~ Children should never be near wild animals.
Damian Aspinall is a British millionaire businessman and conservation activist. The problem is, he doesn't know what the hell he’s doing. 22 years ago, he placed his 18-month-old toddler, Tansy, together with a 300-pound gorilla and he taped it. It seems that he knew even back then that it was the wrong thing to do and he didn't release the video to the public until now. He claims he is releasing the tape now because he wants the world to see just how gentle gorillas really are. But we at FrogBook.com think this is just a publicity stunt to bring attention and funding to the Aspinall Foundation, which among other campaigns tries to bring captive gorillas back into the wild.
~ Siegfried & Roy.
There are many examples of wild animals that have been raised by humans since birth and seem gentle but attack their owners/handlers with absolutely no warning. One notable example is Siegfried & Roy. In 2003, Roy Horn was bitten in the neck by a 7-year-old tiger that had been trained by Horn since it was just a cub. Horn was in critical condition for several weeks. He also underwent surgery on his skull and suffered a stroke and partial paralysis. It took him years to recover.
Sadly, when humans behave irresponsibly while keeping wild animals, the animals also suffer. Read our earlier article, "50 Exotic/Rare Animals Killed In Ohio," click here.
~ No whale should be forced to live in a tank.
Another animal that can turn violent are trained killer whales in theme parks. These huge animals live under such cramped conditions that their violent behavior due to stress and mental anguish should not be surprising.
[Updated Insert – August 1, 2013: Read our latest article, "Film: Blackfish Exposes SeaWorld Cruelty," click here.]
What Is Tameness?
~ Natural selection changed wolves into dogs since the Stone Age.
Just because a wild animal is intelligent and is trainable does not mean it is – or can be – tamed or domesticated. An intelligent wild animal can learn cues and behave accordingly in order to get a piece of food or treat. But that does not mean the animal actually "connects" or empathizes with a human being like a domesticated dog can. This tameness has been selectively bred into dogs for thousands of years – first, when wolves foraged around early human waste dumps and were affected by natural selection; and later when humans began to selectively bred them for certain traits.
~ Silver fox experiment. Tameness is genetic.
And just because a chimpanzee is closely related to humans and seems gentle and intelligent, that does not mean it is as tame as a dog or that it can even connect with humans as well as a dog! In fact, some of the most horrific attacks on humans have been made by chimpanzees. In 2009, at Stamford, Connecticut, a pet chimpanzee literally tore off the entire face of a woman by the name of Charla Nash without any warning, click here. Now, think about Tansy Aspinall.
~ Why dogs "connect" with humans better than chimpanzees.
[Updated Insert – August 12, 2013: Read our latest article on the dangers of keeping wild animals at home, "Escaped Python Kills Two Boys," click here.]
~ A Husky looks similar to a wolf. But they are different animals.
UPDATE: Man Jumps In With Tigers
(September 22, 2012) A nut by the name of David Villalobos jumped from a monorail train into an enclosure for tigers at the Bronx Zoo yesterday. He was badly mauled and almost lost his foot as a tiger had dragged him all over place by the foot. He was also bitten in the arms, legs, back, and shoulder. The intruder said he wanted to “be one with the tiger.” On his Facebook page, Villalobos claims to be an animal lover.
~ A fool wants to be one with a tiger.
He is the perfect example of misplaced love for wild animals. If you truly love animals, first UNDERSTAND them. Educate yourself. Then give wildlife what they really need – begin by helping organizations that protect their habitat in the wild. They don’t want you to pet or feed them – while being locked up in your backyard. We at FrogBook.com are relieved that the Bronx Zoo will not put down the tiger involved in this incident. The Siberian tiger involved could very well have been shot during the rescue process if this idiot had not been able to escape quickly. This shows just how thoughtless and selfish Villalobos was. As we’ve been saying throughout this article, this tiger just did what tigers do. Wild predatory animals should only be destroyed if they are released into the human community, such as in the tragic situation in Zanesville, Ohio, click here. Some people are angry that the freed animals at Zanesville were killed, but this just betrays their total lack of understanding of wild animals.
~ A lion tries to eat a baby at another zoo (2011).
UPDATE: Prince William To Head New Wildlife Group
(September 12, 2013) Read the latest update on Prince William, click here.
UPDATE: Owner Loses Custody Of IKEA Monkey
(September 13, 2013) Read our latest update on Darwin the IKEA monkey, click here.
UPDATE: Lion/Tiger Hybrid Breaks Guinness Record
(September 18, 2013) Read our latest update about animals that break world records, click here.
UPDATE: 850 Snakes Found In Home!
(September 21, 2013) Read our latest exotic pets update, click here.
UPDATE: "Let The Panda Die Out": Wildlife Expert
(November 4, 2013) Read our latest article on endangered species, click here.
UPDATE: Corey Knowlton Pays $$$ To Kill Black Rhino
(January 17, 2014) Read our latest update on rhino hunting, click here.
UPDATE: Asian Carps: Barbarians At The Gate!
(March 14, 2014) Has the Asian carp broken into the Great Lakes? Read our latest article on this environmental disaster, click here.
UPDATE: Shark Fin Sales Drop Up To 70% In China
(September 11, 2014) Read our article about the plight of sharks and the shark fin trade, click here.
UPDATE: Feral Cat Colony Found At Disneyland
(November 23, 2014) Learn about feral cats and dogs and how they impact wildlife, click here.
For related articles in the Frog Blog:
- Feral Cat Colony Found At Disneyland Click here.
- Shark Fin Sales Drop Up To 70% In China Click here.
- Asian Carps: Barbarians At The Gate! Click here.
- "Let The Panda Die Out": Wildlife Expert Click here.
- Escaped Python Kills Two Boys Click here.
- Film: Blackfish Exposes SeaWorld Cruelty Click here.
- Bluefin Tuna Sold For $1.7 Million! Click here.
- Justin Bieber Attacked Over His Monkey Click here.
- Prince William Attacks Rhino Poachers Click here.
- Exotic Animals To Return To Zanesville! Click here.
- Bluefin Tuna Sold For A Record $736,000 Click here.
- 50 Exotic/Rare Animals Killed In Ohio Click here.
