controlling animal way of life !! ~ Sport where men & women compete together !!

In mid 1990s, in Kakinada, on a hot evening, there was no power and there was chaotic scenes with pigs raising sound of agony ! ~ later understood that Municipal workers to keep their population under control, were catching and castrating them – it appeared rather crude methodology and pigs were in great pain ! – not sure how they would behave in such pain, for pigs though docile could act aggressively.   My neighbour raised the Q on how ethical it was to painfully subjugate animals ~ and was quick to add that it had nothing to eating animals !!

At Southampton, England defeated India by 60 runs to make the Series 3-1.  Moeen Ali was England’s star turn on another gripping day of Test cricket at the Ageas Bowl, as he ended India’s spirited pursuit of a victory target of 245 with a series-sealing display of patient, probing offspin.  Bowling with renewed confidence after his first-innings five-wicket haul, and with a juicy dinner-plate of rough to aim outside the right-hander’s off-stump, Moeen finished with match figures of 9 for 134 , having effectively sealed the contest either side of the tea interval.  ~ and someone commented that it is better to see Women’s Cricket – well, Can you think of one sport where men and women compete against each other as equals? – in Tennis – the mixed-doubles !!

Stumped?  It is  horse racing, where female jockeys regularly jump in the hot seat alongside their male counterparts ~ and it is not riders alone .. it is the horses too.   The horses carrying them towards the finish line are locked in their own battle of the sexes --  While male and female thoroughbreds are fairly evenly matched in physical ability, the girls must overcome commercial and even psychological constraints to get ahead in the sporting world.  One of the most remarkable champions the racing world has ever seen also retired last year -- a female thoroughbred called Black Caviar. The Australian mare notched up 25 consecutive wins, becoming not just a national sports star but a celebrity who even graced the cover of Vogue magazine.

Racing horses are – Fillies, mares, colts, stallions, geldings, ..  .. ..   of them – a gelding is a castrated horse or other equine, such as a donkey or a mule. It is claimed that Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally-driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday working animal.  A male horse is often gelded to make him better-behaved and easier to control. Gelding can also remove lower-quality animals from the gene pool.  To allow only the finest animals to breed on, while preserving adequate genetic diversity, only a small percentage of all male horses should remain stallions.  They would further claim that gelding a male horse can reduce potential conflicts within domestic horse herds.

It is not only for these animals but also those in Zoo, it appears – MailOnline reports that dozens  of young male gorillas in zoos across Britain and Europe are set to be castrated because 'they're too hard to manage'.  Instead of letting them develop into mature silverbacks - which are incredibly strong, and aggressive - scientists want to start making them more like butch females.  As young males get older they start to challenge their fathers and have to be kept separately which can make them difficult to manage.

Castration involves the apes having their testicles surgically removed. A three-decade long project to breed 500 endangered western lowland gorillas around European zoos was so successful that there are now an abundance of males.  The project involved 74 zoos, including London and Chessington. The castration programme is overseen by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (Eaza). Eaza director of communications told The Sunday Times that castration was an 'ethical alternative'. He said: 'Carried out at a young age, [it] prevents development of the full range of adult male characteristics and behaviours... research points to castrated animals continuing to live in their original family groups with no problems.'

A study involving 75 gorillas of all ages found the castrated ones were more tolerant of being near other gorillas than ones who had not had it.  There are 40 male and 60 female gorillas in British zoos. The castration project has  naturally drawn criticism from animal rights' groups and anti-zoo campaigners.   Is it right to deny animals their rights and change their way of living, only because humans want to have them as exhibits and enjoy their life, denying them opportunity to enjoy life.

Strange are the ways of people !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

2^nd Sept 2o18.