Penguins & Antidepressants

Not exactly a horse and carriage situation.

I heard from a co-worker today that in Berlin, Germany, there are thermal baths where you and your family can relax. Also here, through a glass panel, you can watch penguins swimming right next to you.

Recently the penguins have become so stressed by the presence of people intruding on their lives that the carers have placed them on antidepressants.

I’m no veterinarian or wildlife expert. I just think that if it’s coming to the point where you need to give antidepressants to wild animals, you probably need to rethink the whole idea. That shit isn’t healthy.

I sometimes imagine what I’d feel like if groups of people were watching me through glass and apart from knowing I wouldn’t like it, I think about all the people I know (including me) who’ve had to take antidepressants over the years.

If we easily come to the conclusion that the penguins are, clearly, not being fooled into thinking they’re in their natural habitat, shouldn’t this apply to humans too?