I thought it was only the stripes that made us different my cousin, but alas. They say you are Beautiful and you give color and flair to the wild space, yet they call me the Beast of Burden. I bear all their burden, but I receive the hardest weep because am tired or that am injured. Even in the wild you are a Diva they pose and take pictures of you and with you. Your likes and followership on social media is just overwhelming.

Gracefully they yoke me, and I help them plough their fields, carry all heavy load for them over long distances, I carry the sick to clinics, I ferry their little ones to school to and from. But you my cousin are untamed, a free spirit you are.

Be that as it may, am sorry to say that ‘am sorry’, we are all facing the same threat of extinction. They deceive you with cameras while the carry rifles ready to let the bullet after your colored hide. I have seen the erection of what they call abattoirs, they now push and shove me into these small dirty trucks, starve me so that they can take away my skin. Haaaaaa I now face the guillotine, brutally and painfully I am slaughtered.

Am so sorry cousin, they have put profit before sustainability, greed over need, the rule of gold above the golden rule. Our cry is the same, you are threatened by poachers. For me the very people I help have turned against me for short term gain.

Wish I had a Lawyer to speak on my behalf cousin, that he may plead my case before administrative, political and judicial leaders. An error does not become a mistake until we refuse to confront it. I can’t speak but they can.