The Animal Advocate
Natalie Kra
Senior, Walt Whitman High School
Natalie Kra became a vegetarian in the fourth grade after realizing that one of the things that separates animals from humans is their inability to defend themselves against slaughter. “I’ve always thought of them as the same as human,” the 17-year-old Bethesda resident says. “It would be like eating a brother or a sister.”
Her mother supported her decision by preparing vegetarian options for meals, and when Natalie later learned about some of the unsavory practices of large farms in bringing meat to the table, she shared that knowledge with her parents. Eventually, they, too, began eating more meatless meals.
Natalie’s commitment to animals goes beyond a dietary choice, however. She has always cared for pets at home, and has a particular soft spot for reptiles and amphibians. Her family calls her the “lizard whisperer.” Her latest charge is a bearded dragon named Oswald.
Last summer, Natalie spent a week in Murchison, Texas, at the Cleveland Armory Black Beauty Ranch, a Humane Society sanctuary for animals rescued from circuses, laboratories and roadside zoos. She helped the staff clean and feed the iguanas, and spent her afternoons with the monkeys on enrichment activities to keep them mentally sharp.
“To watch her have so much joy with these animals was great,” says Christina Kra, an interior designer who accompanied her daughter to the ranch.
In the summer of 2011, Natalie also had the experience of feeding and bathing an elephant for 10 days at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, Thailand.
“If people learn to be compassionate towards animals, then they’ll be more compassionate towards people, too,” Natalie says.
Aside from her interest in animal welfare, Natalie keeps busy with extracurricular activities. As a member of the WhitManiacs, a Walt Whitman High School spirit organization, she dressed up as a Viking, the school’s mascot, during a football game last September. She’s also a member of her school’s gymnastics team, specializing in vault and floor exercise.
Natalie plans to major in environmental sciences, but she’s not yet sure where she’ll attend college. She is preparing for next year by studying human geography, Advanced Placement biology and Advanced Placement environmental science. Though science has been her forte, she’d like to become a lawyer so she can advocate on behalf of those who can’t speak for themselves—namely, her friends in the animal kingdom.
“We all live on the same planet,” Natalie says. “The only difference is that they can’t say no. They can’t protest, but I can.”
