Globalization and animals

We will largely accept that globalization is starting to affect all of us. On one hand; Indians swarm the US; Chinese goods occupy most of the global shelf-space and East European accents of hotel employees in London makes you wonder which country you have landed in. On the other hand; French companies tout nationalism as a superior goal to shareholder and employee interest and US law-makers think of every new way to catch and drive away immigrants.

But how does globalization affect animals? At first glance, one may think that it’s a win-win situation for most animals. Like human beings; most of the wild life resides in poorer nations. As countries get more developed; it is usual to see laws passed to safe guard wild life or ensure more humane treatment of livestock. But my hypothesis is that globalization affects different animals differently. In the human context; skill set is the key factor determining whether you are hit good or bad. In the animal kingdom; what matters is the threat of extinction for your species. Endangered animals have a ball worldwide; especially so in developed countries; where scientists even ensure that they are having good sex (no such privilege for most humans). While the more abundant animals are ignored for no fault of theirs; they usually have a tougher life in developed countries. A stray dog has a much higher chance of surviving through its life span in India unlike in the US where municipal authorities are much more impatient about its seemingly purposeless existence.

And how does globalization effect pets? Very badly, I would say. First world families adversely affected by globalization downsize amenities for their pets; those affected positively pass on marginal benefits. On the other hand; as families in developing countries get richer; they switch their pets to monotonous branded food. Also many families start keeping as pets, species, which are ill adapted to local conditions. Imagine the plight of a hairy German Sheppard in the sweltering heat of Chennai or Delhi. Or consider the local dog that follows his master, a software engineer to Boston. These non-resident Indian pets have the toughest life of all: no company of the opposite sex, no friends; monotonous food and a master who often talks about bringing in a super-sized, loud mouthed and high-maintenance American dog. Can these animals say "Nous"?