Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!rutgers!mailrus!cornell!rochester!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!ur-valhalla!miller From: miller@galaxy.ee.rochester.edu (Ruth Miller) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: More on Hookbills Message-ID: <1524@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu> Date: 17 Oct 88 15:47:59 GMT References: <6418@ihlpf.ATT.COM> <1271@inuxd.UUCP> Sender: usenet@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu Reply-To: miller@galaxy.ee.rochester.edu (Ruth Miller) Organization: UR Dept. of Electrical Engg, Rochester NY 14627 Lines: 29 Well, it had to come. Talking about cage birds in a group that likes to watch wild ones had to draw flames. I can't argue either side--I feel guilty keeping our two in cages but I can't let them out when we're not home or they'd find some way to kill themselves. Should we have them? Well, they're not wild-caught--lovebirds breed so easily there's no need to go to Africa to get some--they were raised in the US (Florida and CA) to be sold as pets. So were your cats/dogs etc.--and what do they do all day when you're not home? To get a bit philosophical, I think we humans have a responsibility to the other creatures on this planet, just because we are capable of destroying or saving all of them. (Did you know that the group that includes rhinos, elephants, tapirs and horses has been "naturally" (w/o benefit of humans) going extinct for a while now?) That responsibility includes the "right" to control other creatures--as a king has a right to control his subjects--FOR THEIR OWN GOOD! That doesn't necessarily answer the question whether we should domesticate creatures, but unless you who are cross with us who keep birds are all vegetarians I can't promise to listen. There's another question, though--keeping wild-caught birds who may be in danger in their own habitats, whether from humans or other threats. I would say personally that if you feel you are "saving" these birds, you should be trying your utmost to breed them--find other people nearby who own birds you could pair up. Otherwise, though your own bird may live a long and fairly happy life you have done nothing but make the threatening situation worse for the species by making a market for someone to capture birds who would otherwise increase their population. 'Nuff said. --Ruth Miller