AIBU to wonder what people don't like about Chris Packham?

[MRex]

Obviously people actually setting fire to his gates are plain lunatics: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-58861252. The article talks about all these other online threats, dead animals and other mischief however, which implies a fair number of individuals who expend time and energy going after him. He's just an environmentalist campaigner who wants a bit more wild space, a few beavers introduced, fewer birds shot... he isn't a man of great power. So what do these people fear so much?

I'd rather live next to Packham than the vandals who attack his property and try and bully him to stop promoting his causes.
He is a good man.

I like him. Always fancied him!

@Boood

I can’t stand him. He hates cats and pandas.

Setting fire to his property, however, is absolutely disgusting and not in any way excused because he’s unlikeable.

I don't think he hates pandas but they are a species that hasn't and cannot adapt to a fast changing environment and therefore the unpalatable truth is that it is a waste of money protecting them. As die for his views on cats, I am a cat lover but I have only ever had house cats as they're murderous bastards.

He doesn't sugar coat what he says. He is autistic. He speaks his views without any frills.
I like him. What you see is what you get.
It is rare to meet people that uphold passionate views and have the courage of their convictions.

Country dweller, born, bred, work. I've met him a couple of times and a have friends/colleagues who know him better. He is kind, funny and articulate. Not everyone clicks with him but surely that's to be expected? Across the world environmentalist and conservationsist are persecuted, publically vilified and murdered. People do not like hearing they are wrong, or that they need to change, or that their power, money and influence is under threat, or having their self identity as a "good" person challenged. People are scared of the situation we are in, so they shoot the messager - it's as simple as that.

www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58508001.amp

thingreenline.org.uk/

He campaigns not just against blood sports but against all the hypocrisy and simple law breaking that goes along with them (the illegal persecution of raptors over grouse moors fi). So he has enemies in high places and with deep pockets.

@ExtraOnions

He doesn’t hate Pandas … his point was, why have millions been spent in order to stop them going extinct, whilst at the same time hundreds of other species have gone extinct without anyone batting an eyelid. Why do we spend all that money on one species … who don’t really bring much to the planet, instead of protecting the insects that are vital for our biodiversity? It’s a good point

His point re Pandas was that they were going down an evolutionary cul de sac entirely of their own accord. Nothing to do with humans destroying their habitat or anything like that. In terms of survival of the fittest they weren’t that fit. And I think he had a point.

I grew up in the countryside, spent my whole childhood climbing haystacks, driving tractors, riding ponies, keeping poultry, helping with lambing, running free and wild and completely surrounded by farmers, small holders and villagers. No one I knew took part in blood sports nor had much interest in supporting them.

I now live in a different part of the country, in an even more deeply rural community. Again, zero support for bloodsports here.

It's such a weird way of pulling rank to suggest that all those of us who aren't keen on hunting are in someway lacking in our rural credentials.

I grew up watching The Really Wild Show and loved it. I really like CP. Even if none of the above was true, I'd still be horrified by what he has been subjected to.

His views of the countryside aren’t compatible with farming. Generally, I think people who work and manage the countryside think he’s a bit of a moron. Chris Packham’s pressure group forced the government to revoke permission for farmers to shoot birds like crows on their farms with a legal challenge. Crows rip lambs and sheep to pieces, they peck out their eyes and intestines whilst the sheep are alive and farmers could do nothing about it. They couldn’t shoot pigeons eating their crops. Natural England did a swift u-turn but it was directly Chris Packhams fault.

I have friends that shoot, hunt and fish. I can’t really understand how people can get upset about shooting pheasants that are then eaten when people eat meat. Chris Packham writes in BBC Publications about how nasty anybody who shoots or fishes is. He consistently targets people who feed this country and presents his ideas as fact to people on TV. These people then accept his views as fact when it usually isn’t the reality of farming but they then put pressure on farmers.

Probably because he's uncompromising in his views and relentless at pursuing those who think it's ok to murder innocent animals.

It's good to see a range of opinions here. The answers have helped me to see what it is that people find challenging about him, thank you all for contributing. It's clear that a small proportion of people feel offended largely by his manner of speaking about those who pursue certain activities. I think I'd just broadly agreed with him so it hadn't occurred to me that anyone would get precious about his choice of words.

I really dislike him. Weird thing is, I agree with most of his ideals, I just find him a total attention seeker.

@elbea

His views of the countryside aren’t compatible with farming. Generally, I think people who work and manage the countryside think he’s a bit of a moron. Chris Packham’s pressure group forced the government to revoke permission for farmers to shoot birds like crows on their farms with a legal challenge. Crows rip lambs and sheep to pieces, they peck out their eyes and intestines whilst the sheep are alive and farmers could do nothing about it. They couldn’t shoot pigeons eating their crops. Natural England did a swift u-turn but it was directly Chris Packhams fault.

I have friends that shoot, hunt and fish. I can’t really understand how people can get upset about shooting pheasants that are then eaten when people eat meat. Chris Packham writes in BBC Publications about how nasty anybody who shoots or fishes is. He consistently targets people who feed this country and presents his ideas as fact to people on TV. These people then accept his views as fact when it usually isn’t the reality of farming but they then put pressure on farmers.

People who shoot pheasants and anglers don't "feed this country".

I take your point about farmers, but to be honest, much of the lack of biodiversity and environmental degradation is because of large scale agribusiness.

I know there are no easy answers, especially when you have a population who have become accustomed to really cheap food.

Just to reiterate, there are plenty of us who live in "the countryside" who think that Packham has a point, and shouldn't have to shut up just because farmers and landowners don't like what he says.

As for deer culling, that's again another issue caused by lack of wild predators. Healthy ecosystems need predators to function.

In the absence of natural predators, a cull is unfortunately necessary.

Read what happened in Yellowstone after a small pack of wolves was reintroduced.

@elbea I object to pheasant shooting not because the pheasants get shot but because they are dumped in the countryside in vastly inflated numbers and do untold damage to the local ecosystem before some inadequate with a shotgun blasts them out of the sky.

I admired CP and his anti hunting stance.
However he was an ambassador for the controversial Spectrum 10k project which has recently been pulled thank god. He also
describes himself as Aspergers which many in the autistic community find controversial and upsetting.
Not linking here but all very easily google able.

He’s an absolute knob

I’m heartened to hear from the country folk on this thread who agree with Chris. Not quite the countryside Vs townies divide that we are led to believe.

I think it was to do with him spear heading a piece of legislation where farmers can no longer shoot birds.

Same with someone like Jeremy Vine whose family were targeted by antivaxxers.
The police and law are far too lax on people who harass and intimidate and terrorise people in their private lives for their views on perfectly legal public issues.
I don't understand why the people at JV's house are not currently under arrest.

I really like Chris Packham. He's one of the few presenters that I do like.

I have a crush on CP. I don't agree with all of his views but to me he comes across as principled and genuine. Hes a hero of mine for publically standing up for what he believes in whilst I cower in the terf closet.

Team Chris’s here. Passionate, interesting bloke … isn’t an idiot … what’s to hate?

I'm glad to live in a country where the Chris Packhams exist. There are countries where no one can speak up when environmental abuses are done either by big companies or the rich and powerful and those that try are shot.
Instead of hating people we don't agree with we should have vigorous exchanges of views then the people with the most persuasive argument can bring others along with them and we all further our society. Cancel culture, erasure and silencing of those we don't like leads to stifling of social improvement and healthy debate.

DH and I are big fans of his. We live in the countryside and DH and his family have close ties to farming. But there are obviously some very nasty people out there who find CP a threat.

Chris Packham is simply splendid !

He says what he thinks, and feels deeply about important topics with unpopular options. He’s incredibly bright, and interesting, and when he won celebrity mastermind with his specialised subject not even nature-related, it cemented him as one of my favourite people EVER.

I also highly recommend his book Fingers In The Sparkle Jar.

I live in the country with horses and think hunting with hounds is disgusting, as is badger culling. I will not hear a word against Chris Packham.