URHOBO TRADITIONAL BELIEFS/PRACTICES CONCERNING (SACRED) ANIMALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL ANIMAL CARE ETHICS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION.

The entire planet is facing a multifaceted environmental crisis. One of the areas in which the environmental crisis is manifested is the endangerment of plants and animals. There is no doubt that plants and animals play important roles in the ecosystem and contribute to the entire biotic good. The endangerment of animals is precipitated and often caused by colonial capitalist forces, industrialization, mechanized agriculture, expansion of human habitation, oil pollution, gas flaring, and so forth. This paper argues that Urhobo traditional beliefs and practices concerning animals that are considered to be sacred can help in mitigating the endangerment of animals in Urhoboland and elsewhere. Conservation of animals can help in environmental care and humane treatment of animals. The paper uses critical analytic and hermeneutic methods to probe into the issues involved in the paper. The paper concludes that indigenous/traditional beliefs about animals such as that of the Urhobo can help in environmental conservation.