@Carolyn2602 Said
Wow! Great quote from this video about one thinking they're an "animal lover" because they love their own dogs (or cats etc). I think that's pretty powerful in describing the moral confusion some people seem to accept in differentiating between the animals they do love, and those they eat and exploit in other ways.
In regards to the training of the elephants, which isn't that much different to training of other animals who are so big and powerful, I imagine. It's not rocket science to go to a circus and see elephants standing on a small stool for the pleasure of humans, or lions jumping through burning hoops, or tigers riding on the backs of terrified horses ... etc etc etc and have an idea that these animals do not perform such pathetic acts as part of their natural behaviour. Someone, at some time, makes them do so. In order to make an animal like an elephant do EXACTLY as a human wishes, it's necessary to terrify, beat and abuse that animal, obviously.
I tend to agree, humans as a species may well be regarded as the Devil by other species, which is really sad.
I agree Carolyn.
Years ago I came across a book written by a circus tiger trainer. He said that the very first thing one must do when one meets a "new" tiger is attack them to establish who's boss.
They would place a noose around tigers' necks and, if they dared to fight back, they would be hauled into the air and strangled for a while until their spirit was broken. The same idea as in waterboarding I guess.
The real issue is what prevent the public thinking about such things when they trot off to the animal circus. Then again, how much thinking takes place when one lifts a piece of animal flesh off the supermarket shelf?
rogY