‘Collateral Damage’: The devastating impact of war and human conflict on animals
Society is conditioned to accept that conflicts such as war and civil unrest will undoubtedly result in human harm. But it is not accustomed to thinking about the suffering that such wars and unrest cause to animals. Casualties are most often measured in human lives, with rarely a mention of the often overwhelming effects on nonhuman animals and the natural environment. With no way of escaping the violence and outlying suffering, animals are uniquely caught in the midst of the storm, with no recourse to alleviate that suffering. From companion animals to farmed animals to the surrounding wildlife, their importance should be highlighted rather than ignored throughout the conflicts that far too often plague the world.
IFAW: Societal and geopolitical conflicts have produced reverberating consequences for animals, biodiversity and the delicate natural balance of the environment. The impact of war can be observed in many ways, including habitat destruction, the degradation of food and water sources, and noise pollution. Changes in the environment brought about by conflict affect each individual animal, family and community, but also entire species. Community animals, companion animals, zoo animals, livestock and wildlife are all affected and the repercussions can last for generations.
Conflict often results in the depopulation of towns, villages and entire regions, and all too often animals are left behind. Domestic animals may be deserted without adequate access to food or water, either tied up or kept inside an abandoned building, or else left to roam the streets. One example is a shelter in
Borodyanka in Ukraine where workers and volunteers were forced to abandon the shelter and flee the area as a result of the bombing and despite their best efforts to stay and continue caring for their animals. Abandoned animals perpetuate stray populations and are vulnerable to outbreaks of diseases such as rabies. Further, once the conflict has ended, animals who were once healthy are likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder or physical ailments that decrease the likelihood of adoption.
Animals in zoos, kept in cages or enclosures and unable to escape or fend for themselves, are at particular risk for harm because those who care for them may be killed, forced to flee, or unable to feed the animals as a result of food shortages. A gruesome example of animals being deserted during a conflict occurred in the Gaza Strip in 2014 at Khan Younis Zoo, dubbed “the worst zoo in the world.” During the seven-week conflict between Israel and Hamas, the zoo was closed and the animals were left in filthy cages to starve. After the conflict, the mummified remains were put on display alongside the living animals as an attraction. It was, said one observer, “like a horror movie”…
Society is conditioned to accept that conflicts such as war and civil unrest will undoubtedly result in human harm. It is not, however, accustomed to thinking about the suffering that such wars and unrest cause to animals. With no way of escaping the violence and outlying suffering, animals are uniquely caught in the midst of the storm, with no recourse to alleviate that suffering. Casualties are most often measured in human lives, with rarely a mention of the often overwhelming effects on the natural environment and biodiversity that come from human-driven conflicts.
From companion animals to livestock to the surrounding wildlife, animals are an integral part of our ability to thrive as human beings. Their importance should be highlighted rather than ignored throughout the conflicts that far too often plague the world. Regardless of ecological impact, physical proximity or strategic importance, humanity must make the situation right — alleviating the suffering of those animals and returning a sense of normalcy to those lives, both human and animal, that have been disrupted. Acknowledging the profound impact of conflict upon animals is a fundamental first step toward restoring our own humanity as well. SOURCE…
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