AIBU?
Cockerel taunted to death
SuperFlyHigh · 21/08/2015 16:19
AIBU to despair of these children and their parents re this poor cockerel being taunted to death? 
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11815183/Zoos-star-cockerel-dies-after-being-chased-by-children.html
WorriedMutha · 21/08/2015 16:34
I had heard about this a few days ago. It is absolutely vile. Children who have no regard for animal suffering are likely to have no insight into human suffering. These parents have failed on so many levels and I pity those who come across their ill fated offspring in the future. In a place not a million miles from where this happened, a good friend of mine waded in when she saw a similar episode with a peacock being harassed as the parents cheered the kids on. She got a mouthful of abuse for her trouble but she got the better of them. I believe many bystanders took photographs so I imagine it is only a matter of time before they are outed and justice is meted out.
MrsTerryPratchett · 21/08/2015 16:41
It depends on the age of the children. Quite young children sometimes go through a stage of acting out their anger on other children and animals. Quite normal and that is about parents giving them boundaries. 3yo DD would have chased birds. Now, at 4, she knows it's not OK.
Older than that, it can be a sign of worrying problems which may not be solved by parental control.
Toughasoldboots · 21/08/2015 17:26
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LynetteScavo · 21/08/2015 17:26
Well, I think the photo of the parents should be published.
Not the children...children will chase animals (my own DC have run after pigeons in town when they were small, but I've immediately stopped them) but they should be taught it's not acceptable. Y'know, like hitting.
Toughasoldboots · 21/08/2015 17:26
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SuperFlyHigh · 21/08/2015 17:28
even worse but not quite the same - when I was looking for the cockerel article i found this on the tiger being taunted, why the F do people do this? it's not big and not funny:-
nypost.com/2011/02/12/killer-zoo-tiger-was-taunted-before-attack/
Narp · 21/08/2015 18:11
I have been on threads on here where some people saw no problem with their children chasing pigeons or ducks or other birds. I never let my children do this, even though I know it was a phase that lots of children go through and completely understandable.
Rasko
Most mall children do not do it to scare - they want to catch the bird, or on a more basic level, they want to see what happens when you chase a bird. They don't realise birds can suffer fear and can be harmed, so it's our job to teach them. I would not judge a child who did it. I would judge their parents.
unlucky83 · 21/08/2015 18:25
Both my DCs tried to chase the pigeons in the town centre when they were little - I stopped them...even when they were tiny and shouldn't know any better - you wouldn't hesitate to stop them running into the road... or hitting another child etc etc - I think there is no excuse.
In fact I used to tell them a giant pigeon was watching them ...and it would chase them if they chased the small pigeons. It kept ducking behind the buildings -they used to try and spot it........we still joke about it now 
(And before anyone gets huffy - the main purpose was to distract them - not frighten them)
A couple of years ago we were queuing to see Santa at an animal park - it was a long wait so most parents were allowing their children to run around a bit. A couple of children (in the same party - aged between 4-7 I guess ) started chasing/pestering the peacocks and their parents did nothing - I was debating whether to step in and say something or if the parents would turn on me when several other children did. I was very impressed.
I completely understand the reluctance of anyone from another party at this farm to step in -let's face it if parents will let their children be cruel to animals they aren't likely to react well to them being toild off by another adult ...
Toughasoldboots · 21/08/2015 18:33
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SpaggyBollocks · 21/08/2015 18:51
I don't like telling off other people's kids. it makes me feel awkward.
but I was once having a pint outside a lovely cotswold pub with an orchard. there were gorgeous little bantams and their chicks running around in the grass.
and a small group of children throwing apples at them.
didn't think twice about kicking off that time.
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