Nature Photographers. STOP IT!

[Gracie]

I just watched My Octopus Teacher on netflix. Beautiful scenery, great story...EXCEPT the part where he watches a shark tear off his "friend" arm. Then when the octopus dies, he lets her be picked apart by scavengers while she is still barely alive, until finally a shark gets her and drags whats left of her off to munch on.

My point is....IF they are going make "friends" with these wild animals...hug them, stroke them, the wild animal rushes to greet you....IF you make friends with them, they are now your responsibility to protect. He could have chased off the shark (small one...that focus on octopus only). He could have held her as she dies after taking care of her babies, which is what happens when they lay their eggs. All their energy and life goes into that..then they die as soon as they hatch. Well, she didn't. She was slowly eaten because she was too weak to defend herself. And did he protect his "friend"? No. Even when another shark was after her and she managed to ride its back until she could get to safety, he still did not help her. THEN DON'T FUCKING MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEM.

Same thing about that mother elephant and her baby, being filmed for days, weeks, to get to a water hole and a dust storm comes up and they film her and the baby GOING THE WRONG WAY. Of course they died. Yet, one must not "interfere with nature"? Really? They INTERFERE when THEY MAKE FRIENDS with the animal.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr. I am so pissed off. And sad.

 

[Canon Shooter]

What makes you think they're friends?

 

[fncceo]

Animals don't have 'friends'. Even animals as intelligent as the octopus. They regard other animals (and people) as threats, or not threats.

Death is natural in the animal kingdom, just as it is in the human kingdom.

 

[fncceo]

Yet, one must not "interfere with nature"?

 

[candycorn]

Yet, one must not "interfere with nature"?

View attachment 433527

your question mark looks weird. And what is #1 wearing?

 

[Muhammed]

Same thing about that mother elephant and her baby, being filmed for days, weeks, to get to a water hole and a dust storm comes up and they film her and the baby GOING THE WRONG WAY.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr. I am so pissed off. And sad.

"GOING THE WRONG WAY"??? How do you know where they were going?

 

[Gracie]

Animals don't have 'friends'. Even animals as intelligent as the octopus. They regard other animals (and people) as threats, or not threats.

Death is natural in the animal kingdom, just as it is in the human kingdom.

This one did not see him as a threat. She busted ass to go to him when she saw him...clamp onto his hands. Then cuddle against his chest as he stroked her. He should have made friends with her. Ever.

 

[Gracie]

Same thing about that mother elephant and her baby, being filmed for days, weeks, to get to a water hole and a dust storm comes up and they film her and the baby GOING THE WRONG WAY.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr. I am so pissed off. And sad.

How do you know where they were going?

They were filming it. The herd, from above. Probably via drone. But they COULD have guided her back to the path after the storm ended. They didn't They let her die along with her baby.

 

[Gracie]

What makes you think they're friends?

A wild octopus does NOT make friends with a human. Unless the human goes to it every day for weeks, months, year. An octopus does not clamp on to a human chest to be stroked. An octopus does not cling to a hand in greeting. This one did. Then she got scared when he dropped a lens and left her den. He hunted her down to find her again. She greeted him happily when he found her. Yes, he made friends with her. And let her be attacked, then let her be eaten alive as she lay dying.

Beautiful scenery. But he was an asshole for "interfering" in the first place by MAKING FRIENDS with it.

 

[ClaireH]

What makes you think they're friends?

A wild octopus does NOT make friends with a human. Unless the human goes to it every day for weeks, months, year. An octopus does not clamp on to a human chest to be stroked. An octopus does not cling to a hand in greeting. This one did. Then she got scared when he dropped a lens and left her den. He hunted her down to find her again. She greeted him happily when he found her. Yes, he made friends with her. And let her be attacked, then let her be eaten alive as she lay dying.

Beautiful scenery. But he was an asshole for "interfering" in the first place by MAKING FRIENDS with it.

I agree with you completely from the way this played out. I have a hard time watching "nature do nature" when it's inevitable that the predator will get the prey, but since this guy altered her behavior by human intervention it changes that "nature doing nature" dynamic completely.

 

[Pogo]

What makes you think they're friends?

A wild octopus does NOT make friends with a human. Unless the human goes to it every day for weeks, months, year. An octopus does not clamp on to a human chest to be stroked. An octopus does not cling to a hand in greeting. This one did. Then she got scared when he dropped a lens and left her den. He hunted her down to find her again. She greeted him happily when he found her. Yes, he made friends with her. And let her be attacked, then let her be eaten alive as she lay dying.

Beautiful scenery. But he was an asshole for "interfering" in the first place by MAKING FRIENDS with it.

I agree with you Gracie. Didn't see it but from your description, yes --- bonding with another creature whether it be octopus, dog, human, bird.... imparts a sense of trust in that other. From your description it sounds like that trust was disrespected. Or at the least if that trust could be so casually abandoned then the original bonding was insincere and that's just as bad.

Just more proof that you have a good heart.

 

[MisterBeale]

We have a tendency to see the trials and tribulations of animals through the lens of human consciousness, and how we would feel put in their shoes, and thus, what our behavior would be, and our emotions would be in the same position. It is, a trait of highly empathetic folks, though, it tends to be prone to errors in thinking. We can't know for certain that their experience is the same as ours. They have different sensory organs, different nervous systems, and different brains.

This assumption is called, anthropomorphism. There does seem to be an element of chauvinism involved. This assumption is speciesism (related to racism.) It is a very common trait among Vegans, making the assumption that the inner lives of animals are the same as us, or that different animals have different value to humans based on their economic and social value to humans, and thus, we should treat them exactly the same as us. It is the proposition that we should extend to animals the same civil rights and civil liberties as we extend to all other people on the planet.

Anthropomorphism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[fncceo]

making the assumption that the inner lives of animals are the same as us, or that different animals have different value to humans based on their economic and social value to humans,

Where on Earth would people get such silly ideas?

 

[gtopa1]

making the assumption that the inner lives of animals are the same as us, or that different animals have different value to humans based on their economic and social value to humans,

Where on Earth would people get such silly ideas?

View attachment 433552

Yummy venison and bunny au vin!!!!

Greg

 

[rightwinger]

Dinner

 

[esalla]

Animals don't have 'friends'. Even animals as intelligent as the octopus. They regard other animals (and people) as threats, or not threats.

Death is natural in the animal kingdom, just as it is in the human kingdom.

Many animals certainly do have friends, and family as well.

Get educated

 

[Unkotare]

What makes you think they're friends?

A wild octopus does NOT make friends with a human. Unless the human goes to it every day for weeks, months, year. An octopus does not clamp on to a human chest to be stroked. An octopus does not cling to a hand in greeting. This one did. Then she got scared when he dropped a lens and left her den. He hunted her down to find her again. She greeted him happily when he found her. Yes, he made friends with her. And let her be attacked, then let her be eaten alive as she lay dying.

Beautiful scenery. But he was an asshole for "interfering" in the first place by MAKING FRIENDS with it.

How old are you?

 

[Aurora Woman]

Animals don't have 'friends'. Even animals as intelligent as the octopus. They regard other animals (and people) as threats, or not threats.

Death is natural in the animal kingdom, just as it is in the human kingdom.

That is true, they do not have friends in the human sense. That being said, if you are close enough to change their behavior because of your presence, you are too close. The OP's point is well-taken. Photograph them all you want, but stay far enough away that you don't change their behavior and put them (or yourself!) in danger.

 

[petro]

Animals don't have 'friends'. Even animals as intelligent as the octopus. They regard other animals (and people) as threats, or not threats.

Death is natural in the animal kingdom, just as it is in the human kingdom.

Many animals certainly do have friends, and family as well.

Get educated

People misjudge the intelligence of animals and the emotional range they are capable of and mistakenly base sentience on a human scale.
There are documented cases of many species that use tools and can figure out and learn new behaviors.
Higher intelligent animals have the same emotional range as humans and can experience loss, pain, grief, happiness, etc. An Octupus is considered highly intelligent and able to solve problems.

 

[Pogo]

We have a tendency to see the trials and tribulations of animals through the lens of human consciousness, and how we would feel put in their shoes, and thus, what our behavior would be, and our emotions would be in the same position. It is, a trait of highly empathetic folks, though, it tends to be prone to errors in thinking. We can't know for certain that their experience is the same as ours. They have different sensory organs, different nervous systems, and different brains.

This assumption is called, anthropomorphism. There does seem to be an element of chauvinism involved. This assumption is speciesism (related to racism.) It is a very common trait among Vegans, making the assumption that the inner lives of animals are the same as us, or that different animals have different value to humans based on their economic and social value to humans, and thus, we should treat them exactly the same as us. It is the proposition that we should extend to animals the same civil rights and civil liberties as we extend to all other people on the planet.

Anthropomorphism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Good CHRIST

Leave it to a master Contrarian to try to equate empathy with racism. Up is Down, Ignorance is Strength.

Hear that Gracie? You're a "racist" now.