How people depend on Animals

 
     There are many people who depend on animals for their livelihood. Gujjars, snake charmers, circus artists, madari and mahout are some examples of such people.

Gujjars: Gujjars are tribals who are basically cattle grazers. They feed their cattle on some special leaves that enrich their milk in fat. They sell the milk and butter in the village market or in a diary in a nearby town and thus, earn their livelihood.

    
                                                                         
                                                                       

Snake charmers: Snake charmers catch and remove their fangs and the poison sac. They keep these snakes in a a smell, closed basket and use them to entertain people and earn money. The make the snakes 'dance' by swaying their flute or been and its hood in defence. It is the movement in self defence that gives a impression as if they are dancing to the tunes of the snake charmer.

   

                                                

The circus Artists: Have you ever been to a circus and seen animals like elephants, lions, horses, bears and monkeys perform..? People enjoy their performance but they are not aware of the cruelties these animals have to face behind the stage.They are kept in dirty cages which are small for them. They are not given proper food and are not allowed to rest enough as the circus has to travel from one place to another. They are trained to perform acts which may be dangerous for them, like jumping through flaming hoops or riding a bicycle.

                     

The mahout: Some people capture a young elephant and train it to give rides to people. They charge money for the rides and earn their livelihood. These elephant trainer are called mahouts.

 Keeping wild animals in captivity, away from their natural habitat, is cruel. As such people using these animals often have to remain without food and proper care. People like snake charmers and madaris, are dependent on their traditional means of income. They are not trained for any other job. So, it is important to educate and train them for other occupations, so that they can earn their livelihood and spare the poor animals from being tortured.