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wild animals vs domestic pets

Axeman52

Well-Known Member
Does anyone else appreciate wild animals more than domestic pets?

I've never really had many pets. Never had a cat or a dog, just some guinea pigs and a hamster, when I was younger, but have no desire to keep pets anymore.

I like watching the wild birds in my garden (I don't know enough about the various species to tell you what exactly, because I've never looked into it, but definitely a lot of robins and blackbirds, wood pigeons, collared doves, woodpeckers, etc), I also occasionally get badgers, hedgehogs and foxes in the garden at night. Sometimes I see mice and rats as well. My neighbour once had an otter in his pond recently which he caught on camera, too. There are lots of wild rabbits in the countryside around me. and ducks. lots of ducks. swans, on the river, too. There's this lake nearby that often attracts a lot of wild geese at a certain time of year, too.

Lately I find myself having the desire to go to these wild animal rescue centres on a volunteer programme to help look after orphaned or abandoned lion and cheetah cubs and things - that appeals to me a lot more than keeping a cat. If I had the money I'd do it, but I'd need to sort out passport, immunisations, travel etc... Someone on facebook asked me "why don't you just get a cat?" but it's just not the same, to me.

Can anyone else relate to this?
 
Do you have nature centers where you live? I used to volunteer at one. I learned so much, and got up really close to deer, and fawns, and got to lead tour guides. You could maybe also volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center, or at a vetinary office out in the country, where they would treat all kinds of animals, both domestic and wild. Wildlife get hit by autos, smash into windows, and get into all sorts of life threatening issues. These centers need very dedicated people to help out.

It’s not that easy to work with the big cats, or bears. They just do not allow anyone to get near these high risk animals. There is a ton of training, and a lot on non animal menial labor often for years, before you are let near the creatures. Most often, a reputable place will use veterinary / biology college student interns (often going for their Masters Degree.) and not just people off the street.
 
I can appreciate wild animals in their natural state or environment.

I like to see a wild bird flying freely (not in a cage) and so on.

Getting a cat wouldn’t be the same experience as actually traveling to a wildlife sanctuary and getting involved in the work they do there.

I do have domestic animals living in my home with me and I can imagine it would be nothing like traveling to study packs of wolves, dingoes, lion prides and the like.
Nothing at all like it :)
 
Exactly. You said “study.” Which is why these places usually work with specialized students. You could start writing these sanctuary’s and ask what it takes to become a volunteer. Most require you to pay them to work there. They all need money. You could look into your own country’s sanctuaries first. For example, there are several big cat sanctuaries in the USA (where I am from), and even an elephant sanctuary in Ohio.

My friend actually volunteered at a baby orangutan sanctuary in Borneo where massive deforestation is happening.

Keep researching, and saving your money. It’s a fantastic dream that might come true. You could also consider working on a safari game reserve. There are some where no hunting is allowed. Be careful though, many so called “sanctuaries “ are not what you want them to be. I found one around 60 miles from my home. I got all excited and wanted to volunteer after meeting the owner at the nature center where I worked for 6 years. He had wolves, coyotes, and a bear, and all sorts of smaller wildlife. He was legally registered, and does many impressive educational programs, which I had viewed. When I got there I utterly dismayed, as the animals were all kept in smallish cages. It was worse than a zoo. He continues to run his “ sanctuary, and it’s legal! I heard him on the phone wanting to get more wolves, and a mountain lion. Some sanctuaries are really just a legal way for animal hoarders to keep their animals. I have done a lot of research on this, as I displayed animal hoarder tendencies myself for 15 years ( I no longer do now).

Be careful of the fantasy that all animals run “wild and free” in sanctuaries. That is a myth. There are definitely enclosures, and some are small. Some animals do not get along. Some are sick or injured. Few run “wild and free” unless the sanctuary is enormous. Do your research! Sanctuaries want to protect the animals they spend money on. Running “wild and free” is loaded with great dangers, illness, death from other animals, and poachers. You would do these animals great service by becoming a wildlife biologist. Then you could truly interact with wild big cats to keep them safe, and wild.

A well run sanctuary would keep minimal contact between humans and big cats- unless the animals are confined in cages or small enclosures. Which is not wild and free. Well managed preserves forbid a lot of human interaction, because it creates an animal too habituated to humans, and creates a potentially dangerous situation. Especially big cats.

“Wild and free” mean minimal contact with us humans. If you want to work up close with animals that would be a ranch, park, or zoo. If you want to work with big cats, that are wild and free, you would need to think about what that means. Most places in Africa use the local people as game keepers. Or you would have to get a veterinary, biology, science degree, along with years of experience. You would have to find a way to support yourself initially, as a volunteer. Best luck!
 
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I can't imagine life without pets. Wild animals are nice to watch from a reasonable difference and all, but you can't touch them, play with them, pet them or feed them. Definitely not feed them. We're not even supposed to feed the ducks at the local pond anymore. Even our kindness can end up killing wild animals. So let me cuddle with my two house cats and not feel guilty.:kissingcat::hearteyecat:
 
Most stories and movies where the main characters are wild animals show them usually being happy because they live a life of complete freedom. It's usually only because of humans being monsters when they are unhappy. But maybe real animals in the wild aren't happy at all, and it's only because of their survival instincts that they go on living, or at least until they can breed. Many wild animals never reach adulthood. They die of starvation, illness, injury or get eaten by predators. They live in harsh environments. They even get killed by their own species occasionally. It's a lot more like Watership Down was for the rabbits, except even they weren't unhappy and miserable all the time.

But then again a lot of humans in the world are also dying of illness, starvation, being killed by other humans, and living in harsh environments. Many people are miserable, horrifically stressed and suicidal. It's really a wonder people are happy at all.:emojiconfused:
 
Whilst "creatures of the field" don't appear to experience the full subtleties of the human emotional range, they certainly experience joy, fear, remorse, grief and the like even if they don't get quite as far as existential angst ;)
So they will be happy or content at times and sad, angry or fearful at others. I certainly see the joy in my cat when he gets one of his meaty treats on a Saturday night and the desperate fear when the vet gives him his annual jabs.

The vet does too ;)
 
I envy animals. Sure they have to lead a brutal and harsh existence but ultimately they have just three simplistic aims in life. To survive long enough to find a mate and raise offspring.

They don't have to worry about all the ridiculous human stuff like social media, arguments, politics, career, meaning of life etc. They just be.

They go to sleep not worrying about whether or not they can pay the bills this month or whether X girl or X boy likes them. They don't get upset that another animal has a much bigger and better den than they have.

They have no inner torment. They have no ego. They simply just exist and they are amazing. A simple life is what i have always craved yet the world and life itself seems to get more and more needlessly complex and difficult to navigate each passing day. Those days of old are gone.

I wouldn't say that animals are happy or unhappy as i really don't think they have the capacity to feel these essentially human emotions. I do think that they can feel safe and contented however just the same as they can feel fear and possibly anxiety.

As some of you may know, i have worked in animal rescue for nearly 20 years and during that time i've dealt with some animals in a really poor state due to cruel humans yet they always trust again and don't judge which is an attribute i am looking to get inspiration from myself and try to apply this to my own life.

They are amazing.

The problem with human society is it's inequality. Take a blackbird for example. If it needs a home then it goes out and finds the raw materials it needs to build a nest in a safe place. Every able bodied blackbird is able to do this as it is what they have learned.

If i need a home then i have to get some money from somewhere and then rent / buy one and if i don't have enough money then the likelihood is that i will have to live in a shabby flat in a dodgy neighbourhood facing stress and danger each time i leave the place.

If i have NO money they i have to sleep on the streets, unable to build my own shelter out of foraged raw materials because i'm a human and we're the freaks of evolution. We don't fit in anywhere. It's Lovelock and his Gaia theory again. Animals / insects / organisms are born and they instinctively know what they need to do in life. They then gather everything they need from the environment free of charge to accomplish this.

They are naturally at one with the world, the seasons and their environment whilst we humans can't last 5 minutes without artificial luxuries. Humans don't belong on earth. Earth belongs to the life forms that are able to work in harmony with it for future survival. We don't. We harm it, exploit it, overpopulate it and eventually we will kill it.

We are the most intelligent species whilst also being the stupidest if that makes any sense? We are aware of the damage we are doing but still continue to cause damage because it's easier to carry on than stop and take radical action to address issues.

The only chink of light i have when thinking about this and observing animals is that when humans are eventually wiped out through every fault of their own, a lot of species of animals are resilient enough to be able to adapt to a changing world and habitats and therefore they will carry on living as they deserve to do whilst we won't as we deserve not to.

Apologies for the deep and meaningful tone to the post but i do feel very strongly about this.

On a lighter note. I read with a smile Autistamatics post about cats. I think i can honestly say that if i had the choice of having a million pounds or cats being able to speak then i'd go with the latter without hesitation.

Talking cats would be a dream!
 
IMG_1351.JPG
World Lion Day ,highlighting an endangered species
 
Does anyone else appreciate wild animals more than domestic pets?

I've never really had many pets. Never had a cat or a dog, just some guinea pigs and a hamster, when I was younger, but have no desire to keep pets anymore.

I like watching the wild birds in my garden (I don't know enough about the various species to tell you what exactly, because I've never looked into it, but definitely a lot of robins and blackbirds, wood pigeons, collared doves, woodpeckers, etc), I also occasionally get badgers, hedgehogs and foxes in the garden at night. Sometimes I see mice and rats as well. My neighbour once had an otter in his pond recently which he caught on camera, too. There are lots of wild rabbits in the countryside around me. and ducks. lots of ducks. swans, on the river, too. There's this lake nearby that often attracts a lot of wild geese at a certain time of year, too.

Lately I find myself having the desire to go to these wild animal rescue centres on a volunteer programme to help look after orphaned or abandoned lion and cheetah cubs and things - that appeals to me a lot more than keeping a cat. If I had the money I'd do it, but I'd need to sort out passport, immunisations, travel etc... Someone on facebook asked me "why don't you just get a cat?" but it's just not the same, to me.

Can anyone else relate to this?
2FE2E9A5-E112-4150-A5BD-35F81957CD55.jpeg
Happy world wombat day
 
I envy animals. Sure they have to lead a brutal and harsh existence but ultimately they have just three simplistic aims in life. To survive long enough to find a mate and raise offspring.

They don't have to worry about all the ridiculous human stuff like social media, arguments, politics, career, meaning of life etc. They just be.

They go to sleep not worrying about whether or not they can pay the bills this month or whether X girl or X boy likes them. They don't get upset that another animal has a much bigger and better den than they have.

They have no inner torment. They have no ego. They simply just exist and they are amazing. A simple life is what i have always craved yet the world and life itself seems to get more and more needlessly complex and difficult to navigate each passing day. Those days of old are gone.

I wouldn't say that animals are happy or unhappy as i really don't think they have the capacity to feel these essentially human emotions. I do think that they can feel safe and contented however just the same as they can feel fear and possibly anxiety.

As some of you may know, i have worked in animal rescue for nearly 20 years and during that time i've dealt with some animals in a really poor state due to cruel humans yet they always trust again and don't judge which is an attribute i am looking to get inspiration from myself and try to apply this to my own life.

They are amazing.

The problem with human society is it's inequality. Take a blackbird for example. If it needs a home then it goes out and finds the raw materials it needs to build a nest in a safe place. Every able bodied blackbird is able to do this as it is what they have learned.

If i need a home then i have to get some money from somewhere and then rent / buy one and if i don't have enough money then the likelihood is that i will have to live in a shabby flat in a dodgy neighbourhood facing stress and danger each time i leave the place.

If i have NO money they i have to sleep on the streets, unable to build my own shelter out of foraged raw materials because i'm a human and we're the freaks of evolution. We don't fit in anywhere. It's Lovelock and his Gaia theory again. Animals / insects / organisms are born and they instinctively know what they need to do in life. They then gather everything they need from the environment free of charge to accomplish this.

They are naturally at one with the world, the seasons and their environment whilst we humans can't last 5 minutes without artificial luxuries. Humans don't belong on earth. Earth belongs to the life forms that are able to work in harmony with it for future survival. We don't. We harm it, exploit it, overpopulate it and eventually we will kill it.

We are the most intelligent species whilst also being the stupidest if that makes any sense? We are aware of the damage we are doing but still continue to cause damage because it's easier to carry on than stop and take radical action to address issues.

The only chink of light i have when thinking about this and observing animals is that when humans are eventually wiped out through every fault of their own, a lot of species of animals are resilient enough to be able to adapt to a changing world and habitats and therefore they will carry on living as they deserve to do whilst we won't as we deserve not to.

Apologies for the deep and meaningful tone to the post but i do feel very strongly about this.

On a lighter note. I read with a smile Autistamatics post about cats. I think i can honestly say that if i had the choice of having a million pounds or cats being able to speak then i'd go with the latter without hesitation.

Talking cats would be a dream!

I love your post. I was thinking yesterday that evolution makes sense except when it comes to humans. Why would the earth create a species as destructive, violent, and merciless as us? Is it suicidal?

My wish for the planet is that humans go extinct. I don’t want anyone to suffer; I just want us to go away. My heart breaks for animals. Nothing causes me more pain than knowing what so many of them live through every single day because of our greed and cruelty.

But I must completely disagree about animals not feeling happiness or unhappiness. The most joy I’ve ever seen someone express was a pig at a farm sanctuary a long time ago. He was almost glowing with it. In fact now that I think about it, I’ve mostly only seen real pure joy in animals, all kinds of animals, but not often in humans. It’s rare to meet a truly joyful human. Oh, and animals express emotion differently, too, not just in ways that humans do.
 
I donate to a couple of animal charities and feel sad if I see a pigeon with an injured foot and I go into a shop and buy a sandwich to feed it, the work of animal rescue centres I respect and I encourage any injured wild animals be reported to a wildlife rescue centre if possible. Pigeons can sometimes be misunderstood:-

Pigeons - Animal Aid
 
I cannot imagine my life without my pets, who meet me from work every day, and I try to help wild animals by making charitable contributions to the Wildlife Rescue Center.
 
I do very much appreciate wildlife, I travel out to South Africa every year to help out on a nature reserve (and trying to organise getting back there for another 4 weeks as soon as possible - it's pretty much my second home lol), and I've also got a trip to the rainforest in Peru planned to help out with conservation work (which is also on hold), but couldn't imagine life without pets either. I do really like learning about them and continuously advancing and optimising my care towards them. It's my pets that inspired me to get my degree in Zoo Biology.

Edited to add...

I thought this pic I took last year at Mankwe Wildlife Reserve was a fun combo of domestic and wild - Mbezi the Zebra and Bongi the Donkey.

Mbezi had to be hand-reared after she was discovered half-dead as a foal on the reserve, she can now free-roam but likes to come back for lunch. Bongi helped to rear her and is always by her side.

49707131353_16808428b1.jpg
 
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Actually, we *can* feed the ducks at the pond, we just can't give them bread. It's really bad for ducks and can make them sick. They have signs with a list of foods you can give to the ducks, like birdseed and corn. At least we could do that before covid, anyway.

My parents live out in the country and have been seeing all kinds of birds at their feeders, including robins. I personally think spring has really arrived when there are robins. I wish I could go down to my parents and maybe take some pictures or a video on my phone. But I wonder if it's still right since they supposed to get their food in the wild?
 

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