The Plight of Chinchillas: An Excellent Subject for New Wave Artists
New Wave artists are known to select subjects that will give deeper meaning to their artwork. This article briefly explores the qualities and circumstance of chinchillas, and why they could be of particular interest as inspiration for new wave art.
Chinchillas as Pets
Chinchillas are well-liked by animal lovers because of their gentle and playful nature. Although basically not the cuddly type, when compared to dogs and cats, they tame easily and eventually develop a close bond with their owners. They are also known to be kind to one another, which they demonstrate by helping other chinchillas care for their babies; including producing additional milk, and even babysitting.
Covered by dense velvety-soft fur, this very quality led to the extinction of one of 3 chinchilla species and the endangerment of the remaining two. Their fur has been popular as a trading commodity, as far back as the 16th century. After all, its namesake and original traders, the Chincha of Andes wore their fur as effective protective clothing. However, the magnitude by which Chinchilla fur trade took place through centuries, led to severe global population loss. In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed both the long and short-tailed species, in their IUCN Red List of Endangered species.
Nonetheless, it is legal to keep them as pets, but only if a procurer is well aware of their needs and have adequate experience in caring and raising the gentle creatures. Since they are quite active, they must be kept in cages where they have room for mobility. Chinchilla cage dealers offer a wide selection of the best chinchilla cages that meet chinchilla habits and activities. The cages must be placed away from direct sunlight as well as draft. They are best kept in areas with carefully controlled temperature ranging from 16 to 21 °Celsius.
Widespread Calls to End Chinchilla Fur Trade
In order to sustain the demand for chinchilla fur trade, chinchillas are being raised in farms located in different parts of the globe.
A single coat made from chinchilla fur requires killing more than 200 of the hapless animals kept in farms. It is quite unfortunate that many who proudly put on their chinchilla cloaks and scarves are not aware that they are also responsible for millions of chinchillas being put out by cruel methods, e.g. electrocution, strangling.
Thankfully, concerned citizens in different parts of Europe banded together; calling on their respective government to impose laws that will put an end to the cruelty inflicted on these God-given animals. In the UK, Norway, Germany, and Serbia, the organized movements led to legislative acts that banned international fur trade, particularly that of chinchillas.
In 2016, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released an investigative report to expose the horrible methods used by a US chinchilla farm in killing the animals. The report included a video taken during an undercover investigation, showing a farmer strangling a chinchilla.
