue of animal welfare has aroused little attention recently. C. By taking a selfie, you show that you're part of that experience. D. The comparison between caged animals and wild ones are appealing to people. E. Similar incidents are a regular occurrence in natural settings. F. The common factor is that some people are not respecting animal. |
Recently, in the quest for a selfie (自拍), a woman climbed over the concrete barrier of a Jaguar (美洲虎) enclosure at Wildlife World Zoo, Arizona. The jaguar ripped into her arm. Bystanders pulled her away before the animal could injure her further. She's fine-so is the jaguar.
This isn't the first time a story of a person acting rudely to get close to a wild animal made headlines. Last year, a man jumped into a lion enclosure at a zoo for a close-up photo. Multiple tourists in Yellowstone National Park have been attacked by bison (野牛) when they've gotten too close for a photo.
It's common sense not to get close to wild animals that can hurt you. It's why zoos have barriers -sometimes multiple walls-to keep people separated from animals. Signs posted everywhere state the obvious warning. Keep your hands off the cage.
"Yet animals have become less real to us," says an environmentalist. We see exotic animals most frequently in managed settings like zoos. People are trying to take advantage of their rarity to show off on social media and ignore their fierceness.
Media often normalize interaction with dangerous animals. Seeing a man like "Lion Whisperer" Kevin Richardson regularly play-fight with lions on TV, may send the message that these animals aren't so dangerous after all.
Social media are also perfectly positioned to contribute to the rise of animal selfies. Getting likes and comments provide instant satisfaction. Your self-esteem actually gets a temporary boost. To hold onto that feeling, people may go to more and more extremes to showcase the most exciting versions of themselves. It may not be enough to get a photo of a beautiful, dangerous animal from outside a cage.
People's careless approach can put the animal's safety at risk as well. Zoo animals often must be killed to protect the person who's entered their space. In fact, thrill-seekers actively endanger the lives of animals. with the zoo environment, they take it for granted that animals are there for people, ignoring the fact that animals and humans are both equal existents in the nature.
