A few years ago, photographer and artist Sujatro Ghosh created a compelling photo series titled The Cow Mask Project. He had women wear full-head latex cow masks and captured them navigating public spaces. While created primarily as a commentary on the status of women in society, the project brilliantly harnessed the expressive, large, and gentle eyes of the cow. Looking at those photographs, one was almost convinced that a real cow was looking at us.

It makes one ponder what cows, oxen, birds, and other animals around us truly think of human beings. Especially when humans continue to inflict cruelty upon them, one wonders what these silent creatures feel and what thoughts they would express if they could speak.

These very questions align with the theme for World Animal Day this year, which is "Through Their Eyes."

This is the time to slow down, think, shift our perspective towards animals—including our pets—and act on it. When we truly see the world through their eyes, our choices begin to change. Yet acting on this is far from easy. We have created films like Madagascar, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Ice Age, and Finding Nemo, in which we imagine the animal kingdom, their behaviours, and their viewpoints. But ultimately, those harmonious and happy endings belong strictly to the movies.

Is reality truly as rosy for wild and domestic animals alike?

A Reality Marked by Cruelty and Exploitation

Just last month, five young orangutan infants were trafficked from the forests of Indonesia to India, only for the smugglers to abandon them in the forests of Assam. The orangutan is not a native species here, so these motherless babies have no instinctive knowledge of how to survive in an Indian forest, leaving us to wonder what became of their mother, who was left behind.

Humans create countless such tragic scenarios through horrific behaviour. Countries frequently import non-native species from across continents for exhibition, a process during which many animals perish in transit. Still, human greed persists as creatures are uprooted from their natural habitats and placed in alien, hostile environments.

In Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, a wild elephant named Omkar has roamed through local villages for years. He moves between the forest and human settlements, and many villagers care for him deeply. Yet recently, some individuals threw burning torches directly at him. Remarkably, Omkar has never attacked anyone, yet humans pelted him with fire. Elephants are highly intelligent creatures, and if such trauma causes his behaviour to change in the future, humans will undoubtedly brand him as the sole aggressor.

By contrast, states like Kerala have begun using robotic elephants in temple rituals, representing a compassionate step forward that spares live animals from distress.

Today, as we encroach upon tiger habitats, starving big cats wander into villages in search of food. We promptly label them "man-eaters" and lock them in cages. In cities, stray dogs and cats are routinely poisoned, thrown from heights, set on fire, or run over by vehicles. Commercial whaling also continues in several nations, where whales are slaughtered using horrific methods for their meat, oil, and ambergris. 

As if issues like wildlife trafficking and poaching were not enough, people drive recklessly at high speeds on roads passing through forest areas. As a result, wild animals are run over and killed while trying to cross the road. Numerous roadkill incidents are recorded every single day in our country. Even when there are signboards posted on roads near forest departments warning drivers to "Drive Slowly Here," vehicles are still driven at high speeds, and wild animals unnecessarily lose their lives under the wheels.

Man is, without question, the most dangerous and violent animal on Earth, and no other creature compares with the savagery of humankind.

The Growing List of Extinctions

We celebrate World Animal Day, World Biodiversity Day, World Forest Day, and numerous other observances. But if poaching, smuggling, habitat destruction, and cruelty persist, we have learned nothing from these occasions. Human activity poses a grave threat to countless species, not only through hunting but also through pollution, the destruction of natural habitats and water sources, wildlife trafficking, exploitative tourism, and captivity.

Illegal poaching and the live wildlife trade remain rampant threats. Due to human actions, species such as the Falkland Islands Wolf, Labrador Duck, Atlas Bear, Passenger Pigeon, Tasmanian Tiger, Carolina Parakeet, Japanese Wolf, Caspian Tiger, Portuguese Ibex, Yangtze River Dolphin, Pinta Giant Tortoise, and West African Black Rhinoceros have either been wiped out entirely or pushed to local extinction. Hornbills in India's Nagaland have also faced severe threats.

Even today, armadillos, pangolins, pythons, various monkey species, and exotic parakeets are smuggled globally, while many others are hunted illegally for body parts falsely deemed valuable. In some rural areas, a wild animal that accidentally strays into a village is tortured to death.

Reading about these acts makes one realise that animals are fortunate to be mute, yet we must never forget that they possess intelligence and emotions. Through their eyes, they silently witness the atrocities humans commit against them.

Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves

We often make decisions and think about the future from a human-centric perspective, but we must consider viewing things through a different pair of eyes.

Whether it is an apex predator like the tiger, a dolphin in the ocean, a bird in the sky, or a reptile on the ground, every creature is an integral part of nature. Even the smallest insect, like a honeybee, serves as a vital linchpin in our ecosystem. Every living organism plays an essential role in maintaining ecological balance, meaning that protecting wildlife ultimately safeguards the very natural systems that sustain human life.

In India, National Wildlife Week is observed annually from October 2 to October 8. Its core objective is to generate public awareness about wildlife conservation, encourage community participation, and highlight the importance of biodiversity.

Habitats are shrinking, destroying the food chain. Deforestation, pollution, rapid climate change, illegal trafficking, and human-wildlife conflict have placed immense stress on animal populations. Under these circumstances, wildlife conservation is not merely the duty of the Forest Department but the responsibility of every citizen.

As the renowned wildlife researcher Jane Goodall famously said:

"Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved."

Guided by this vision, we must strive to protect every species, preserve critical habitats, and foster peaceful human-wildlife coexistence. Protecting wildlife is not just about saving animals; it is about securing the ecological future of humanity.

From Awareness to Action

Looking at the world "through their eyes" compels us to rethink our relationship with nature. For wild animals, the forest is not just a collection of trees, mountains, and lakes—it is their home, their food source, their sanctuary, and the foundation for future generations. When habitats are destroyed, trees are felled indiscriminately, water bodies are polluted, or migratory corridors are fragmented, the entire ecosystem suffers.

This World Animal Day, let us move beyond mere words of compassion and translate them into meaningful action. We must work to protect natural habitats such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, and animal corridors. We must take a firm stand against wildlife crimes, poaching, illegal trade, and everyday cruelty.

At the same time, we need to support scientific research, camera trapping, biodiversity documentation, and long-term ecological studies. We should promote responsible nature tourism that respects animals without causing them stress or harm. Finally, we must foster peaceful coexistence by raising awareness about safe behaviour around wildlife, conflict mitigation, and emergency response.

When awareness transforms into tangible conservation efforts, our observances gain true purpose. On this World Animal Day, let us fulfil our responsibilities and build a richer, more compassionate planet for generations to come.

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