I recall after the Exxon/Valedz incident, an otter was rescued and nursed back to health at a cost of over $35,000. The day of re-releasing the otter back into the wild came. The whole town showed up. Marching bands, the mayor, school kids, bleachers full of people. The otter was weeled to the shoreline in a marvelously hand-made wooden cart. The cart was opened and the otter scurried into the water and began floating on his back out into the sound........whereupon within minutes, a killer whale came from beneath and swallowed it whole. I can also recall the many episodes of Discovery Channel, watching adult lions kill and eat baby gazelles.
Until animals learn to respect each others rights, they cannot be said to have rights of their own. One can only have rights if he can excersise them. That being said, time to throw a porterhouse steak on the grill.