Today is #worldanimalday !
World Animal Day all started when Heinrich Zimmerman, a German writer, publisher of the magazine Mensch bud Hundred (Man and Dog) and animal activist, wanted to start a movement for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
He organised the first World Animal Day on 24 March 1925 in Berlin and moved it to 4 October for the first time in 1929. Most of his followers were predominantly from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Czechoslovakia.
He worked tirelessly to promote World Animal Day and finally in May 1931 at a congress of the world’s animal protection organisations in Florence Italy, his proposal to make World Animal Day on the 4th October universal was unanimously accepted.
Every year, World Animal Day is celebrated by animal welfare organisations, community groups, youth and children’s clubs, businesses and individuals who organise events in celebration of this important day. Every year this day attracts more attention from more people from all parts of the world.
Today is a day to raise awareness around animal welfare issues and to promote better treatment of animals around the world, whether domesticated, in captivity or in the wild. We have a duty of care to protect our precious species and to not cause suffering by the hands of humans.
Ubuntu Wildlife Trust raises awareness of the welfare issues surrounding Africa’s wildlife. Through education and raising awareness we want to promote and enforce higher standards of welfare for Africa’s animals.
The welfare issues surrounding the illicit wildlife trade and illegal poaching is something that cannot be ignored. Even with all the media’s attention and publicity, it continues to devastate Africa’s most iconic species every single day.
Not to mention the welfare concerns surrounding anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems, causing a loss in biodiversity. Destruction of habitats deprives species of life requisites resulting in trauma, prolonged suffering, and eventually death. We are now facing an extinction crisis.
Conservationists and researchers must apply ethical considerations to animal welfare in conservation. The control of invasive species, recreational hunting and culling have animal welfare concerns.
Join us in celebrating World Animal Day, help us to spread the message of today.
HAPPY WORLD ANIMAL DAY!
