Rewilding Our Hearts by Marc Bekoff

Author:Marc Bekoff
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New World Library

Models of Rewilding: Everyday Activists and Uncommon Messengers

I fully understand why it is difficult to be optimistic given the numerous and daunting ecological challenges with which we are faced. But there are unexpected victories that help us keep our dreams alive. For example, in April 2011, Bolivia announced it would grant all nature equal rights to humans. Among the eleven rights it names are the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right not to have their cellular structure modified or genetically altered. In 2012, Colombia banned the illegal trade of night monkeys, and Costa Rica banned sport hunting, the first Latin American country to do so.

I am also continually inspired and motivated by the people I meet when I travel. I travel a lot, and in itself, traveling is no fun. Regardless of the inconveniences, I keep doing it because I always meet people who really care about what’s happening in and to the only planet on which we live. These people inspire me to keep going and fighting on behalf of nature and wildlife. I really mean this. No matter where I go, there is always someone, usually more than one person, who is trying to reduce cruelty and to make the world a better place for all beings, human and nonhuman. Some of these people are well-known, dedicated activists, but most are everyday people or folks I would never expect to care like they do, and I’d like to end this chapter by presenting a sampling of them. It’s important, really essential, to know that every single individual counts and to realize there are unsung, unheralded heroes all over the world. We need all the people we can to rewild our hearts and to expand our compassion footprint.

For instance, take Howard Wang, who works at the Moon Bear Rescue Centre outside of Chengdu, China, where I regularly visit. Moon Bear rescues bears who have been horrifically abused on farms that serve China’s bear-bile industry. To quote Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia, the organization that runs the rescue center:

Howard has worked here since 2000 and was the very first bear worker we employed. He has expertly risen through the ranks and is now one of our three Senior Bear Managers. He loves the bears and life here with a passion — living on site and throwing himself into every duty — many far beyond what he is actually employed to do. He supervises bear teams and houses and helps to look after over 160 bears. When the earthquake struck in May 2008, he joined us on trips to help the Red Cross in their work — initially helping people, to the point where we had gained government trust and were then able to help the dogs and cats. We rescued over one hundred dogs

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