Post #5 - The Lion, the Bear and the Tiger

Just by looking at the photo above you would have thought it is being "photoshopped" as there is no way for three apex leaders to cohabit in the same environment. All three of them, Shere Khan the tiger, Leo the Lion and Baloo the bear had actually been living together since they were two months old. They were being rescued from drug barons that kept them as status pets and were brought to Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Centre where the owners decide to keep them together. Instead of having conflict with each other, all three of them have bonded very well and treated each other like their own kind.

As what stated by the owner of Noah's Ark Rescue Centre, this is probably the only place you can get to see this combination. There are chances where you might see this in a circus but those animals are trained and force to live with each other. In this instance, they not only bonded well despite their animal difference which will never occur in the wild. Personally, I felt that it might be the bond have with each other since young and also the harsh environment they were in before being rescued.

However, we have also heard of news where people kept wild animals as pets and were attacked by them. In some cases, the owner even got killed by their own "pet" which in the first place should be living in the wild. When Noah's Ark decide to place all three of them together the same debate came up as some people think it might cause more harm to the animals since in the wild they are mortal enemy. There are also suggestion to release them back into the wild as it is where they belong.



Do take some time to view the video as it shows how the three animals get along and the amazing bond they share. Personally, I think that Noah's Ark rescue centre has been doing a great job and the three animals have been doing very well for the past eight years. Even thought they are kept in an enclosed area but they still have each other for support, and most important of all they are safe from other dangers.

So do you think they did the right thing by keeping the animals together or they should be return to their natural habitat.

Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234087/Lions-tigers-bears-oh-The-Jungle-Book-predators-forged-lifelong-friendship.html (Article)
http://www.noahs-ark.org/

Post #4 - Some like it RAW!

I refer you to the article above from The Straits Time, dated 04 March 2010. The article is about a yoga instructor that practice vegetarianism but only eats raw fruit, nuts and vegetables. The reason she became a "raw foodie" is because she found herself putting on weight and skin condition worsening. Furthermore, she tried different types of dieting plans but none seems to work till she started on the raw vegetarian concept. She became so passionate about eating raw and went on to be trained as a raw food chef. From the article, we also learn that through the practice of raw vegetarian concept, she feels younger and looks better.

Vegetarianism has been on the rise in recent years due to the media coverage of it's health benefits and many celebrities practicing it. As the mass media is very influential and people nowadays are more health conscious, from talk shows to print media we can see the extensive coverage of this topic. Some of the famous celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Richard Gere who are both Vegan even shared their experiences on talk shows. This shows that the mass media can greatly influence the mindset of the audience.

Vegetarianism itself can be further categorized into different varieties:

Lacto-ovo vegetarianism - a vegetarian diet that permits consumption of animal products such eggs, milk, and honey.

Veganism(Vegan) - avoid all animal flesh and animal products, including milk, honey, and eggs.

Raw veganism(as stated in the article) - diet of fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.

Fruitarianism - diet of only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant.

From the different varieties of vegetarianism we can see how it evolve from a simple practice of plant-based diet into all the different types. Although practising any one of them has it's health benefits, there are reports that actually state that a diet based solely on fruits and vegetable won't get you all the nutrients a normal human being need.

So do you agree that practising vegetarianism or in this instance raw veganism beneficial or it's all hype up due to the media?