World Animal Protection calls for better institutionalized protection of animals— Gajender Kumar Sharma and Shubhobroto Ghosh elucidate.
As 2025 draws to a close, it is painfully evident that the world remains fractured by conflicts, with human beings killing and maiming each other in unimaginable numbers. Amidst this climate of violence and confrontation, countless animals are caught in situations where they suffer silently, victims of injustices inflicted by humans.
Throughout history, the strong have exploited the weak and this pattern continues today in our treatment of vulnerable communities and animals. In the food, fashion, and entertainment industries, animals endure immense suffering. Yet many conscientious individuals and organizations, such as World Animal Protection, work tirelessly to challenge this ongoing assault on our fellow creatures.
In India, the principle of kindness toward animals dates back more than two millennia to the reign of Emperor Ashoka. After the devastating battle of Kalinga, Ashoka transformed from a ruthless conqueror into a benevolent monarch, instituting some of the world’s first animal protection laws.
Compassion for animals is also deeply rooted in India’s cultural and spiritual heritage, reflected in texts such as the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, all of which call for respect and empathy toward all living beings.
Today, however, the global wildlife trade has surged alarmingly. Animals are crammed into crates, boxes and containers, enduring horrific conditions to satisfy the whims of the wealthy who flaunt exotic pets as symbols of status. This demand fuels rampant poaching across the world, with little regard for animal welfare. Tragically, many animals perish during transport or in captivity, their basic needs ignored in confined environments.
Elephants, tigers, dolphins, and many other species are exploited for entertainment, forced to live in stressful and unnatural conditions. A stark example is Amer Fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan, where around eighty elephants are used to ferry tourists. These majestic creatures endure unacceptable suffering merely to provide fleeting amusement. World Animal Protection has long campaigned to end this cruel practice, advocating for rehabilitation programs and humane alternatives that benefit both elephants and their handlers. This campaign calls upon civil society to support a transition toward a kinder future for India’s National Heritage Animal.
Factory farming presents another grim reality. Millions of animals are slaughtered to satisfy human appetites, often raised with heavy use of antibiotics that compromise both animal welfare and human health. World Animal Protection continues to campaign against this wasteful and destructive system, including at the recent COP30 in Belém, Brazil. By highlighting the links between factory farming, environmental damage, and public health, the organization promotes the “One Health” approach—endorsed by the Indian government— which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental well-being.
A beacon of hope emerged in 2024 when the then Chief Justice of India announced that he had given up animal products such as leather and silk, adopting a vegan lifestyle inspired by his daughters. This decision is significant, as countless animals are killed in the fur, leather, feather, and silk industries for luxury goods. It is long overdue for society to embrace kinder choices in clothing, diet, and entertainment. Wearing animal-derived products for vanity diminishes the wearer as much as it harms the animals sacrificed for fashion.
Research has shown that kindness toward animal’s nurtures empathy in children, fostering compassion for humans as well. The case for treating animals with respect is clear: kindness is not merely a virtue, but the highest form of wisdom.
About the Authors: Gajender Kumar Sharma is the Country Director and Shubhobroto Ghosh is the Wildlife Campaign Manager of World Animal Protection, India.
