Wildlife Photos

[Calilasseia]

I couldn't find a wildlife photos thread here, so I thought I'd launch one.

I'll start the ball rolling with a photo of a Comma butterfly I took recently. This one was actually photographed on 2015.VII.28, but I've been seeing record numbers of these butterflies this year. In previous years, I've only seen this species in ones and twos on my outings with the camera, but on 2015.VII.15, I had no less than TEN specimens sit nicely for my camera!

[mkenuk]

A beautiful picture, Calilaseia, I look forward to seeing more of them in the future.

Unfortunately the wildlife photographs that have dominated the newspapers in  the last few days have been far less beautiful.

What makes a (presumably) educated, professional man pay a fortune to travel to another continent to cold-bloodedly kill a magnificent animal?

This wasn't killing for food, this wasn't killing for scientific research or to protect a village from a dangerous animal. This wasn't even 'man pitting himself against nature' -  the lion had been lured, by others, into a trap where all that was needed was to pull the trigger on a high velocity rifle. He couldn't miss. He was never in any danger.

What did he get out of it apart from a moment's self-gratification which he couldn't share with anyone else?

RIP, Cecil.

 

[pat]

People such as these are absolutely vile specimens of the human race in my opinion. I'm reminded of one of my pet hates: the press insist on referring to the rich members of society as the 'elite'. To me, the elite are the cream of the crop, people who have worked hard to be the very best at what they do, such as top sportsmen or musicians. Many of the rich people on this planet are actually the dregs of society and the person who killed the lion is a perfect example.

[pat]

Sorry, C. I was so seething with loathing after reading Mike's thread that I forgot to say nice picture!

[TRex]

Although I sympathise with you, Pat, is there really any difference between an animal led to a place to be shot and an animal herded into a slaughterhouse?

I actually pity those who need to kill an animal who has no real chance to escape, especially when the killing is unnecessary (e.g. self-defence or providing essential food). I think it dehumanises the killer.

[pat]

I find the herding of animals into abattoirs to be slaughtered just as repugnant, TRex. And indeed many of the truly awful ways in which we treat animals just to prepare them for our consumption.

The actions of this man were particularly vile because there was absolutely no need whatsoever for what he did; he simply had the desire to kill a magnificent creature for his own dreadfully sick pleasure. He's obviously not quite right in the head but I wouldn't waste any time pitying him.

[mkenuk]

One difference between this case and animals taken for slaughter is that this lion had a name;

What follows is pure speculation, but I suspect that when the dentist went to his travel agent to book his trip, the travel company then contacted their agents in Africa with instructions to find a suitable target.

The African agents then, looking to make easy money, selected Cecil, who was rather elderly (13 years old) and quite placid - an easy target, in other words.

I don't know about the US military, but many regiments in the British armed forces have a mascot, an animal of some kind - there are dogs, sheep and goats among others -  which proudly takes its place, usually decked out in regalia, at the head of a parade.

Anybody (civilian or military) who molested the regimental mascot in any way would end up wishing he had never been born.

There is a similarity here; because of his distinctive features Cecil was known by many. Thousands of tourists had photographed and handicammed him over the years. The dentist made the mistake of killing the family pet, the regimental mascot, the national symbol.

MK

[TRex]

I must disagree with you on this point, Pat. I do not think it is ever a waste of time to feel pity towards another human being. And if that person is 'not quite right in the head' I think that should be all the more reason to feel pity.

I think the ability to feel pity towards another person — as well as other creatures — is an important aspect of being human. Moreover, I think it far more healthy than the mind-clouding passion of feeling hatred for another person.

[pat]

I agree with the points you made, TRex, and please don't think that just because I don't pity this man I'm incapable of feeling it towards others. I'd feel pity for him if he was incapable of understanding that what he did was completely wrong but this man is a dentist, so presumably intelligent, and should know better (whether the lion had a name or not - the killing of Cecil was no worse in my view than the killing of any other animal that's been set up in such a way that it doesn't stand a chance). Killing for pleasure is inexcusable under any circumstances and even though there's something fundamentally wrong with people who do it, I doubt they'd ever qualify for psychiatric care as such. The planet would simply be better off without such people on it.

I wouldn't disagree with you if you said my views are extreme but one thing I simply can't abide is cruelty to animals, human or otherwise, and I make no apology for that.

[pat]

Incidentally, I've just read this in today's paper:

"The dentist has a kill list of 43 different animals including a polar bear, a mountain lion, an elephant and an African lion he killed in 2005 according to records obtained by the Minneapolis Star Tribune."

I quote myself:

The planet would simply be better off without such people on it.

[Linda]

Absolutely appalling human being ... I hope his teeth rot!

[drs]

I endorse all the foregoing expressions of horror and disgust, but what appals me even more is that, according to reports I've seen on television, Cecil was killed not with a high-powered rifle but with a bow and arrow, was then tracked and took some 48 hours to die - all this horrifying brutality for the "pleasure" of one sick dentist! There can be no excuse.

David

[Calilasseia]

Time to add another photo. This time, featuring a specimen of the Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus, that turned up alongside the cycle track I use for commuting.

Just for the record, this species is frequently an evil torment to photographers. The reason? It's a tree-line dwelling species, and its favoured method of making good its escape, if it detects anything it regards as a potential threat, is to head for the treetops. This on its own puts it out of reach of the photographer, but if you've never seen this butterfly in action before, then you're in for a surprise. The speed with which it can head for the treetops is astonishing to behold, if you've never seen a Holly Blue in "eject" mode, as it were. Basically, this butterfly, despite looking as if it's too fragile to achieve such speeds, launches itself to the treetops as if it's suddenly deployed a pair of solid rocket booster and lit the blue touch paper. Consequently, in order to avoid triggering its threat escape, I had to entangle myself in lots of nice scratch brambles to conceal myself while I took several shots of it,of which the best is the one I'm posting here.

If you've very lucky, you might catch one at rest on an overcast day, before it's had chance to warm up its flight muscles properly, in which case it is then much more tame and amenable to the photographer. I have shots of a specimen observed in May 2013, that I persuaded to sit on my finger for photographs, but I'll show that series of shots some other time. Here's the August 2015 specimen in all its glory, shortly before it demonstrated its hyperactive nature all over again.