Legal and Illegal Theriocide of Trafficked Animals 469 when they see each other, they are equals in that meeting As long as the human being of this encounter continues to look upon the other being as ‘an animal’, he is prevented from seeing her Using the word ‘animal’, unassuming as it is, has important implications because in this way man’s self-given right and authority to name all those other beings with this categorically discriminating term also allows himself the right to abuse and kill them; they are ‘merely’ animals The CITES convention, for example, further denigrates animals by referring to them as ‘specimens’—one of a kind, rather than an individual, whose value and thereby right to protection lies only in the number of individuals who remain as part of any one particular species When reptiles and birds are killed by Norwegian veterinarians, whether as the executioners of the decisions made by the Environment Agency when CITESlisted species are confiscated, or when they make this decision themselves about animals who are not CITES listed, I doubt they see the animals I doubt they appreciate the fear in their eyes and thereby understand that if they were to fare well, as animals should according to the Norwegian Animal welfare act, then authorities should not kill them (Francione 2014) The abyss created by the animals’ ‘animalism’ (Derridá 2002) supposedly prevents them from being seen by the humans who are in charge of their fate This abyss is a consequence of lack of species justice and individual animal rights (Benton 1998; Regan 1983) Conclusion Theriocide of trafficking victims in Norway is the ultimate act of abuse and violence these animals encounter; it is also the regular fate for animal trafficking victims in Norway To acknowledge that animals, like humans, are sentient beings, a comparison between human and animal trafficking victims is necessary (Sollund 2013b) A similar treatment of women and children who are trafficking victims would rightfully be met by a general outcry and would be regarded as unlawful homicide and consequently severely punished As humans who are trafficking victims may be subject to enslavement, abuse and harm, even death, so are animals, and as humans the animals dealt with in this chapter are sentient beings equally capable of suffering When the trafficking victim is a nonhuman animal, the killing garners little reaction; it is state authorized and within the law These acts of violence and theriocide would not be possible were it not for speciesism (Beirne 1999)—the overall denial of animals’ vicitimization (Sollund 2015b), of their interests and the rights they should be accorded because they are sentient beings, like us (Regan 1983)