Cruelty in Animals Essay

As human beings, we cannot live without other people. In order to survive, we need each other and should help each other. However, we need not only people but also other creatures, such as animals. Their presence is essential in human life as well. They can provide food, help us to earn money, be our companion and many more. Therefore, it is important to treat them with respect as we treat other human beings. In Indonesia, however, many people seem to not fully aware about the importance of appropriate treatment for animals. Many animals are being mistreated by some heartless Indonesians. As the proof of the existence of cruelty in animals, some issues are given. Mistreatment of animals in the zoo is one of the underlying issues today. Many zoos in Indonesia are neglecting and being cruel to animals. Recently, the news about Surabaya City Zoo shockingly showed us how poor some people treat animals. Many animals were starving and didn’t have enough water. The cages are dirty and too small for their needs. Those cages were also littered with plastic rubbish thrown by some visitors; starving animals eat them sometimes. Moreover, many animals were chained and couldn’t move properly. As the result, many animals died unnaturally because of those terrible conditions. Another issue that has been discussed long since is cruelty to monkey as the part of _Topeng Monyet_ or Masked Monkey show. In this street performance, the monkeys are forced to entertain crowds for money by wearing masks and other outfits to imitate humans. They are also forced to ride mini bicycles, sit on tiny stools and even play dead. Perhaps, it seems okay for some people because this is part of traditional culture. However, the cruelty to those monkeys actually happens worse behind the shows. Besides exploiting, many handlers also treat them so badly. The monkeys often live in pitiful conditions, are riddled with disease and forced to live in small cages. Furthermore, metal chains fastened to their neck and eventually infect their skin. Cattle mistreatment is another controversial issue of cruelty in animals. We  need to highlight a topical issue of Australian cattle exported to Indonesia which are abused. Upon arrival in Indonesia, the cows shipped from Australia are lifted by a crane using a cruel technique. Workers usually unload the cows from a boat with ropes hanging around their necks. Moreover, another torturous method is employed in some Indonesian abattoirs. In order to make more money, some butchers force cows to drink a huge amount of water to increase their weight just before slaughtering them. These cows are called _sapi gelonggongan_. Many cattle are often slaughtered with blunt knives afterwards. A lot of people might feel some serious concern about the fact that many animals are often abused and exploited in Indonesia. Therefore, those controversial issues should be resolved immediately. We should not let those creatures end up suffering in this way. We should repay for what those animals have given to us by taking care of them properly.