Bestiality: At The Threshold Of Depravity

It is quite surprising how bestiality, the act of having intercourse with animals, also known as Zoophilia, is gradually gaining ground in our clime of late. News of women in Lagos and some other metropolitan cities in Nigeria having intercourse with dogs has been rampant lately. Why would humans created in God’s image fall to such abysmal moral level, and what can justify a person’s decision to sleep with an animal? These have remained a puzzle begging for answers. While some  speculate pornographic content, others say it could be recreational purpose.
All the same, it is suspected that  desperation for money  and inordinate quest for power and influence may not be ruled out as reasons behind such despicable act. The viral video about a woman sleeping with a dog, speaks volumes of the disregard to moral values and the word of God. It is one of the hallmarks of depravity and gross sex perversion of our time. It reveals a conscience that is no more alive. Thus, Othman Dan Fodio’s maxim that “conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal”, does not find expression.
It is dignifying to be a woman. Like men, women are created in the image of God. Women are the gateway to earthly life. We owe our existence to God first and on a lighter side, to the woman. An ungodly woman has the power to  decide which pregnancy to keep or not to keep. Such is the power of the woman. However, the recent video of a woman having sex with dog for a paltry sum of N1.5million leaves much to be desired and a very bad taste in the mouth. Though the gory incident is a common phenomenon, it is a means of livelihood for baser fellows—women who are depraved and have no regard for morality.
This untoward development is also associated with some men, who it is alleged, sleep with animal either for the fun of it or ritual purposes. This is madness.
Humans sleeping with animal is one thing that should not be heard of. It reduces them to the level of the animal he or she sleeps with, because sex is a function of compatibility. Those involved in such illicit relationship admit that they are one and the same in soul and body. The act translates to soul tie, an unholy union.
I wonder if there is a creature with a capacity to reproduce sexually that sleeps with any creature outside its kind except humans. Even in the animal and bird kingdoms there is no sex mismatch. For instance, dog does not have sex with goat, neither does pig mate with another  animal, the fowl will go for its opposite kind.
If animals which act on instinct, do not reason, not moral beings and not created in the image of God stick to their kind, what on earth should attract a man to an animal? It shows a height of disrespect to the dignity of the humans.
Look at the creation account. God created animals male and female. “Male and female created He them” and according to their kind to perpetuate the regeneration and multiplication of such creatures. This explains why God instructed Noah to preserve animals according to their kind in the ark prior to the flood that devastated the then world.
If God had intended man to sleep with animal or animal to mate with animals of other kind, there would not be need  for the creation of the opposite human or animal sex. Any of the several animals in Eden would have sufficed sex satisfaction, companionship and fellowship for Adam.
Adam also acknowledged the uniqueness of Eve in the sex parity, thus he declared: This is the bone of my bone and the flesh of my flesh, she shall be called a woman. Interestingly, there was no mismatch. Even the All wise God knows that a mating of two strange creatures would create complicated reproduction outcome. No doubt, product from such carnal intercourse will have a dual nature. The product will develop the features of both creatures. What should be the product of a woman’s sex relationship with a dog if any or how will the product of such illicit relationship look like?
No doubt, we are in the last of the last days, so much so that the world will be inundated with worse scenes to the detriment of those who indulge in them.
In his graphic narration and foretelling of some depravities of humans that will inevitably lead to God’s judgement, Paul, the intrepid evangelist and vocal proponent of respect for morality,  states without mincing words: Being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality… without natural affection, implacable… who, knowing the judgement of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them (Rom. 1: 29—32).
Bestiality is sex perversion, it is sin against God, a crime against humanity and an affront on the sensibility of reasonable and conscientious people. Those who indulge in it unconsciously admit that they are beasts, not humans.
What does Nigerian law say about Bestiality?  Even in the Nigerian law the illicit and dehumanising act of sleeping with animal is punishable. The Criminal Code Act criminalises sleeping with animal and prohibits all sexual acts that are repugnant to the “order of nature”. It attracts fourteen years imprisonment upon conviction based on Section 214 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 284  of the Penal Code Act.
Section 214 of the Criminal Code Act states that, “Any person who (1) has carnal knowledge with any person against the order of nature or (2) has carnal knowledge of an animal or (3) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of felony, and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years”.
In the same vein, Section 284 of the Penal Code Act also criminalises all sexual acts that are not in tandem with “order of nature”. The Act states that “Whoever has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal shall be punished with imprisonment  with a term which may extend to fourteen years and shall also be liable to a fine”.
What is the “Order of Nature”? In my lay man’s view, would imply carnal intercourse of man and woman in decent manner or behaviour. Anything short of decency is criminal, including rape. The danger associated with such inglorious acts cannot be treated with levity.
A former Canadian Executive Director of the Animal Justice Group, Camille Labchuk, once said, “People who sexually abuse animals are sometimes linked to sexually abusing children as well”. Perpetrators  are usually viewed as psychopats. Sexual contact with animals (SCA) has far-reaching health consequences which has not been discussed by the media, animal rights advocates, and lawmakers as well. Now that this act has found its way into our society, it is important to highlight the major health risks of SCA  as well as raise the awareness of health professionals about this issue, as it is underreported in the medical literature.
Apart from the fact that it is a crime against nature and an actual crime, bestiality can be fatal and deadly. It  is considered a taboo subject in the modern society, yet the reported prevalence rates range from 8.3 per cent to 4.9per cent for men and 3.6per cent to 1.9per cent for women in normal population [4-6]. However, in psychiatric inpatients its  prevalence rate  is very high (55per cent) which led to the suggestion that the questions about SCA should be included in the psychiatric clinical interviews.
Zoonotic diseases or zoonoses are the diseases of animals that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Although over 200 zoonoses have been identified which can be caused by bacteria, parasites, fungi, and viruses. Out of which, three most dangerous ones include; Leptospirosis, Echinococcosis and Rabies.
Leptospirosis: Any contact with the sexual organs of dogs, cattle, pigs, horses and sheep can transmit this bacterial disease to humans. Leptospirosis can cause Meningitis which leads to death in about 10 per cent of the cases. Echinococcosis: Parasitic worms from the faces of dogs, cats, and sheep can cause this disease. The worms cause cysts in lungs, liver, brain, spleen, heart, and kidneys. If not treated, this disease can be fatal.
Rabies; one of the most severe of zoonoses, it  is transmitted from the saliva of cats, dogs and horses, which affects the central nervous system and is almost always fatal if not treated soon after the exposure. In addition to the diseases one can catch through SCA, there is also the risk of injury that can be caused by large animals such as horses during the sexual intercourse.
SCA is also a risk factor for urological diseases among humans. In a study of 118 penile cancer patients, 44.9 per cent patients had reported SCA leading to a conclusion that sex with animals is a risk factor for penile cancer and may be associated with veneral diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation, although the zoonoses represent significant public health risks, they are not prioritised by world health systems. Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by these diseases even though most of them can be prevented. zoophilia is an important community health concern of current times, it is thus   high time countries provided needed steps to deal with this crime and stop downplaying on the seriousness of zoophilia
Nevertheless, the fear of God and value re-orientation by the family, society and government, are ways to overcome the problem of sex perversion. Everybody who has a stake in the society is under the obligation of good conscience to protect the sanctity of morality. All stakeholders should be at forefront of the titanic struggle to zealously guard moral and ethical values.
Let us fight bestiality. It reduces the dignity of humans.

By: Igbiki Benibo & Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi