Alon K. Raab: “Revolt of the Bats” (1995)
North America, Turtle Island, taken
by invaders who wage war
on the world,
May ants, may abalone, otters,
wolves, and elk rise!
and pull away their giving
from the robot nations.
Gary Snyder
Mother Earth: Her Whales
The animals are fighting back. By tooth and claw, by wing and paw, they are waging a war against civilized tyranny and destruction.
Sympathetic humans are burning down farm and fur ranch equipment, demolishing butcher shops, and trying to stop rodeos, circuses, and other forms of “entertainment.” But the animals are also acting as their own defenders, fighting for their own liberation.
These actions of revolt are done by individual animals, as well as by whole communities, and take many forms. Escape from captivity is a commonly employed tactic.
Here I would like to remember and salute the orangutan who escaped from his prison cell at the Kansas City Zoo in June 1990 by unscrewing four large bolts; the West African Cape clawless otter who, in December 1991, pushed her way through the wired cage at the Portland zoological incarceration facilities; an alligator who climbed a high ramp at a Seattle science exhibition in October 1991 and vanished for several hours; the elephant at the Louisville Zoo who escaped in June 1994; the sea otter “Cody” who in September 1993, armed with a fiberglass bolt pried from the floor of the Oregon Coast Aquarium took aim at a window and shattered one of the glass layers; the chimpanzees “Ai” and “Akira” at the Kyoto University Primates Research institute, who used keys taken from a guard to open their cages, cross the hall to free their orangutan friend “Doodoo,” and bolt to freedom.
Some of the animals were recaptured and returned to their prisons, but the otter, who was last seen crossing the roadway between the Portland Zoo and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, making her way into the nearby forests, is a true inspiration, and hopefully a harbinger of many more daring dashes.
Sometimes free animals are in a strategic position to resist greed and profit. In 1991, a bald eagle blocked plans for a three million dollar road expansion project in Central Oregon by nesting near Highway 20. An eagle standing in the way of motorized mania is a beautiful sight to behold.
The Belgian spaniel who discharged a shotgun, killing hunter Jean Guillaume, the elephant who gored hunter Alan Lowe in Zimbabwe, and the cow who killed Quebec farmer Origene Ste-beanne when he tried to steal her newborn calf, are also worthy of our respect. I prefer persuasion and education to the taking of life, but there is poetic justice in these accounts.
When animals band together they are able to unleash a mighty power. Several years ago, in the depths of the suburban wastelands of Springfield, Massachusetts, ring-billed gulls bombarded a new golf course and its patrons with golf balls. The shocked golfers were forced to withdraw from their favorite water-and-land-wasting activity for several weeks, and consider the fact that for many years these lands were nesting grounds for the birds.
In the summer of 1989, downtown Fort Worth, Texas, came to a halt when thousands of Mexican free-tail bats descended on the city. In the early years of this century, bats wreaked much havoc on many Texas towns. In Austin, bats invaded the courthouse and Capitol building, flying through court sessions, stopping trials and nesting in the dark and cool buildings.
In the ancient myths of humanity, a special place of respect is given to animals. Affecting people in mysterious ways, and embodying particular qualities, they acted as messengers, as bearers of souls and gifts, and as symbols of all that was wonderful and magical. Birds, fish and mammals (and their many mutations with humans) were presented in myriad ways. A common theme was their ability to fend off hostile human attacks, through trickery, playfulness and wisdom. Coyote and Raven of the Northwest Coast of Turtle Island, the Keen Keeng of Australian dream time, and the sacred bee of Rhodes, are but some of the many magical beings who protected themselves and the lives of other animals and plants.
Once writing developed, accounts of animals opposing human arrogance and avarice abounded in the literature of natural history. We need only look at the inspiring reports provided by the Roman, Pliny the Elder. He marvels at elephants who trampled hunters, refusing to fight their kin in circuses and attempting to break loose from their shackles. Pliny also wrote of dolphins who rushed to rescue other dolphins from captivity, and of wild horses, loons, oxen, dogfish, rabbits and giant centipedes who resisted humans and often won. His accounts also include many instances of alliances between animals and aware humans, each assisting the other, and gaining mutual love and respect.
The medieval work, On the Criminal Persecution of Animals, provides in great detail the legacies of pigs, cows, sparrows, ravens, sheep, mules, horses and even worms, who brought destruction upon the human world. Animals disturbing church services, interrupting religious processions at their most solemn moment, and spoiling food supplies were common occurrences. As ancient traditions celebrating the sanctity of nature were rooted out and replaced by an anti-life world view, these animals were accused of being in league with demonic forces. The Christian courts held them responsible for their actions. The “criminals” were tried in regular courts of law, convicted and severely punished. In their pious zeal, the accusers missed the fact that the two-legged and four-legged beings were engaged in guerrilla warfare. They were revolting against humans who were attacking the rivers, valleys and forests. They were opposing the invaders who were engaged in that process of control, euphemistically called “domestication,” which, in reality, is enslavement and ecocide.
We are now living in the age of rationality and science, where well-meaning people feel no shame blurting out cliches like “finding the balance between the environment and economic interests,” or “managing wildlife,” as if wilderness was a commodity to profit from, control and manipulate.
The destruction of the wild (out there, and in our own souls) proceeds at an ever-maddening pace. Let us hope that acts of self-defense and resistance by animals, fish, birds and their human brothers and sisters increases. Let these actions multiply and intensify until human tyranny is thrown off and replaced by a community of free living beings, assisting each other in this magical journey, and reforging the ancient bonds of beauty and camaraderie.
in The Bear Essential, Summer 1995, pp. 18¬19
Alon K. Raab: “Vzbura netopierov” (1995)
Severná Amerika, Turtle Island, obsadený
votrelcami, ktorí vedú vojnu
proti the whole world, let
arise ants, mussels, otters, wolves
and lots!
and cease to provide
robotic nation.
Gary Snyder
Mother Earth: Her Whales
Animals begin their resistance. Teeth and claws, wings and paws, wage war against the civilized tyranny and destruction.
compassionate people fired machinery on farms and fur farms, slaughterhouses demolished and trying to stop the rodeo, circus and other forms of "entertainment". But also the animal itself acting in defense and fighting for their own liberation.
These actions are performed by individual rebellion animals, as well as whole communities and take many forms. Escape from captivity is often used tactic.
Here I would like to mention a tribute orangutans, who escaped from his prison cell at the municipal zoo in Kansas in June 1990 by four large bolts unscrewed; North African otter Congo, which in December 1991 forced its way out of a wire cage Portland zoological detention facility, alligator, who climbed high bay at the scientific exhibition in Seattle in October 1991 and disappeared for several hours, an elephant from the zoo in Louisville, who escaped in June 1994, sea otter named "Cody", who in September 1993, armed with fiberglass screw engages the floor of the Aquarium Oregon Coast Aquarium namierila the window and destroyed one of the glass layers; chimpanzees "Ai" and "Akira" Research Institute of primates at Kyoto University in Japan, used keys to steal the guards to get them to open their cages, passed the hall, and freed his friend orangutan "DooDoo", and ran to freedom.
In April 1990, a Turkish prison for a slaughterhouse, a truck jumped from a cow on the roof of a car that was carrying the local governor, making the car and injured an officer rozmliaždila. The fate of the cow was not mentioned in the media, but we hope to be able to find their way into the mountains. Ten years before, near Salem, Oregon, bull "Rufus" rolled his door on a truck that was carrying him to the slaughterhouse. Roamed freely for several days until it is caught again and returned his "owner". And in Cairo, Egypt in June 1993 during the Muslim Eid-Al-Adha (Feast sacrifice "), an escaped bull after he saw the butcher knife. Pet haunt his would-be killer to the third floor of his apartment, which destroyed all the furniture and urged him to hide in the bedroom.
Some animals were recovered and returned to prison, but the one otter, which was last seen as the path passes between the Portland Zoo and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, entering a nearby forest, is a real inspiration and hopefully only release heralding a much more adventurous.
Sometimes animals at large in a strategic position in the bucking greed and profit. In 1991, white-tailed vulture has blocked plans for three million U.S. dollars expensive road expansion project in Oregon that nest near the highway number 20 Eagle standing in the way of motorized mania is a beautiful sight.
There are animals that move the fight for a higher degree, such as the wren, which nest in the traffic light in Washington DC, and to cast down and caving in business. Other birds commit suicide by Masin vlietavajú in military aircraft which decommission them. Demonstration of solidarity to fellow was an animal mule "Ruthie", which kicked rider, Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus, while hunting, when it loaded the elk killed. Andrus suffered a broken nose and deep lacerations.
Belgian spaniel, who fired the shotgun, which hunters killed Jean Guillaume, elephant, pierced by a hunter Alan Lowe in Zimbabwe, a cow that killed a Quebec farmer Origen Ste-bean, while trying to steal her newborn calf, are also worthy of our respect. I prefer persuasion and education before the killing, but in these descriptions is a certain poetic justice.
When animals are combined, are able to unleash a powerful force. A few years ago, in the depths of suburban wastelands Springfield, Massachusetts, gulls obrúčkozobé bombed the new golf course and its sponsors golf balls. Shocked golfers were forced to withdraw from their water-and-earth-destroying activities for several weeks, and take into account the fact that for many years that area was the place where these nesting birds.
In the summer of 1989, downtown Fort Worth, Texas, came to a halt when thousands of bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) descended on the town. At the beginning of this century, the bats have caused great confusion in many cities in Texas. In the city of Austin bats attacked the court building and the seat of government, flying over the court proceedings, stopping court proceedings, and nestling in the dark and cold buildings.
Bats, which appeared in Fort Worth, the prehrýzali telephone lines and interrupted the normal sequence of events. Bats were a reminder to the local population, surrounded by glass and iron tombstones, better known as "office" that this world is far more complex and remarkable than anything they taught in management courses. A day later, the bats disappeared just as well have come into the unknown.
In ancient myths of mankind is animals of giving extraordinary respect. Affect people's devious ways and embody specific characteristics. Act as messengers, as holders of souls and as gifts and symbols of all the wonderful and magical. Birds, fish and mammals (and their many mutations in human beings) have been presented in many different ways. Their common feature was the ability to fend off enemy attacks by people tricks, playfulness and wisdom. Coyote and the raven from the northwest coast of Turtle Island, Keen Keeng Australian gold times and sacred bee Rhodes, are just some of the many magical creatures that protect themselves and also the lives of other animals and plants.
soon as the script evolved, stories of animals facing human arrogance and greed began to appear in large numbers in the literature Natural History. Just as we look to the inspirational message given by the Roman Pliny the Elder. He admired the elephants, who refused to fight against their relatives in the circus, trampled their hunters and tried to escape from their handcuffs. Pliny also wrote of the dolphins, which came to rescue the other dolphins in captivity, and wild horses, loons, bulls, sharks, giant centipedes and rabbits, which are defended in front of people and often won. His reports also include many cases of union between animals and conscious people help each other when you get there and the mutual love and respect.
medieval work on prosecuting animal describes in great detail references pigs, cows, sparrows, crows, sheep, mules, horses and even worms, who brought destruction to the human world. Animals vyrušujúce through worship, interrupting the religious processions in their najslávnostnejšom time and perishable food supplies were common occurrences. At a time when ancient traditions were celebrating the sacredness of nature liquidated and exchanged a worldview hostile to life, these animals were accused of joining with demonic forces. And so the Christian courts take the responsibility for their actions. "Criminals" were tried in a normal courtroom, convicted and severely punished. In their godly zeal forgot their applicants to the fact that the biped and quadrupedal creatures devoted to guerrilla warfare. Rebelovali against people who attacked the rivers, valleys and forests. Stood against the invaders, who were involved in the review process, euphemistically called "domestication", which is in Indeed, the enslavement and ekocídou - the destruction of nature.
We live now in the age of rationality and science, where "well mieniaci" people are not ashamed to delete from its mouth cliches like "find a balance between environment and economic interests", or "managing, wilderness, wilderness was as if some of the goods can benefit, which can be controlled and manipulated.
destruction of wildlife (as well out there in our own inside) continue steadily accelerating pace. Hopefully acts of self-defense and resistance of animals, fish, birds and their human brothers and sisters will only increase. Let these actions multiply and intensify until human tyranny defeated and replaced by a community of free living beings, who will assist each other in their magical journey and rediscover ancient bonds of friendship and beauty.
of The Bear Essential magazine, Summer 1995, pg. 18 ¬ 19
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