Vegan athlete Lewis Hamilton has compared self-isolation during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak to the lives of animals in captivity.
The six-time Formula One Champion took to Instagram to compare the current lockdown to the feelings animals experience while being held in zoos.
“If you are home on lockdown, perhaps you can feel a little of what the animals in captivity go through every day,” Hamilton wrote on his Instagram Story. “Their entire lives stopped from them.”
“Please don’t go to any zoos or circuses because this is what our money goes to supporting,” he added. His text was accompanied by photos of pandas sitting alone inside concrete cages.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a number of cities and countries to order the public to stay inside to help prevent the spread of the virus.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a stay-at-home order on Monday. The order banned UK residents from leaving their homes except for “limited purposes” like grocery shopping and exercising.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also issued a “total lockdown” for 21 days.
A number of U.S. states have issued similar orders. California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan are just a handful of states that have restrictions in place.
There are currently more than 425,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in more than 190 countries and territories around the world. The coronavirus has caused more than 18,900 fatalities, to date.
Lewis Hamilton Speaks Out For Animals
Hamilton is a vocal advocate for animal rights. The vegan athlete regularly speaks out about animal welfare issues.
Last month, Hamilton posted a video on his Instagram account of factory-farmed animals on their way to slaughter. He wrote to his 14.3 million followers, “this is the world we currently live in, where humans believe that an animal’s life is worth less than one of our own.”
Earlier this month, Hamilton visited New South Wales Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc. in Australia. He shared a video of himself feeding baby kangaroos impacted by the nation’s bushfires on social media.
Hamilton adopted a plant-based diet in 2017 after watching the documentary “What The Health” — a film that explores the link between diet and disease.
