Lewis Hamilton Compares Coronavirus Lockdown To Life As Zoo Animal
The F1 champion asks his 14.9 million Instagram followers not to support zoos or animal circuses.
Credit: Facebook
During the coronavirus pandemic, cities and countries across the world have ordered people to stay in their homes to help prevent the spread of the virus.
To keep themselves entertained, some people are turning to virtual zoo tours, whereby cameras livestream animals in aquariums and zoos, such as giraffes, elephants, and penguins. But long after our own has lockdown finished, these zoo animals will still have a lifetime of isolation left.
Vegan advocate and six-time Forumla One Champion, Lewis Hamilton, has drawn attention to this by comparing self-isolation during the coronavirus outbreak to the lives of animals suffering in captivity.
"If you are home on lockdown, perhaps you can feel a little of what the animals in captivity go through every day, their entire lives stopped from them," he wrote on his Instagram story.
Animals in captivity commonly suffer from the psychological disorder ‘zoochosis’, whereby animals develop repetitive behaviors to help cope with the stress and depression caused by captivity. Zoochosis can include swaying, pacing, circling, bar-biting, and even self-harm.
Even at the best of zoos, captivity cannot begin to replicate wild animals’ habitats. Animals are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind, according to PETA.
Oxford University observed animals in captivity and in the wild for over four decades. Their study found that animals such as polar bears, lions, tigers, and cheetahs “show the most evidence of stress and/or psychological dysfunction in captivity” and concluded that “the keeping of naturally wide-ranging carnivores should be either fundamentally improved or phased out.”
The Future of Zoos?
Technology offers creative solutions and allows people to immerse themselves in animal experiences without forcing wildlife to pay the price: from virtual-reality headsets which lets the viewer see the world through the eyes of different creatures, to sublime wildlife documentaries, such as the acclaimed work of David Attenborough.
Species Unite
A collection of stories of those who fight the good fight on behalf of animals.