Let Animals Live Free

Photo credit: The Rising Nepal Dixya Poudel

Wed, 7 October 2026

Photo credit: The Rising Nepal Dixya Poudel

Wed, 7 October 2026

As humans, we may be the most rational of beings, but we are also the most merciless. While animals live by innate instincts, humans are ruled by logic, rationality, and complex thought, the very essence that separates us from the other life forms on Earth. And yet the way humans exploit animals reflects their ruthlessness, as witnessed in animal sacrifice and abuse. Like every year, this year too, World Animal Day was celebrated on October 4, on which the beauty and wonders of animals are celebrated while calling out the cruelty inflicted on them. However, animal rights activists stress the need to treat animals compassionately every day of the year, not just on one specific day.

Animals are innately and purely governed by their own natural laws. They speak their own language, which we may not decipher but this doesn’t mean that they don’t have rights. At the heart of animal rights is the philosophical belief that animals have their own inherent value and have to be protected from human exploitation and use. Animal rights focuses on the autonomy and freedom of animals, as it is surmised that they too can feel joy, fear and pain. Likewise, animal welfare emphasises humane treatment and compassionate behaviour. While humans may use animals for sustenance, survival, or research, they have a moral obligation to stop their unnecessary suffering. Most importantly, wild animals must be allowed to live in the wilderness where they can freely thrive.