Comparison of Animal Rights & Nature Conservation
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Animal Rights
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Conservation
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| Concerned with the individual animal as well as with animals in general. |
Focuses on levels above the individual - populations, species, ecosystems and the biosphere - except when just a few individuals are the only survivors of their population or species. |
| Refers usually to sentient animals, not necessarily to all animals, such as jellyfish or sponges, and not to plants. |
Encompasses all creatures (plants etc) and includes the physical part of nature, eg air, water and energy. |
| Tries to minimise suffering of animals, especially when humans cause it. |
Conservationists say pain and death are a part of life which individuals must endure and that it is preferable that individuals suffer so long as their population or species survives. |
| Concerned with animals in areas of human activity, such as agriculture, laboratories, fur trade, zoos and circuses. |
Not concerned with animals in areas of human activity unless the animals are taken from endangered populations or species.
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Animal rights and nature conservation are similar and different. Both became popular with the public in the late 1970's. Both oppose human-centredness (see Anthropocentrism), although not all conservationists do. Both believe that wild animals have intrinsic value (worth or importance independent of human values), though not an attitude shared by all conservationists. And both support conserving the environment, but for different reasons - conservationists for the sake of greater conservation, animal rightists for the animals who live in it.
