Rescuing Ladybugs. Jennifer Skiff

Chapter 3. Dragon, Manta, Orangutan

Preservation for the Good of All

       Guy Stevens: Manta • Hanifaru Bay, Maldives

       Willie Smits: Orangutan • Kalimantan, Borneo

       Chapter 4. Dog, Cat, Chimp

       On the Path to Do What’s Right, You’re Never Alone

       Chris Mercer: Caracal • Northern Cape Province, South Africa

       Emma Haswell: Greyhound • Ross, Tasmania, Australia

       Jenny Desmond: Chimpanzee • Entebbe, Uganda

       Chapter 5. Pig, Chicken, Rabbit

       The Rewards in Leading the Way

       Josh Balk: Chicken • Howell, Maryland, USA

       Peter Singer: Homo sapiens • Oxford, England

       Melanie Greensmith: Rabbit • Sydney, Australia

       Chapter 6. Bear, Pigeon, Cow

       Connections That Drive Change

       Jill Robinson: Bear • Zhuhai, China

       Wayne Pacelle: Pigeon • Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA

       Temple Grandin: Cow • Arizona, USA

       Chapter 7. Beaver and Dolphin

       Enlightening Transformations

       Dave Pauli: Beaver • Pasco, Washington, USA

       Ric O’Barry: Dolphin • Miami, Florida, USA

       Chapter 8. Shark and Coyote

       From Fear to Happiness

       Shawn Heinrichs: Shark • Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

       Zoe Weil: Coyote • Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA

       Chapter 9. Snake, Jaguar, Owl, Salamander

       Answering the Call

       Leandro Silveira: Jaguar • Goiás, Brazil

       Barbara Royal: Owl • Roslyn, Washington, USA

       Andrew Sabin: Salamander • Long Island, New York, USA

       Acknowledgments

       Animal Welfare Organizations

       Notes

       Bibliography

       Index

       About the Author

INTRODUCTION

      When we were all children, the ladybug and butterfly stirred feelings of delight, puppies were heavenly, and farm animals made us happy. Our parents taught us that the ladybug — the tiny, red-shelled animal with black spots — brought good luck when she landed on you and that we should gently blow her away so that she could return safely to her family. The story nourished our natural empathy and set us on a path to feel compassion for all animals. We were being taught one of the greatest lessons in life: that kindness for others has rewards.

      In 1998, I had an experience with a bear that confirmed that lesson and changed my life. I was in Asia, in the country of Laos, conducting research for a book I wanted to write. Most of the people in Laos are Buddhists, and I became immersed in the teachings of Buddhism. The religion — sometimes considered a philosophy — suggests that when people do good things, good consequences will return to them, and when people do bad things, bad things will happen. Karma. Buddhism also teaches compassion and instructs people to live in a nonharmful way, never killing or causing another being to suffer.

      I felt clarity finding a spiritual practice based on compassion. But I was soon reminded that religious teachings don’t guarantee enlightened ways, when I stumbled upon a merciless situation in a cultural park.

      I was slowly making my way down a dirt trail at the park, having stopped to read a plaque about Buddha, when my boyfriend yelled, “Jenny, don’t come down this path.” Of course, I did. What I saw weakened my faith in humanity. Black-and-white Asiatic bears, identifiable by the trademark cream-colored collar across their chest, were imprisoned in five cages placed around a statue. Set on concrete slabs, the bell-shaped chambers were constructed of thick iron bars reaching six feet high and four feet wide. They were so small that the bears’ bodies were pushing through the spaces between the bars. There was no protection from the glaring sun, no trees to offer shade. The bears were confined in metal straitjackets, forced upright with nowhere to turn.

      I walked up and stood before one of the bears. He was crying and rocking, with one paw pushed completely into his mouth. Our eyes locked and we connected. In that moment, I felt his suffering. That’s when he reached for me, extending his arm beyond his iron prison. He showed me his paws, blistered from cigarette burns.

      The sadness grew louder. All around me, the bears were crying. I turned in a circle, my heart racing. They were in hell, all screaming for help. My knees buckled and I grabbed a handrail. That’s when my boyfriend said, “Let’s go, Jenny. There’s nothing to be done here. You can’t save every mistreated animal in the world.” I understood what he was saying. But something in me irrevocably changed. In fact, I experienced an epiphany, a profound spiritual realization that, not only could I do something, but I must.

      There are countless times throughout our lives when we’re presented with a choice to help another soul. My experience with the bears, whose complete story I tell in chapter 1, was the first of many situations in remote parts of the world where I was shown suffering and chose not to look away. I’m not alone. Many of us are confronted with injustice every day and choose not to look away. This book tells the stories of people who had an experience with another animal that affected them so profoundly it caused them to act.

      I wanted to write this book for several reasons: to profile the good work being done by people to help other species, to inspire others to act, to document the current state of exploitation of animals, and to illuminate the interconnectedness of all species.

      These extraordinary people — most of whom I’m lucky enough to call friends, whose unexpected encounters and nonverbal communication with other species motivated them to action — are leaders in what I call the compassion movement: the collective quest to alleviate suffering for all forms of life. Rescuing Ladybugs will take you around the world to experience the awe-inspiring and enlightening connections these leaders have had with animals of all shapes and sizes, from the nearly invisible pteropod to the savanna elephant. You’ll learn how empathy motivated them to create sweeping changes that have ultimately benefited all species — including ours. All the stories are true. Some may be difficult to read, describing injustices, but I hope they fuel your compassion. My hope is that the stories will inspire and support your own intuitive guidance to do what’s right when confronted by wrong.

      This anonymous quote, often attributed to Martin Luther King, speaks to that idea: “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” I believe that we know instinctively what’s