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Though this site is focused much on the creation of the best self, exclusively self-centered behavior is poisonous. We do need to be the best person we can be in order to have something wonderful to share, we also have to remember that it's the sharing that make the pursuit worthwhile.

While we're here and doing this, we are stuck in a human form with synapses and societal structures that have been trained for millennia. We seem to require drama. If we don't have a proper drama we'll create one with whatever mundane or menial raw material we have nearby. Whether it's just picking a ridiculous fight over driving etiquette or starting a holy war, we as a species just love having something to freak about. So we might as well know it, acknowledge this odd characteristic, and find something good to be dramatic about. Here's a good one, have a great drama! Get your freak on.

We don’t have anything to prove anymore, perhaps we can start being decent to what were once our adversaries.

Case in point, nature and more specifically, animals.

Even more specifically... the animals we share Earth with called Tigers. We have done such a good job dominating the Earth and propagating ourselves into every possible territory that there isn't very much room left for other species. Natural habitat is encroached upon daily and even though we have won the "battle", we still react in fear, killing those we no longer need to war with. This is happening in the wilds all over the world and sadly, right here in the United States.

I have been incredibly lucky with finding the other side of that coin; a local San Diego non-profit called Lions, Tigers & Bears. An organization founded to take in two absolutely beautiful, full grown Bengal tigers, Raja and Natasha, rescued from a horribly abusive situation in Texas. Both of them had been locked up in a 6’ x 12’ cage, barely fed, and exposed to the sun for all of their 5 years. When the man abusing them had been reported to the authorities he reacted by threatening to kill the cats if anyone came on his property. He treated them like hostages. After many dramatic confrontations, the cats were finally removed and placed in the care of Bobbi and Mark Brinks, friends of the people who had discovered them. Suddenly their empathy for God’s creatures became a responsibility and their property, just East of Alpine in San Diego County, became a sanctuary. Best intentions turned to action, enclosures (with humane conditions this time) had to be built and about a thousand pounds of meat every month needed to come from somewhere.

They provided, their giving made it happen, they led by example. Bobbi had been trained to work with big cats as a volunteer, so she knew what she was taking on, or thought she did. As soon as the 2 cats weathered the stress of moving and were in their new home, a veterinarian was brought in to help with their recovery. That’s when they realized that they were about to be responsible for 2 more Bengal Tigers. Shortly thereafter Natasha gave birth to Sitarra and Tabu, two healthy and playful female cubs with very hungry mouths. The Sanctuary took a life of its own and expansion became required- as did the monetary requirements. It’s shocking really, in order to create what they have envisioned as a good, open, comfortable and educational enclosure for this big cat family, they will have to spend over $30,000 just on zoning approval! There seems to be no legal support for those working with animals respectfully. And quite frankly that needs to change. Bobbi brought to my attention that animal rights groups suspect that there are over 15,000 tigers in the U.S., most of them being bred for their furs. Live tigers have no monetary value (to those that think of living things as ‘things’), but a murdered tiger can be sold for up to $5,000. Just recently in Riverside there were 15 sickly tigers walking around in filth and the authorities couldn’t take them away because our “rules” consider them to be “property”.

I hope this is an interesting drama to take into the world with you. Maybe you can take it into the office with you? Put a donation can next to the water-cooler? If you would like to participate in raising funds for this tax-deductible charitable project please contact us at human@modernhumanbeing.com and we would be glad to assist in its coordination. If you would like to know more or make your own personal donation directly, visit www.lionstigersandbears.org

Thank you.

We as a society are treating living creatures like furniture and that thinking needs to be readdressed along with our regulations. We should at least give a Tiger the respect we would a dog. These cats aren't mindless or without feeling. It's something you would feel if you were near them, I did. They were playing with me, they were chuffing (a tigers version of purr) at me as they rubbed their faces against mine at the enclosure, they were looking into my eyes with an understanding that "property" couldn't have. It would be so unevolved to intentionally hurt them, we already have custody of them, we won Earth and need to take care of the kingdom we've seized. Since the animal kingdom have become our subjects, let's go down in history as wise rulers that care and nurture. The good kings whose story end, "and they all lived happily ever after."

The "all" includes nature. There are many more big cats that need adoption and this sanctuary could use your help, you are part of the "all" as well. The goal of Lions, Tigers, and Bears is to build an education center/sanctuary for exotic animals whose fate would otherwise be death. We have to take responsibility before it's too late. Many Tiger species are on the verge of extinction and without our help, experts estimate there will be no tigers in the wild by 2020. Wrong is very obvious sometimes, now let's do whatever we can to be right. Please be part of the change that keeps this from happening and part of saving what we can. Help save the tigers we have, as well as what's left of the environment they came from.