To think you don’t catch a butterfly and take it round M&S

[FanofLeaves]

Was just picking up a few bits in M&S and there was a girl about 8 years old or so swinging one of those butterfly net thingies off her arm. On closer inspection I saw she had one in there (not the ones you send away for, although that would be bad enough, one that had obviously been procured organically)

Her mum was busy looking at something so I said to the girl ‘oh! What a pretty butterfly. That’s a large white. I except you’re going to let it go after you’ve finished your shopping, aren’t you?’

The mum came over beaming presumably ready to hear a comment about what a fun summer holiday activity this all is, and said ‘no, we’ll take it home, keep it for a few days and observe it. It flew straight into the net so we had this ready to pop it straight into!’

‘I said ‘well I’m sure it would have been preferred to be observed in nature, where it was, not caught in a net and taken round the shops. Don’t you think it’s a bit cruel?’

Anyway she was visibly annoyed, and said ‘it’s fine. My children are learning about nature! We know what it eats!’

Anyway she steered her child away from me and said some people are just very joyless and bitter.

Yeah I know I probably sound like a busy body but I can’t bear it when parents tell their kids it’s ok to just take stuff out of nature for their own amusement. Why is it ok to do this? It’s so Victorian, to capture a creature to just look at it, no thought for the poor thing at all. Don’t get me started on why they still sell butterfly nets 😭

Well I see people picking daffodils by the bunch when it’s the right time of year, and it makes me so angry. They cost bloody £1 in the supermarket.

Dramatic much?!

There is no need to do any of those things as it is ok to acknowledge that as humans we are all flawed and hold hypocritical and contradictory views. I say this as an ethical vegetarian, I know full well it is hypocritical to eat dairy but not meat and fish. That’s my choice that I acknowledge that I’m flawed in that respect.

Btw, when your 3 year old turns 8 you will look back with a little embarrassment that you went to confront the child first (weaker target) instead of only dealing directly with the parent/adult. It’s possible to be right but go about things the wrong way.

I applaud you op. I don’t really give many shits about being in nature myself but the mindless avoidable destruction of it does my head in. Add smug and entitled parenting as the cherry on top and I’m so glad people like you are willing to say something. You were actually very restrained and polite.

Is it cruel to put dogs on leads now? And the alternative is them chasing and possibly killing other animals, small children, adults, or getting hit by cars or kicked by horses.

Yes, pretty hypocritical to accuse the vegan of being hypocritical when the OP was so sanctimonious....
The RSPCA question is also interesting as they don't seem to give a flying f about animals being used for food.
I have spent today feeling outraged about horses pulling tourist carriages in 30 degrees. But not a great deal I could do about it. Maybe the OP will have planted a seed in that child's head about having more respect for our fellow creatures.
Insects, cows, pigs, dogs, cats: none of them deserve what they get from humans.
(Except slugs of course 😊)

Seed distribution, shitting over things (see the seed distribution clause) and providing a vital food source for gulls, Peregrine Falcons, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels.

Dogs are domesticated creatures 🙄

Also ranked as one of the most intelligent birds. Not that it would be ok to terrorise them if they weren’t, but lots of people really think they just don’t matter.

another vegetarian - I remember pond dipping with the kids when they were tiny - everything got put back carefully , I remember having one of those sets where you hatch a butterfly - did it once and released them - didn’t seem right so not again . Definitely odd to think you can keep a butterfly to study - arrogant really . Not surprised you got the reply you did but think of it this way - by saying something then and here you may just have made others think about things a bit more . We are all flawed and all still capable of learning

Daffodils aren't wild flowers though, although agree that people shouldn't be picking them.

Well that depends on where they are being picked from. In the countryside they are very likely to be native daffodils. In a London park probably not.

I loathe such casual cruelty to any living thing... but to pollinators, aargh, the mum was a moron.

Excellent point.

How so?

It doesn’t matter really. No one should be picking them, or any flowers that aren’t growing in their own gardens. Sorry, just realised I meant to quote the other poster on that, who said they aren’t likely to be wild flowers.

Educate yourself.

Yanbu

What on earth are you talking about? This is a batshit thread about someone getting concerned about a butterfly in M&S. The same store probably has a wasp trap out the back killing many more pollinators.

You were the one talking about people being indifferent or inconsistent earlier. Then admit you don't give a shit about pigeons.

Bumblebee72 · Today 14:46
I never really understand why some people get so upset about some animals but not others. A butterfly in a net outrange. Millions of enslaved dogs no issue at all. It almost like the opposite of rabbits where if they are wild it is fine to shoot and eat them but shoot a rabbit from Pets at Home and you are a heartless killer.

Bumblebee72 · Today 16:08
Do pigeons have any other purpose?
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/40ngTyz4RqxzRtZ5Cgy4lyt/the-pigeon-britain-s-most-misunderstood-bird

I despaired at the butterfly in a net but I have a dog living in my house. He does go on a lead when we go out because that’s the law in certain areas and because it shows consideration for people who don’t like dogs or are allergic to them.

The butterfly has been captured from the wild when it was going about its business, whereas my dog was a rescue from Ireland. He was not a wild animal living his best life. If I hadn’t adopted him, someone else would have, or he would have been PTS. I could try setting him free but he wouldn’t last 5 minutes in the wild as he has no survival skills whatsoever. He has his meals served to him twice a day and he sleeps on a bed with the humans. 😂

In fact he has accidentally liberated himself a couple of times by wandering out of our garden gate when it blew open in the wind. Rather than running away to live out his wild dog dreams and consume the local squirrels, he sat outside the gate holding a paw aloft and whimpering to be let back in. He’s obviously got Stockholm syndrome 😔

Butterflies ≠ domestic dogs.

You seem a bit over invested in this. I am also inconsistent. I love bumblebees in the garden but would happily destroy a wasps nest in the garden - both have similar wildlife benefits but one I like and the other I don't.; Similarly with badgers being welcome but not rats. It doesn't really make sense but is how humans act.

Personally I'm not really a pet person so don't differentiate between a dog and a sheep. Both have been bred to maximise human enjoyment.

It's hardly an admission I don't like pigeons - I'm not keen on lots of vermin. Just like many people - if there weren't we wouldn't have a whole pest control industry,

What about head lice? Many parents take delight in breaking their little legs with those combs. Still insects.

Well actually, pigeons are not classified as vermin in the U.K. neither are urban foxes, that’s another one people tend to get wrong. They are considered pests in some areas but that’s not the same thing.

would be better to raise public awareness generally online etc about why this is a bad idea, rather than confront an individual mother and child about it

• because ignoring it and writing letters after doesn't help that particular butterfly at that moment does it.

Not comparable to sausage rolls, as it's being eaten. Animals eat animals all the time in the wild, it's the darker side of Attenborough that makes me need to watch live at the Apollo after. If you were sitting at a table poking a captured piglet stressing it out purely for shits and giggles, then yes it would be perfectly reasonable to say something.