They should have more rights. If someone leaves their livestock or pets outside unattended or unprotected, and a wild animal attacks, that animal is usually hunted and killed. Nobody says anything about the negligence of the human for leaving its animals out as bait and not being responsible for them. They find the wild animal to be evil when it's just trying to survive.

Humans are the ones encroaching on the habitats of animals.

There is good evidence that we are in the midst of a mass extinction. It's happened before, usually in response to natural events that cause a profound change in the environment. The rise of human civilization is the principal cause of the current environmental displacement. You see it in the encroachment upon and destruction of wild environments, the predominance of floral and faunal (not sure if those are words, but stick with me here) monoculture, the introduction of predatory species in foreign environments, the deliberate modification of natural climate cycles, and the proliferation of chemical and physical detritus in our oceans and atmosphere. So we are quite effectively doing what you suggest on a global scale. Fighting for conservation and eating salad instead of burgers are good, but really, the scale here is beyond any simple solution. Doesn't mean the loss of another species is any less tragic, but there is a greater tragedy happening all around us.

I take it a step further and think we should consider how we are encroaching on their lands.

we are encroaching and taking their habitat just heaving under the number of extra greedy humans. there not encroaching as much as being forced across our roads, fields etc. we build houses etc and cull them for getting too close ie alligators for instance and we allow animals that don't belong to devastate local wildlife ie cats, Kane toads, dogs, Burmese pythons, goats pigs, rabbits, rats, mice and on and on. no land belongs to anything but instead, we all belong to the land. we grow crops and animals literally to our taste and just rape the planet. it will come back to us eventually but a lot of other beautiful life will be gone too. we should as intelligent rulers of the nature on earth learn to live with it rather than slash, burn and concrete everything. we are a virus or a cancer and we know it or should. I mean vegan or not how much habitat gets destroyed killing millions of creatures, how much life dies under our tires, on our windscreens and in our fields for us? we are not useful at all to the planet. in fact far from it.

It is humans that are encroaching on animal's homes.
And yes - all things living have an equal right to their lives - and with the exception of animals that have been domesticated to live comfortably with us, they do not belong to us to do with as we please.

Humans as a single species, are systematically causing the decline and total extinction of all other species. We are consuming everything at an unsustainable rate ... It is WE who need to go next, and leave the earth in peace.

Residential areas are encroaching on THEIR territory, not the other way around.

Its an interesting topic given that pretty much 80% of global species are a result of human creation.

pretty much all domesticated animals and plants are human made and even wilderness is affected by our existance. the planes in the sky, plastic in sea, or the pollen from our fields 3000 miles away . Idont think we have the right and should protect moer and more wilderness area

Iwas on facebook the other day and some refered to steralising their cat as "fixing them", and believed that street cats should be illigal. Humans such as that should be "fixed" , and made illigal. (Iasked about her stance wild birds but got no reply)

Obviously most here think animals are here for our convenience and pleasure in killing them, fishing for them, wearing them, and eating them.

We are kind to our pets but think shooting animals during hunting season-when we don't need them for food-or fishing, is great entertainment, since those animals don't matter. Also factory animals don't matter, since people also eat hamburger, pork, etc.

The rain forests don't matter either, since locals clear them mostly to supply grazing land for cattle to send meat to US chain franchises, like McDonald's.

Survival of the fittest. Walk in to a lions den without a weapon and try to have a conversation about which species does and does not have the right to hunt and kill others. See how that goes for ya.

Good question. Need to state that I'm a strong animal lover. I think until animals can think, yes, man gets to control the planet. Man has been using animals for food since the dawn of time. Man has also been abusing the planet. Just as we can plant more plants, we can develop more animals to eat. We just need to be more responsible doing it, like we need to be more responsible doing everything. Preserving and fostering species should be paramount but then again, so should protecting humans from guns and we cant/ won't do that either. So I'm a yes for we get to control the planet and animals and of course we should do it better.

I like the idea a lot. More conservation, and allow at least a lot of them to live without men systematically slaughtering them.

Now, mosquitoes. We can wipe them off the planet, far as I'm concerned. Whatever the consequenses of that is, I'll take my chances that it won't be as bad as it is with them existing on Earth.

As a meat eater, I think hunting is a moral way to connect with the reality that if you eat meat, an animal dies. I don't hunt for enjoyment, but I understand that for many, what drives enjoyment of hunting is a connection with nature. That said, I respect any vegan who puts their money where their mouth is and refuses to live in a way that will harm animals. I agree with the poster who said the problem is bigger than what we eat. The human population could be a much smaller

"Nuke 'em. Nuke 'em all."

"Shh, Mr. President. This isn't the venue for that. Come now, put away the iPhone. It's time for your nap."

Definitely. Against hunting which is big in New Hampshire - deer,bear, moose. Once had venison from my next door neighbor and it was awful and made me sick. Let our wildlife live I say. Used to see Moose in my driveway and deer all over but they are decreasing in numbers.

I'm not a vegetarian either, but I think animals should be treated with ethically. That being said I do not have an argument for why I still eat them. It's a hard problem because we have taken over most of the planet. I don't think it is anyway ethical kill or harm animals for fun.

If there is God, I feel that the Universe is the God. So, every thing in this Universe is created by God: Us (Humans), animals, vegetables, ... , are also God's creatures. I think we can take anything for our food and survival, but, everyone of us must be virtuous. For example, I do not like unnecessary killings, such as terrorists, trophy hunting/fishing, ... .

Disagree with trophy hunting or hunting unless it's a need. Obviosly our culture waste tons (literally) of food. Conflicting formats of "free market" caused multiple chain stores to compete, increasing the waste. Just think there is better models to follow to cause less harm and waste.

I respect all life forms. Just some more than others

We are judge, jury, and executioner whether we should be or not.
“We are as gods to beasts of the field. We order the time of their birth and the time of their death. Between times, we have a duty.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men
And we're failing it.

the problem is it's not the animals that are encroaching it's us, what do you think was on the land that you live on before houses were built, animal habitat is shrinking and animal extermination os increasing a frightening rate

On a similar topic, what about horse racing and rodeos? Using animals for amusement and gambling.

of course we can be all of the above. should we end this practice before we alter the water cycle permanently? probably