Original title: After the "monkey abuse of cats" incident fades out, the scientific view of animals needs to be better popularized.
On January 29, a small animal protection organization took the two cats rescued from the monkey mountain of Kunming Zoo back to Beijing for treatment and care. Although this incident once rushed to the top of the hot search list, it will fade out of the public eye sooner or later. For those who are concerned about animal welfare and zoos, after the heat has passed, it is better to devote more energy to discussion and thinking: what else should be done to guide the public's concern for animals to scientific knowledge and understanding of nature?
E. Wilson, known as the father of biodiversity known as the "contemporary Darwin".o.Wilson once proposed the "biophilia hypothesis", which argues that the love of being close to nature and animals is the essence of human beings. However, the relationship between humans and animals, from the early struggle with nature to obtain basic means of survival, including the hunting of various animals, to the domestication and domestication of animals, to today's search for harmonious coexistence between man and nature, has gone through a long process. Zoos and pets play an important role.
The safari park originated from a private collection at the end of the 19th century, and in the early days, it was more satisfying for some people's curiosity. After World War II, zoos gradually began to emphasize conservation awareness and actively participate in the protection of endangered species. Since the 80s of the 20th century, zoos have integrated more scientific research and educational functions, and it has become an important task to help people fully understand nature. This development process reflects the continuous evolution and improvement of society's concept of natural ecology and wildlife protection.
At the same time, pets also play a role that cannot be ignored in human society. In modern society, pets have become a part of thousands of families, cats, dogs and other companion animals and people intimate relationship, not only enrich the life of owners, but also deepen people's understanding and experience of animal emotions and behaviors. This intimacy not only satisfies people's need for companionship, but also prompts more people to pay attention to and care for the well-being and protection of the entire animal kingdom, and expands the bond between humans and animals to a deeper level.
In the Kunming incident, whether it is the unprofessional performance of the zoo involved in responding to the public, or some inappropriate anthropomorphic interpretations of animal behavior, and the remarks of criticizing macaques with human morality, all of them have made professionals deeply realize how indispensable professional science education is in the process of the public's attention to nature rising to a certain level and moving towards a love and understanding of nature. In this matter, both the scientific community and the news should be more active in promoting the correct concept of animals in the hearts of the people.
No matter how ruthless the laws of nature are, the disseminators and recipients of scientific knowledge are people with emotions and positions. Zoos and other professional institutions, when raising and displaying animals, should have sufficient understanding and empathy for the psychology and emotions of visitors and the public. The use of stray cats to control rodent infestation may not be unfounded, but when there is indeed a group of monkeys attacking stray cats in the monkey mountain, and the cats also show struggle and pain, which arouses the attention of the public, the park should have a full understanding of public sentiment, and should also have a basic understanding of animal welfare, deal with it in a timely manner and actively respond to social doubts. A zoo that can't empathize with the people of communication and can't guarantee animal welfare is probably hardly a good zoo. There is no shortage of positive examples in China. All of us who work in the industry should do better.
The public, especially the authorities, should pay more attention to in-depth science popularization and convey the correct understanding of nature, rather than simply chasing Internet hotspots. For example, the so-called "Hoh Xil Internet Celebrity Wolf" incident was originally a typical case of humans mistakenly feeding wild animals, resulting in changes in their behavior. Even if the people who feed the "Internet celebrity wolves" are not motivated by bad intentions, their actions are ultimately for their own happiness, putting wild animals in danger and leaving the risks brought by them to society. In this regard, some ** only cut from the perspective of banter when reporting, but did not effectively disseminate the scientific knowledge of treating wild animals to the public. In this case, the use of words such as "abuse" to describe the behavior of the monkeys to describe human violence is also a case of wrongly anthropomorphizing and moralizing the behavior of animals in mass communication.
* The role of science popularization is not only to be a transmitter of information, but also to be a promoter of education. On the basis of improving their own scientific literacy, they should dig deep into the core issues of animal protection, reveal the impact of human activities on the natural environment and animal and plant populations, and guide the society to form a more comprehensive and profound ecological outlook. This kind of long-term science popularization is not only beneficial to the education of the public, but also can create a more animal-friendly atmosphere for the whole society.
It is a long process from paying attention to nature, to loving nature, to understanding nature. In this process, professional science education and knowledge popularization cannot be neglected. Only when the public has both enthusiasm and rationality can we live in harmony with nature and realize the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. Professional institutions with warm love and scientific literacy are indispensable.
Zhou Wei, the author is a director of the Jiangsu Zoological Society).
*: China Youth Daily.