So some people on FB have been a tad upset about the Cincinnati zoo incident where a gorilla was shot. I honestly think the zoo did the right thing in shooting the animal. Yeah it is unfortunate the animal concerned is an endangered species and had to die, in general animals should handled in a manner that provides the least amount of mistreatment. But this action was undertaken by experts, and they did so to preserve a human life. What I don’t agree is with statements by certain people who in their knee jerk reaction saying that shooting was unjustified, that maybe they could have waited despite the risk to the child. A human life was in mortal danger it had to be preserved simple as that even above the life of animal if necessary. While animal rights activists would argue that statement in of itself expresses “anthropocentric” view, it is. However coming from a human rights background I cannot hold another viewpoint. The fact is when we go down the path of evaluating another humans right to existence that perhaps any other human life is worth less as another human let alone an animal, we begin to go down a very dark and dangerous path, a path walked by man many times in his time on this earth, and many times man has brought great suffering upon himself for it. It is a path we cannot tread down again, for every journey begins with one step. It is rather in my opinion is simply a step not worth taking.

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