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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think allowing your dc to chase ducks / birds is just wrong

112 replies

Fairylea · 08/06/2013 15:22

Just come back from a visit to the nearby pond to feed the ducks with my family. Ds and dd were enjoying throwing some duck seed and looking at them.

Along came 2 boys of a similar age to my dd (9) with their mum who proceeded to run at our gathering of ducks and frighten the life out of them. Effectively enjoying making them run away and scaring them. The mum looked bemused until she saw me glare at her and then she half heartedly said to the boys "oh don't do that, that family is feeding them".

Now yes some might say they are just ducks, does it matter etc. But I've seen so many dc do this recently (we visit the pond a lot) and parents seem to think it's some kind of acceptable game. It's cruel and unnecessary. Feed the ducks or birds ffs don't bloody chase them!

I admit it's perhaps rather petty but I think it's so wrong to teach children to take delight in scaring animals even if it is just chasing them.

Rant over. And breathe.

No idea if I'm being unreasonable or not. Surely I can't be the only one who feels like this?

OP posts:

Original poster

Fairylea · 08/06/2013 15:23

(And yes the mum did tell them to stop but it was obvious she'd been letting them do it before).

OP posts:

rubiesandpearls · 08/06/2013 15:23

YADNBU it's horrible when people do that. It's not fun at all for the animal, poor things.

TheMagicKeyCanFuckOff · 08/06/2013 15:24

People do that with pigeons a lot.

Original poster

Fairylea · 08/06/2013 15:25

Yes they do magic key, and it's just as horrible.

OP posts:

TidyDancer · 08/06/2013 15:32

I agree, it's awful.

I have very loudly said to DD 'now, don't chase the ducks, only very naughty children chase ducks' within earshot of a parent who was letting it happen with her two DCs.

She stopped them (after previously laughing) and I am not even remotely sorry for judging her.

burberryqueen · 08/06/2013 15:33

tbh i think city pigeons deserve it, horrible flying rat things...then there is always some batty pigeon woman with a shopping trolley full of birdseed ready to stab small children who transgress.
but seriously it is not the sort of behaviour that is ok really

Fakebook · 08/06/2013 15:36

I let my DS do that to pigeons in the city centre last week. They always come back to peck at food again, so they can't be that scared.

SPsCliffingAllOverMN · 08/06/2013 15:40

I dont let me son do it. Not for the ducks or pigeons sake though, for my own.

i dont like when they get all flappy

MrsTerryPratchett · 08/06/2013 15:42

I don't let DD. She is a difficult, willful, busy child but knows I am deadly serious when I say, "we don't run at , shout at or scare animals". Being cruel to animals is a very bad sign and one I hope DD doesn't develop.

They have to eat to, you know, survive, so they have to come back and eat.

Cloverer · 08/06/2013 15:48

I hope you aren't giving the ducks bread then OP?

TidyDancer · 08/06/2013 15:50

Fakebook, do you think it's really okay for your DS to scare birds like that? Because it's not okay, just so you know.

Cloverer · 08/06/2013 15:54

Personally I think chasing ducks/pigeons is a non-issue.

Fakebook · 08/06/2013 15:57

It's no different to walking through a flock (?) of pigeons to get to the other side of a square. Are we supposed to walk around them? What about cars and buses that drive through town and disperse the birds eating junk on the floor? It's a bit hard not to scare a bird even unintentionally! Also, bread is dangerous for ducks and birds anyway; it expands in their stomachs and can kill them. I've never fed birds my leftovers.

I'm not teaching my children to be cruel to animals.

FobblyWoof · 08/06/2013 16:00

I think it's mean to the animal. It's teaching your children to respect living things. YANBU

seeker · 08/06/2013 16:00

I never let mine chase any animal or bird. I don't like the idea of scaring any living thing for pleasure- and I don't like the idea of telling a small child that it's OK to scare( however slightly) this living thing but notthat one.

ByTheWishingWell · 08/06/2013 16:02

YANBU, this really annoys me! Apart from it being rude in your case as the other family could obviously see that your DC's were feeding the ducks, I don't think parents should encourage or allow scaring animals for entertainment.

The bread issue doesn't seem relevant- the OP specified that they were using duck seed.

Jan49 · 08/06/2013 16:02

I tend to agree with Cloverer that it's a non-issue, except if you're running through their habitat, disturbing their nests. Most of the time you're just doing the same thing as a passing car or passing people who will be disturbing the birds.

I think it's more antisocial if people feed the ducks bread (I appreciate that the OP didn't) and in some cases leave large slices of bread on the grass by a duck pond, which I've frequently seen.

Emilythornesbff · 08/06/2013 16:05

Yabu imho.
As cloverer says: "non issue"
I don't put it in the same category as animal cruelty, personally.

Well done though on having such marvellously well behaved children and maintaining your (presumably vegan) inoffensive lifestyle.

limitedperiodonly · 08/06/2013 16:12

Anti-social bastards.

I saw two men taunting a swan with cygnets. The swan went for a toddler who was shorter than he was. That was the first time the mother told them off - the kid was part of their family. Before that they'd all been quite happy to spoil everyone's day.

Not a nice thing to happen to any child but I was glad it was one of theirs and not some other kid.

Emilythornesbff · 08/06/2013 16:14

Well, taunting swans is just stupid.
And they were not children.
I think there's a fine line with many of these things tbh.

TidyDancer · 08/06/2013 16:21

It's the intent that bothers me. Yes, humans and animals alike are scared by many things daily, but we don't tolerate the intentional nastiness just because some bad things happen unintentionally.

Parents who allow or encourage their children to chase and scare animals are tolerating cruelty and it's wrong.

pommedechocolat · 08/06/2013 16:23

Feeding ducks isn't considered good practice either though to be fair.

MrsTerryPratchett · 08/06/2013 16:26

I agree with Tidy it is intentional nature of it that is worrying. The message is that it is OK to scare something smaller and weaker than you if you can get away with it.

limitedperiodonly · 08/06/2013 16:27

Yes, it is stupid. I imagine the ducks and the swan got over it, but it's really about knowing how to behave, which shouldn't be a fine line.

Most people were happy to feed or watch the birds and these louts decided to spoil it for everyone. They thought it was hilarious to let their children see them scaring birds and spoiling everyone else's fun because the birds wouldn't come near - until that big swan decided to.

It was just nice they got their come-uppance that time.

Cloverer · 08/06/2013 16:31

Most children who chase birds aren't trying to be cruel - they want to catch a duck/make them fly/just enjoy the thrill of running and causing an effect.

It just isn't something I can bring myself to worry about. I wouldn't let DS chase birds someone is feeding, or do it in a crowded place where they might fly into other people, but other than that I do not care.

I am quite happy to scare birds off myself if I need/want to though.

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