Gandhi has once said that the greatness of nation and its moral progress lies in the way it treats animals. Every year millions of animals throughout the world are killed or hurt in the name of science. Private institutions, cosmetic companies, scientific centers find it acceptable. However, animal testing is wrong. Innocent creatures should not be treated badly in the sake of human safety. Animals should have the same rights as people. The word “animal” has a Latin origin and means “having breath”. Many people use the word incorrectly referring only to non-human living creatures.
There are some characteristics which distinguish animals from other living things. For example, they are multicellular and motile at certain life stages. This separates them from bacteria, plants and algae. Today, the wildlife greatly suffers in the course of human actions. While some animals are being used for people’s amusement in zoos, rodeos, circuses, others are being cruelly killed for human decorations. This includes fur coats and jewelry items. Wildlife also suffers because of industrial growth. Millions of water organisms die because of industrial wastes or radiation spills. Deforestation is another reason why certain animals die out. If the above-mentioned actions continue, much more animals will become endangered or even extinct.
According to common classification all animals are divided into mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.