52 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



damage to its surroundings that it can do, and it is not to be 

 punished therefor. 



Art. 16. The idea that all captive wild animals are 

 necessarily "miserable" is erroneous, because some captive 

 animals are better fed, better protected and are more happy 

 in captivity than similar animals are in a wild state, beset by 

 dangers and harassed by hunger and thirst. It is the opinion 

 of the vast majority of civilized people that there is no higher 

 use to which a wild bird or mammal can be devoted than to 

 place it in perfectly comfortable captivity to be seen by mil- 

 lions of persons who desire to make its acquaintance. 



Art. 17. About ninety-five per cent of all the wild mam- 

 mals seen in captivity were either born in captivity or cap- 

 tured when in their infancy, and therefore have no ideas of 

 freedom, or visions of their wild homes; consequently their 

 supposed "pining for freedom" often is more imaginary than 

 real. 



Art. 18. A wild animal has no more inherent right to 

 live a life of lazy and luxurious ease, and freedom from all 

 care, than a man or woman has to live without work or family 

 cares. In the large cities of the world there are many millions 

 of toiling humans who are worse off per capita as to burdens 

 and sorrows and joys than are the beasts and birds in a well 

 kept zoological park. "Freedom" is comparative only, not 

 absolute. 



Art. 19. While the use of trained animals in stage per- 

 formances is not necessarily cruel, and while training opera- 

 tions are based chiefly upon kindness and reward, it is neces- 

 sary that vigilance should be exercised to insure that the cages 

 and stage quarters of such animals shall be adequate in size, 

 properly lighted and acceptably ventilated, and that cruel 

 punishments shall not be inflicted upon the animals themselves. 



Art. 20. The training of wild animals may, or may not, 

 involve cruelties, according to the intelligence and the moral 

 status of the trainer. This is equally true of the training of 



