To think that the response to animal killings is disproportionate to everything else going on in the world right now?

[littlemisseatsherfeelings]

Straight off I feel obliged to lay a disclaimer down to say I agree that the killing of the gorilla was really very sad and a complete waste of already endangered life. I thought the same when the killing of Cecil the lion got a hyper response as well. I think animal lovers could think I was being heartless if I didn't acknowledge this, and it really is sad.

That said - I NEVER see this kind of reaction about some truly horrific things going on EVERY day around the world. To humans. Our own kind. Day after day after day people are losing their lives. It is brutal. The refugee crisis, the conflicts in Africa, South America, just so much bloody war. Yet so few seem willing to talk about it.

You don't see the same numbers on petitions (430,000 for the gorilla when I checked a short while ago), you don't see as many long impassioned status rants on Facebook. It's just very awkward to start a conversation about the devastation to humankind right now, whether it is online, in the pub or wherever. But an animal gets killed and ALL HELL breaks loose. Celebrities shouting about their horror. The main news headlines full of it.

I get it to an extent. It's escapism. No one wants to face the reality of babies being burned in a war they didn't choose to be born into. Torture in prisons, FGM. The list goes on. It's depressing.

After sharing some stories about the war in the Middle East last year, and my distress at what I was seeing, the response on Facebook was very very quiet. I got a few comments that it made people uncomfortable. So I stopped doing it. But I read about the goings on in our world every day, my heart aches for what I am seeing and yet I feel like I have no one to talk to about this stuff. Like there's a stigma for wanting to enter into a discussion about it.

So back to my question, is it just me who thinks the reaction to animal stories is always disproportionate? Why can't we feel passion for other humans the way we do to one single animal we have never met or engaged with?

I become world dictator I will ban any wild animal from being killed to 'save' a human

Nuts!

Opposite to you formerbabe I always give loads to animal charities especially dogs. Hardy ever to any human causes. Animals are subject to the whims of people far too much IMO.

DontDead I suppose that's a fair comment, and the whole point of AIBU, but I didn't intend it to come across as mutually exclusive. I don't propose that you have to choose to care about one thing over another, but I stand by my query to understand why it seems to me to be disproportionate towards animals.

It's been useful for me to read these responses, I was genuinely interested to know if I'm in the minority. I'm not sure I feel any better or worse about humanity though

I started to read around this on the Internet but fairly quickly came across reams of bloody awful stuff being written about the parents. I back right off.

If my kid had fallen in there I wouldn't give a fuck about the gorilla. As long as the boy is safe I think it's quite odd to rend garments about the rest of it.

Oh god 50shades I'm a bit worried now.

YABU
Much prefer animals to people.
Why should humans always be top of the pile?
Why is a human life so much more important than that of an animal? Who decided that? Just smacks of arrogance to me.

Of course it is more important! It is hugely more important!

Animals don't have rights.

Seriously, Ithink?

Bet you have loads of friends.

I have a Facebook friend who is posting about being curled up sobbing over this, weeping, can't eat or sleep and constantly shaking with anger.

Bloody hell. Your friend needs professional help!

Ask her if she'd be doing the same if the gorilla was alive and the child was dead.

Why is a human life so much more important than that of an animal? Who decided that? Just smacks of arrogance to me.

So if your child fell into an enclosure and was at risk of being accidentally killed or crushed by a massive gorilla you'd... what? Make peace with the fact your child was probably about to die and leave it at that?

when I become world dictator I will ban any wild animal from being killed to 'save' a human

What's the likely time-scale on that awesome promotion, then? Just so we can get the bunting and cupcakes ready

I suspect if the gorilla had ripped the head off that child - and there have been a few people who actually know gorilla behaviour suggest he was working up to harming the boy - there would be niwhete near as much much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Bloody social media. It's like they give a free pitchfork with every keyboard these days.

OP - I don't think this thread will go the way of the dog's home arson one because no-one has a pet gorilla so don't have that sense of connection but if it was about a dog you'd be for it .

I remember another thread on here about if you were staying in a hotel with your dog and it caught fire, would you save the dog before the other people? Lots of people said they would because their dog was part of their family and the people were strangers who might be horrible people.

I didn't understand that at all and I've had dogs that I adored and cried buckets over them dying. I would never have prioritised them over a human life though. And I also didn't think they were 'the love of my life' or my 'soulmate' either which are statements I've seen on here and in RL in regards to the loss of a pet.

I will always think that's odd. I wouldn't say that to someone who said it because why would I want to upset someone? But I definitely think it's odd.

What I don't get is the focus on certain animals when as a race we kill millions of animals every day to eat. And most of them kept in pretty poor conditions too. The only thing that makes this death worse is because it was part of a breeding programme for an endangered species.

But charities for cats, dogs, donkeys etc, I just don't get.

If it had been a rare crocodile or giant spider I suspect the majority would be telling 'shoot the ugly bugger!'.

The stupidest thing I heard was some loon calling into a radio show to say that 'they' should have reasoned with the gorilla. Who, Dr Doolittle?

For all those saying it's human v animal - agree our overpopulation and ridiculous decisions (zoos, shooting, liking for ivory, insatiable demand for meat, methods of killing) is responsible for most of animal distress. But can't put out of my mind animal on animal activity - seals eaten by whale sharks, crocodiles eating migrating herbivores and worst ever, pregnant zebra lying down while hyenas ate her alive. So we're all appalling as first level carnivores. Difference: we can choose what to do.

I'm not sure what your point is millie?

Animals kill to eat (bar domestic cats), we don't kill animals just to eat. Sometimes we do it for fun.

Animals don't just kill to eat. Have you seen chimps in the wild? They're fucking terrifying.

The stupidest thing I heard was some loon calling into a radio show to say that 'they' should have reasoned with the gorilla

They need to find that caller and pop them in some gorillas and watch them 'reason' their way out.

FFS, how do people that stupid manage to use a phone?

Bet you have loads of friends

You bet right

Iris
Sorry I wasn't clear. My point is that carnivores of all types are cruel. Humans happen to be top of the tree at the moment in numbers and skills and thought so we are more responsible - and because we have choice over what we eat and how we do it we could change. So my response was to OPs responders who rate animals over humans , if they are carnivore, is think about the animals you eat and how they're killed every day while you express your concern for the wildlife and zoo animals which we also end up killing. I'm carnivore, but eat meat less and less - knowing the logic of vegeterianism is veganism.

Mavis
Completely missed the point of my post. Perhaps engage your brain and attempt to dig a bit deeper rather than default to the predictable 'What if it was your child' blah blah blah.

i much prefer animals to people who are rude, greedy and nasty. Humans kill the world for their own gain without any regard for other life. If you look at the gorilla, why was he even in an enclosure to start with? None of this would have happened if he was where he was meant to be, in the wild, but no, he was stuck in a cage so people can make money off him. Why are silverback gorillas extinct? Oh yes, humans again. Sorry I have no sympathy for people, only animals and children who can't protect or stand up for themselves.