"For some animals, captivity is a life sentence," says Luis Miguel Domínguez.

Valeria López Peña

Madrid (EFEverde).- When Luis Miguel Domínguez woke up from a coma six years ago, "I came back with the feeling that I had to expand my work defending nature much further," the renowned activist and educator said in an interview with EFEverde about his tenth book, Menageries and Human Zoos, a historical overview of zoos.

Protect the wolf against no one

In six years, he has written 10 books, including "Lobo," an animal that the group he founded, Lobo Marley, has championed for many years. However, his professional career has focused on outreach through documentaries and radio programs. How do he balance journalism with that activism?

I believe that activism in the field I practice is fundamental and logical. The fact that someone detects deterioration and ecocide but limits themselves to doing their work in a professional and sterile manner strikes me as a serious mistake. What I once believed was that my entire media presence should promote real conservation.

In the case of the wolf, it's obvious. I went out into the countryside with my filming equipment and shot wonderful nature scenes and did my work on programs like Aquí la Tierra, for example, but I also knew that the next day there would be a wolf hunt in the valley where I had been. So, I think my activism has to do with consistency.

Do you think, then, that the recent change in the level of protection for wolves is due to apathy on the part of science?

I have no doubt that the problems facing wolves in Spain today, and always have had to do with the lack of commitment from the scientific community to their conservation. Science has had very little involvement, for example, in confronting the biocidal policies of the autonomous communities. In fact, throughout the 20th century, the only way central and regional governments managed wolves was to kill them.

Is it precisely because of this defense of the wolf that you have received harsh criticism from rural areas, the setting for your documentaries?

When we got the Spanish government to decide to protect the wolf in 2021, there were already many voices criticizing the decision. Among other reasons, because this was clearly supposed to go against sectors like livestock farming. But that has never been the case. I go and talk to some, and they agree that killing them is wrong. I've always said that we protect the wolf for the benefit of everyone and against no one.

Wolves, there are plenty of reasons. By (*) Luis Miguel Domínguez of Lobo Marley and Fernando Prieto of the Sustainability Observatory

Menageries and human zoos

Why do you think it is important to remember the history of zoos?

I've never endured animal pain, and after the stroke, even less so. Within this abuse, I believe that for some animals, captivity is an unacceptable life sentence. That's why I wrote this book, and I did it in the only way possible: delving into the past.

What is the origin of zoos?

In the book, I begin with the Ménagerie, collections of exotic animals kept by monarchies around the world, and especially here in Europe. They began at the Palace of Versailles with the Sun King, but were later copied by other families, such as the Habsburgs and the Bourbons. In Spain, I mention the case of Aranjuez and tell the story of the elephant that walked from India to here, south of Madrid, as a gift to Charles III.

Why are these private collections formed?

For a long time, it was believed that owning exotic animals represented true power, and so monarchies around the world jumped on the bandwagon. More recently, Pablo Escobar also decided to create a sort of giant zoo at his infamous Hacienda Nápoles to consolidate his image and power. But after his death, the African hippos escaped, and now there are nearly 500 of this invasive species in the Magdalena River.

Does it then feed on a speciesist perspective in which animals are inferior and do not feel?

The idea that Homo sapiens is superior to any other being is a misguided, greedy, selfish, and, I dare say, suicidal idea. But ultimately, these kinds of demonstrations feed off of that and affect the lives of thousands of living beings. For example, in Argentina, an orangutan named Sandra lived in the Buenos Aires Zoo. She had been held captive and mistreated for 40 years until an animal rights group sought the support of prosecutors and judges to try to change the situation. As a result of the ruling, Sandra is considered a non-human subject of rights.

However, these centers are sometimes crucial for the conservation and study of biodiversity. How can we ensure a positive impact?

There's a lot of marketing involved, but what would have truly preserved these species would have been to stop them from being trafficked, as has always been the case in zoos. Unfortunately, today we find species that would cease to exist in the wild. What we need to do is introduce ethical and moral codes into this matter. The issue is not only scientific, but, I insist, also ethical and moral, for true care that respects animals. EFEverde

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