Scottish and UK Governments allow cruel hunting and shooting parties of more than six people, despite groups of six being banned.
Background On The Ban
The rule of six bans came in a few days ago. It is a lockdown measure - a ban which stops people from meeting more than a group of six people.
The UK government has imposed this rule of six bans. As has the devolved governments in Wales and Scotland also imposed it.
Hunting and Shooting Allowed
Sadly, both the Scottish government and the UK government has made exemptions for hunting and shooting in this new rule of six.
This means that groups of more than six people can go hunting or shooting animals.
The Barbaric Nature Of Animals Must Stop
Allowing hunting and shooting to go ahead with more than six people in a group isn't just double standards and treats different groups of people differently, it also is barbaric and cruel.
Why do we shame the hunting and shooting of animals in other parts of the world - like say, the hunting of lions, giraffes or elephants, but think that it's okay slaughter animals for 'fun' with our wildlife here in the UK? It's a double standard and treats our wildlife with contempt and cruelty. There isn't a good reason for hunting animals as a form of 'recreation' or 'fun' - it is barbaric and a senseless waste of animal life which keeps us in the dark ages, where we see animals as trophies to be killed, rather than the sentient, loving and unique living beings they are.
The UK is also one of the world's most nature depleted countries. Which means we are one of the top countries in the world that have destroyed most of our natural land and wildlife. Our aim should be to rewild our lands and respect it; not destroy it.
A Dual Crisis
The world is going through two crises right now - that of climate change and the biodiversity crisis. The biodiversity crisis is also known as the sixth mass extinction, where humans are destroying wildlife at such an extreme rate that we are causing species to become extinct at much higher levels than naturally occurs in the wild.
It is estimated that 150 species go extinct every day.
The reason that so many animal species are pushed towards extinction, or are pushed towards becoming an endangered species, is a combination of habitat loss and humans hunting animals.
There are two recent examples of this. The first is the tigers. Tigers were once abundant in Asia. There was estimated to have been a population of 100,000 tigers in the wild during the beginning of the 20th century. Today, there are 3,900 tigers in the wild because of humans hunting these beautiful animals.
Likewise, the picture is similar in the UK with the Scottish Wildcat. The Scottish Wildcat once existed throughout the British mainland - in England, Scotland and Wales. Due to habitat loss and humans hunting them, Scottish Wildcats nearly became extinct in the wild all across the UK in the early 20th century. Today, Scottish Wildcats are extinct in England and Wales, and they are mostly extinct in Scotland. There is only a very tiny number of Scottish Wildcats living in the wild of Scotland today.
The point about these two examples is that hunting and shooting animals isn't just cruel and medieval, it also is something that poses a serious risk to animals - it is often the thing that results in animals becoming endangered and extinct.
At the time when the world is going through a pandemic - caused by our mistreatment and cruelty towards animals, is it not time that we paused and reflected on the way we treat animals? Is it not time to change the way we treat animals and how we interact with nature?
Scientists believe that more pandemics could happen in the future if we keep on abusing animals and nature. For example, they have said that the destruction of the Amazon rainforest could result in another pandemic.
Now is the time to create a better world, for animals, people and the natural world. We have to change our ways.
It's time to outlaw hunting and shooting for 'fun', not continue where we left off in our destruction of nature and animals.
A kinder world is possible; governments have the power to make it so.
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