Animal stories (1)

Two pieces of recent news about animals show how the western people care about the four-legged creatures.

The first is about a tiger and two camels belonging to a Canadian zoo being stolen a couple of days ago. Jonas the tiger along with Sean and Todd the camels were inside the truck and trailer being snatched by thieves.

It was believed that the animals were taken inadvertently. "Really who would want a tiger and two camels?" zoo director Michael Hackenberger said. "These things would be like a millstone around your neck. There is no rhyme or reason for it."

As time went by, Hackenberger became increasingly worried about the well-being of the animals. He had two public messages for the thieves, whom he said were "either the smartest thieves in the world or the dumbest". He wanted them to know that the animals were microchipped so moving them on or selling them wasn't an option. He also wanted them to ensure that they water the animals he gave detailed instructions about how to water them, especially watering the tiger safely.

To help trace the animals, the zoo has earlier put up a reward of 20,000 Canadian dollars. But as the zoo officials are increasingly worried that the animals may die soon if they are not properly cared for, they have followed that up with an additional offer of $2,000 for proof that the animals were alive. "It's the best money they'll make off a digital photo in their life," Hackenberger said.

If as the circus officials believed the thieves of the trailer had no idea what it contained, I wonder how they would react when they found out that there were a tiger and two camels inside. Like the zoo officials, I am worried about the animals. Not only is there the possibility that they are not watered, it is also likely that the thieves would kill them if they cannot figure out how to handle them or if they think they can make some money out of the animal parts. I pray that in the next couple of days there will be some good news about Jonas, Sean and Todd.

(to be continued)