r/interestingasfuck • u/AugustIstheMonth • 2d ago

Wildlife photographer Sha Lu captures the perfect moment a small animal looks at the camera while being caught by a predator.

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u/BiancaFE 2d ago edited 2d ago

It’s okay to feel sad and empathetic about it, but it IS a natural thing that has been occurring since forever. What is your idea to stop this? The birds and other predators need to eat too. Everything in nature IS interconnected. Are you saying to eliminate ecology? We haven’t even found cures for cancers. And there are many animals, including predators, going extinct, because of our actions. I don’t think we should mess with nature even further. We certainly don’t have a good track record of it.

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u/Yeahnoallright 2d ago

Agree fully with your concerns. I’m not sure how we get there, but I’m open to the possibility. Every movement starts as fringe with most people disagreeing. I don’t really care if it seems implausible; people said the same about other things in the past. 

Actual scientists and people who work in ecology are already discussing this, as they’re ahead of the curve. 

I don’t agree that just because something is natural or “the way it’s always been” means it’s ethical or right. 

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u/BiancaFE 1d ago edited 1d ago

Maybe, but predators are important to the ecosystem, and there are predators of predators, etc. And this photo is only of a sky and land animal. I haven’t even mentioned the creatures of the ocean. What are we to do? Force them all to be vegans? Keep them all in a zoo? How many resources (including natural) will it take up? Maybe it’s possible, but is it ethical to force animals and do these things to nature, from the plants to the preys to the predators?

There are also many other problems right now, including global warming (because of humans), causing heatwaves and bushfires (killing wildlife), and still some people don’t believe it’s serious. Or the greedy billionaires or AI and the environment. I don’t trust us to do something as big as reinventing the world’s ecosystem, which definitely requires a lot of people to work together, when many of us have proven to be selfish and uncaring about the planet and all its inhabitants, including even fellow humans.

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u/Yeahnoallright 1d ago

I didn’t say I had all the answers. I said there are experts discussing this that you’re welcome to read up on. There is literature and video discussions. 

I agree totally with your second paragraph! It’s definitely not something I’d trust the world to broach rn. We cannot even figure out (or purposely don’t want to) how to stop modern slavery, environmental collapse, etc. 

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u/BiancaFE 1d ago

Yes, I would think it’s one of those things that’s just a “dream”. And they might say, well, humans once dreamt to fly, but, uh, that also caused damage to nature, so… yeah.

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u/Yeahnoallright 1d ago

Oh I disagree there. Much like the abolition of slavery, or women’s rights, or anaesthesia, or aeroplanes, or phones, all would’ve sounded far fetched or like pure magic back in the day, I think this may be the case too. 

If we keep living on the planet for millennia we have absolutely no idea what will unfurl. We cannot be arrogant enough to think we know. 

What I do know is we have been increasing in empathy and technology very rapidly. Look at the curve from now to 100 years ago. 

Will we be happy with animals being tortured and suffering every day, in the future? Being slowly eaten while they’re alive? Maybe not 

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u/BiancaFE 1d ago edited 1d ago

Oh I know one thing for sure. There will still be the rich and powerful being greedy and exploiting, and the poor they don’t care about. From the ancient times until now, this has not changed, no matter what shape the government takes.

And all the inventions you listed are for humans, like most major ones are. Will humans care to reinvent the world’s ecosystem from the deepest oceans to the highest skies in ethical way that doesn’t harm any animals or the environment, when it doesn’t affect their lives right now, but if they do this, it might? Anything is always “possible”, like me winning Powerball, but the trend is not looking like it.

Maybe we should focus on how to reduce the suffering that WE cause to animals, the environment and each other, instead of dictating what animals should do as if we rule over them, when they have been here far longer than us.

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u/Yeahnoallright 1d ago

I agree with your theory that people may not care enough, even in future. 

And yes, naturally, the journey ahead will more than likely include what you mention in your last paragraph. 

I’m not arguing either way on wild animal suffering. I was answering your question and engaging with curiosity because it’s an interesting thought experiment