"befriending" Wild Animals Should you adopt, befriend, socialize, or otherwise interact with Wild

[Watermonkey 0]

I laughed till my face and gut hurt after watching that movie, Grizzly Man. What a moroon! It was especially hysterical when he bragged about not having a firearm with him, "because I know these bears won't hurt me." HA! That's good stuff right there. Sadly he had his girlfriend sold on his stupidity too and she was killed shortly after whacking the bear (in the beginning of enjoying his tasty little snack -the Grizzly Man), on the head with a frying pan. I have no idea how they knew which bear did it, but not long after, a team of professional hunters or Park Rangers (if memory serves) came to the island and shot the bear (Ironic since The Grizzly Man was there to "protect" the bears and their habitat!) and they found the bodies partially digested. Must've been one big bear! I think the Kodiak variety of Grizzly is the second largest carnivore in the world, next to the polar bear. I wouldn't be caught within ten miles of one without at least a .45-70 rifle locked and loaded. The game guides on a neighboring island all laughed and thought he was mad, but he did make it for four years, so they weren't laughing when he finally met his demise. Thing is, he may have been right except for the fact that the bears he befriended weren't around when he was attacked. The bear that attacked him was from another area and was only there for a short while so he didn't know the dude and lady. He only knew them to be an especially rare and tasty treat. Last one he'd eat, as it turned out.

We've got a neighbor who told me he was out in his trailer doing some work or something one summer afternoon. He said he walked out of the door and saw the strangest, most unexpected thing. He couldn't identify it at first but when he did, he walked very quietly and quickly away from the trailer. On the roof of the trailer was a mountain lion taking a nap! The lion's tail was hanging over the edge of the roof and, while he was tempted, the guy wisely refrained from reaching up and playfully grabbing it. Had he done that, it would've ended with a hospital visit or worse. On the other hand, he said something to a neighbor about the incident and, sure enough, within an hour word got around that a mountain lion was spotted and another neighbor showed up, shotgun in hand, looking for "that damn cougar", ready to kill it. He was told to leave immediately. People, even locals who live with nature, seem to have an unnatural fear of big cats and other wild animals who might consider humans, especially adolescent humans, on their menu. My dad has an innate fear of wolves and hates eagles because they kill fawns. I told him the deer are so think here I'd welcome wolves and anything else that has them on their menus. At least that way the predators are well fed and I'm less likely to meet one of those stupid animals crossing the road right in front of me while I'm driving (I totaled a car that way once when I was much younger). While you should always maintain a healthy respect for big cats and wild animals in general, I do believe they want nothing to do with that stinky, slow, loud, dangerous animal called human and when they cross paths, they tend to not attack unless you've accidentally crossed between them and their young ones. That can spell your death, even if you back away and try to apologize profusely... Most humans they've encountered were either hunting them or hunting one of their siblings so they not only fear all humans, they hate them as much as that emotion can be attributed to a wild animal. Big cats aren't stupid, they're survivalists, but more importantly they're BIG! One swipe with that big 'ole paw has the potential not only to knock a person ten feet, but also could kill that person with its claws.

Basically, I'm saying that advising someone to go out and "get to know" or "tame" or "befriend" a wild animal such as a Big Cat is dispensing irresponsible and reckless advise and anyone doing should follow their own advise so we can read his "statistic" in the paper later too. You're a sure candidate for the Darwin Awards if you do something as stupid as that.

Edited March 25, 2007 by Watermonkey (see edit history)

[Mich 0]

I agree with about everything you said. However, I have a little more empathy for the Grizzly Man than you. His demise was a tragic event, indeed. He was a less than highly intelligent human with his heart in the right place, but he was very misguided in his venture with the bears. I especially feel sorry for his girlfriend.

 

I wouldn't interact with wild animals unless absolutely necessary. However, I have interacted with wild song birds. I have rescued and raised 3 fledglings that fell from their nests. Two were returned to the wild and one became too attached to humans to go back to nature, and was kept as a bird in a cage for its lifetime. Although I would have wished it to have been able to go free. I have also rescued a duck from the ice of winter that I gave a local bird rescue group. When I spoke of the song birds I saved, they said that their rescue was confined to larger birds, mostly of prey, so I probably had done the right thing in working with them myself.

[shigajet 0]

I quite agree with your story as well, watermonkey. I figure that you shouldn't interact with any wild animal...if you're just by yourself. There may be some exceptions, though, like if you are accompanied by someone who is trained in dealing with wild animals. Small birds may be relatively easy, but bigger animals may be a bit of a stretch.

[hitmanblood 0]

I also think that it is not responsible from the person to go out and try to befriend with wild animal however I also think that we should stop catching wild animals and stop bringing them to the zoos parks and so on. Also this is very bad thing we are exterminating wild animals and everything else on the planet earth and we have to stop. Otherwise we may stay last animal on the earth excluding those who are adoptable like rats and so on. Very few in fact.

[srujanlive 0]

I also think that it is not responsible from the person to go out and try to befriend with wild animal however I also think that we should stop catching wild animals and stop bringing them to the zoos parks and so on. Also this is very bad thing we are exterminating wild animals and everything else on the planet earth and we have to stop. Otherwise we may stay last animal on the earth excluding those who are adoptable like rats and so on. Very few in fact.

Well said... Yeah wild animals must be left in the wild and their habitats must be protected. India , once home to the largest variety of wild species is slowly losing its natural wildlife. The numbers of tigers and lions are fast dwindling. Another affect is the entry of wild animals into urban cities that have come u after destruction of their natural habitat.

[seez 0]

heard about that guy who pretends to be a wolf? Yeah. CRAZY.

[hitmanblood 0]

heard about that guy who pretends to be a wolf? Yeah. CRAZY.

I don't know whether in your country there is RTL it is german television station. And they have show called Explosive about not casual things and events in the world and in fact interesting for the general public. And I saw there once man who has tatoos on his body like tigar then nails and theets. Really strange and to some extent funny. But he walks over the streets normally is not going to some jungle.

Maybe he likes urban jungle.

[sheepdog 10]

I guess it depends on the animal, see my roadrunner story in the pets and animal section. But a bear? No thanks. Or a big cat? Not in my lifetime! I used to occasionally watch the croc hunter, and always thought he was crazier than an out house rat, but I am not familiar with Grizzly Man. Sorry Watermonkey, I'd be like your neighbor, I'd be going for the gun in the case of a big cat. Of course, I have my goats to think about, protecting them is important. As far as the cats keeping the deer herds culled out, that's what hunting season is for! Venison is very good eating.

[zanzibarjones 1]

Are you kidding me? Befriend a wild animal? Ok besides the obvious "wild" in the posting....There are reasons why they are called wild. Wanna guess why? Because they can kill you.I mean there are reasons why we give them names like man eating, or killer, or death whatever. It's like living in an area of America called 'Tornado Alley', they gave it that name for a reason. Not because flowers spring up out of your butt on a daily basis.Sure a dog can be domesticated, but it can chew your face off too. Same thing goes for Cats, sure they look all innocent, but I am sure it's thinking, "Stupid human. I could kill you while you sleep. I am just waiting for the right moment!"Another reason why they made movies like Killer Pirranah, The Birds, Jaws, and Marmaduke...