Pests contaminate our food, damage buildings, and give us the creeps. They carry diseases, cause fire hazards, constantly reminding us to pay attention to sanitation and garbage control. However, despite all of this, some people refuse to trap, bait, and kill them.
Recently, Gheetan Chana made a Facebook post about the time he caught a mouse and decided to let it go. After the man described the conflicting feelings he experienced at the time, others started responding with similar stories of their own. Pretty soon, a wholesome discussion on the value of life emerged, and if that isn’t the beauty of the internet, I don’t know what is.
More info: Facebook
Image credits: Gheetan Chana
Interestingly, a species can be a pest in one area but beneficial or even domesticated in another (for example, when European rabbits were introduced to Australia, they started causing ecological damage beyond the scale they inflicted in their natural habitat). Many weeds are also valued under certain conditions but feared elsewhere, for instance, Patterson’s curse is seen as food for honeybees and as a wildflower, even though it can and sometimes does poison livestock.
Here’s what people said about these efforts
Great. I'm sick to death of people who think "It's my property, so I have the right to kill any creature that comes into it." No other creature has the concept of property and they are mostly getting on with their lives peacefully. Too many people have this notion that we own the world and everything is at our mercy, when most of these creatures had evolved before we did.
There might be people who think like this and that's not good. But mainly the real reason we freak out and want these pests away from our homes is because you don't know where they come from and what disease they bring. Any animal that's been in the sewers is very likely to be contaminated, and rats are well known for this. Another reason is, when you have a garden, where you grow your own food, they can be nasty little thieves. Now, surely they look cute, but this is the reality.
Load More Replies...For some reason that reminds of my mother telling me about a cat she had as a child - totally useless and couldn't have caught a mouse if it sat still and waited for him. She said you could hear him galumph his way up the garden. Clumsy but lovable.
Load More Replies...This is me, if I find a bug in my house I will try to not kill it and let it go outdoors.
Same here. :) In fact, I will never kill it but try to guide flies to the open windows, etc.
Load More Replies...A stray cat began claiming my backyard as home. At first I just ignored him. Then fed him a little. Then fed him a lot. Then got him a covered bed and a plush blanket to keep him warm in a weather proofed section on my patio (he can't come inside because I am very allergic.) Plus treats because he begs. I always considered myself a dog person but I apparently have a cat now.
Cats are very smart. If they like you they make you love them. You have no choice, lol
Load More Replies...In NZ, mice and rats (and possums) are all non-native and decimate the indigenous wildlife; I am happy to catch them and dispatch them humanely. No animal suffers a prolonged death.
In the Galapagos Islands, pet cats are liked (I met an adorable one who hangs out on a garden wall and gets petted by passersby all day), but feral cats are viewed with contempt. One of my friends was unhappy about feral cats being killed there, so I explained that they could otherwise wipe out endemic species. On one island, the marine iguana population increased after feral cats were wiped out. Now several islands have issues with the increasing human population. Immigration has gotten stricter (as North American tourists, my husband and I got visiting rights without an issue, but mainland Ecuadorians get vetted carefully).
Load More Replies...Many home invaders can pose a health risk to me and mine. Bites, diseases, contamination of surfaces/food/water etc. ... It's called "survival". I have a right to safeguard my home. Humanely if possible, with a shovel if not. A cute little mosue on a farm = 100 mice on your farm = mouse pee and poo in your feed and seed = economic crunch b/c you have to replace it all for safety = mouse not so cute. IAnd that's not even coping with crop damage etc. from other pests. deally, we'd all live and let live. Sadly, life ain't ideal.
Finding one mouse is quite different than having an infestation. Releasing a couple is doable but hundreds is another story. I know some who have an infestation and there is feces all along ledges and near food that they have chewed their way into. I think the quantity of these creatures dwelling with you makes a difference and the health concerns they bring. Try telling someone who is allergic to insect bites and stings that it is alright to have found a bedbug/flea/lice etc. to just release it (one is a sign that there will be more in hiding) or that it is alright to let them live and multiply in the place where you dwell because their life is equal to their own. I know of no one with such allergies that would die for the sake of the lives of such creatures.
I have 'rehomed' a lot of mice. I live trap them with a paper towel tube, peanut butter and a bucket. I also found one on a glue trap outside a business. I took the whole thing home and slowly worked him loose with the help of a lot of olive oil. That was an incredibly grateful mouse. Glue traps are awful, awful things and really ought to be banned.
Bless you for helping that poor mouse. Yes, glue traps should be outlawed. They are sadistic, horrifyingly cruel devices. Please. No one use them. Ever.
Load More Replies...To the person feeding the raccoons, refrain from feeding them. People around here that have fed wild raccoons soon find themselves with 20-30 raccoons that occupy their yards and will be bold enough to open sliding doors and kitchen windows to get into where the food is. They will also be quite vicious about it and harass/attack your own pets if they feel they are competing for resources. Raccoons are resourceful and will find their own food. But a kind act can soon become a problematic nightmare. Let them find their own way.
I had a cat that occasionally brought me 'presents'. One day he came through the cat flap, I said "Hello" and he did his usual miaow of reply, at which point a mouse leapt from the inside of his mouth. I spent the next 2 days trying to catch the little beggar before the cat did.
What kind of a sadist captures a pest animal to kill it with their bare hands?
I really appreciate these stories. I had a mouse problem and used live traps to catch and realease, sealed the hole they were getting in through, and haven't had a problem in years. Also had a raccoon in my attic once. I called a company to see how they would handle the situation. They said they would have to euthanize it once caught. I couldnt let that happen. Instead I waited until it left (made sure there were no babies in the attic ) and fixed the air vent they had gotten in from.
Poor mice! This one steals food from our birdies but I don't mind :) 26952032_1...ea2970.jpg
I found a little nest of baby mice in my wardrobe once and I begged and pleaded my parents to keep them but said no. My parents were trying to convince me that we needed to kill the, coz they are pests and they cause damage to the house etc. Well I started crying so my parents said I could take the nest to the paddock at the end of the street. A reasonable compromise, or so I thought. I tucked the nest of mice in between some bushes under a tree, well I started walking home and I decided to turn around and what do I see, 2 kookaburras at the nest eating the baby mice. I was devastated.
Well, at least their death was more usefull than if they would have been killed and discarded in the trash. But I understand you, I would have felt the same.
Load More Replies...We had a young opossum show up in our house one day. Caught him and released him in the park. A month later he was back. I got up at 1am to help my daughter who had an earache. I found him playing dead in the kitchen. Released him again. The next month he got into the compost and was hiding under the sofa. This time he left a smelly mess of excrement. After catching him a 3rd time, I took him to wildlife rescue. We have named him Steve.
How do you get your post to become popular? Or have a single soul see it?
Idk how anyone could kill them if they don't have to. I know I couldnt.
While still in High School I found a baby bat on two separate occasions. Felt bad for the little things and tried to keep them alive. Unfortunately neither made it. I was so very sad and felt terrible that I couldn't save them. Learning later on how very wrong I went about my attempts only made me feel all the more guilty.
You did the right thing trying to help them. Please don't feel bad. You did the best you could at the time. You're a lovely person. Bless you.
Load More Replies...Scrolling down and looking through these comments... it's just so sad and ironic how people nowadays give more value to the life of a mouse or rat than to the life of an unborn child. the people who are saying "just because it's on your property doesnt mean you can kill it" are the same people who comment on other articles and say "it's my womb, so i have the right to kill it" (and yes, I'm fully expecting downvotes and hate for saying this but i dont care. I will always defend innocent lives)
Save all the creatures! They are on our planet for a reason. We have no right to kill them.
I was going to kill a stray moth the other night that flew in when I let my dogs out to pee....but Mrs. PMS made me catch and release it back outside....a first for me lol
I was working in our garage one day and heard this noise, I figured out where its coming from at the same time this tiny mouse popped out of the insulation. Being the brave person I am I got my husband and asked him to catch him so we could release him away from the house. Tragically the mouse jumped as my husband tried to pick him up, he hit the floor and started running, my husband turned to see where it went and ended up stepping on it and killing it. OMG he was sad all day long that he killed it.
You have to be seriously ghetto trash to kill other living things that pose no threat to you. Nobody is entitled to someone else’s life. Other animals are not a moral compass. You can’t say “well other animals are territorial.” Yeah other animals have barbed penises and chase each other down to have violent sex. Not a moral compass.
Yes, mice can be cute. But... The winter after our mouser cat died, 2 mouse families (at least 9 mice) moved in and raided our food pantry. They chewed through bags and boxes of food and left urine, saliva, and droppings everywhere. Since wild mice can carry diseases such as hantavirus, Lyme disease and salmonella, I had to to toss out all the contaminated food and clean and disinfect (with chlorine bleach) all cans, bottles, jars, shelves and the floor. It took hours. I was so not happy when I had to do it again later. Wild mice had also invated our attic and chewed on the telephone, cable and electrical wiring. Fortunately, they never chewed all the way through the insulation. Mice have been known to start fires. Rodents' teeth never stop growing, so they always have to chew stuff to keep their teeth at a reasonable length. Y'all might want to handle wild mice with gloves or some kind of protection.
I once tried to save a mouse caught in our living room. I dropped it in the grass and it took off running. Then, one of our chickens made a b-line for it and swallowed it whole - just its little tail hanging out the corner of her beak. That was the day I learned that chickens eat mice.
We had a mole visit our backyard, and I was explaining to my spouse what signs to look for with moles. As I was describing their behaviour and signature mounds they create, I saw the example mound I was pointing out was moving from underneath. I hurriedly dug around it and unearthed the culprit mole, which we relocated a few miles down the road. We do no harm to the creatures around our property, as they are just doing their thing. I wish I could post a pic of the cute li'l bugger in the comments here.
I don’t like roaches. But even as I have killed those few I’ve encountered in my current home, I understand that I have deprived them of their lives. But they multiply quickly and I can’t have them in my house!
I turned on my bedside light one night in what can only be described as a future Geico ad. One baby raccoon, halfway between the escape route of a crime scene and his accomplice, standing tall on his hind legs in a slightly ajar file drawer wildly waving his arm towards the exit, yelling RUN! RUN! to his partner in crime. I watched from my bed, trying not to laugh because I didn't want to embarrass the two masked bandits and their unfortunate bad timing.
Hey guys I need help. I'm trying to post something on this site, but you know how it says image must be at least 600px wide? I ound pictures that are like 800x750 which is even more, and some in the thousands. But it says it's too small. I don't know what to do . Please help!
I don't quite know, but have you tried taking a screenshot, and cropping it?
Load More Replies...I see spiders didn't make the final cut. RIP to all the fallen spiders!
I always do my best to catch and release spiders outside, or just leave them be if they're out of the way. If there are no insects for them to eat, they will leave on their own. I'm not kind to them for this reason, but many cultures have old folk tales that say harming a spider brings very bad luck.
Load More Replies...The one pest on the planet we truly need to worry about is called Homo Sapiens. "At the dawn of agriculture, about 8000 B.C., the population of the world was approximately 5 million. Over the 8,000-year period up to 1 A.D. it grew to 200 million... whereas it had taken all of human history until around 1800 for world population to reach one billion, the second billion was achieved in only 130 years (1930) ... In 1970, there were roughly half as many people in the world as there are now." https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
Eureka! You CAN add pics to comments! Here's that little mole that I dug-up with my bare hands - he wasn't too enthused about being top-side, but he did appreciate being alive. IMG_201809...24d923.jpg
Two words for you: hanta virus. Don't have to kill, but damn, don't be touching them so much.
A bat once flew into our basement. I had to caugh him and then set him free. And I realized that bats are cute.
Ever wonder if all these hungry critters ever publish reviews and ratings on dining establishments that simply must be experienced. A bucket list of sorts. And what level of snobbery might be involved. Can't blame a critter for not settling for the same old stinky slop tonight. Let's go for the good stuff. A nice selection of cheeses sans mold, a crispy crusty of bread with that soft buttery interior. A nice wine. We fatten the duck or goose with a force feeding tube to have precious pâté de foie gras and grimace in disgust at the whale eating only the liver of baby whales. They do it for energy. We can't claim that reason while having Alexa and smart faucets turn on and off to do our work while sitting in a comatose state from our massaging sofa. Imagine the day tables are turned and see us invading the kitchen of overstuffed raccoons and rats and coyotes. That will happen the same time they dress us up in those ridiculous costumes and outfits we insist they wear.
Bubonic plague comes to mind. I wouldn’t kill him either, but I would definitely release him far, far away from my home.
For the whole of the 20th century it was believed that the Black Death and all the plagues of Europe (1347–1670) were epidemics of bubonic plague. There is evidence to suggest that this view is incorrect and that the disease was a viral haemorrhagic fever, characterised by a long incubation period of 32 days, which allowed it to be spread widely even with the limited transport. It is also believed that humans were the greatest cause of the spread of the disease and not, as used to be believed, the rats.
Load More Replies...Could someone please click my name and look at my post? I really want my photography to get out there I promise it will be worth it.
I guess it's a personal choice but I hope no one declares cockroaches cute.
Every time I hear a story about mouses I remember my mom telling me a story that happened few years ago- our neighbor,a strong man in his 50’s,who is something like a forrest sheriff (takes care of forest in general,so as animal shelters in it) has picked up mouse fever in the same forest. She passed by him in the store,cause she didn’t recognize him-he’s lost like 20kg,pale,bags under eyes,weak,etc. Long story short,he barely survived. And than I always think- what if the mouse comes in the house where I have my kids... not all of them have the disease,of course,but the fear is really strong.
Grease quote, don't come at me guns hot...
Load More Replies...I always think that if you can catch something alive, do it. Make every effort to do so. And in response to @Tiny Dynamine, Mice are cute, I admit, but they do carry a lot of diseases, some deadly. There is also the issue of them eating our food, which could also pass diseases. I don't think that wild mice in a person's home should be shrugged off, but yes, they should also not be killed.
These little f*****s rip apart from car's air filter everyday...so far ive caught 4 of them and gave eternal death...
Are you also going to do this with the ugly animals you find in your house? Every single cockroach and spider, for example?
We had a mouse and I got a humane trap and was going to release it in the wild. But then I was told that in the uk it's actually illegal to release mice into the world. They can upset the eco system and are technically vermin. We didn't catch the mouse in the end so I didn't have to worry. They just disappeared.
I think you have been misinformed Catherine. Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) (available at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/about_legislation.htm) prohibits the release into the wild any animal which is 1) of a kind that is not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to GB in a wild state or 2) is included in Part 1 of Schedule 9. Currently, the black rat (Rattus rattus), the fat/edible dormouse (Glis glis), the grey squirrel (Sciureus carolinensis) and the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) are listed on Part 1 of Schedule 9 and therefore cannot be released, except under licence. Under the WCA there is no prohibition on the release of other species of rats or mice which are ordinarily resident in GB.
Load More Replies...Great. I'm sick to death of people who think "It's my property, so I have the right to kill any creature that comes into it." No other creature has the concept of property and they are mostly getting on with their lives peacefully. Too many people have this notion that we own the world and everything is at our mercy, when most of these creatures had evolved before we did.
There might be people who think like this and that's not good. But mainly the real reason we freak out and want these pests away from our homes is because you don't know where they come from and what disease they bring. Any animal that's been in the sewers is very likely to be contaminated, and rats are well known for this. Another reason is, when you have a garden, where you grow your own food, they can be nasty little thieves. Now, surely they look cute, but this is the reality.
Load More Replies...For some reason that reminds of my mother telling me about a cat she had as a child - totally useless and couldn't have caught a mouse if it sat still and waited for him. She said you could hear him galumph his way up the garden. Clumsy but lovable.
Load More Replies...This is me, if I find a bug in my house I will try to not kill it and let it go outdoors.
Same here. :) In fact, I will never kill it but try to guide flies to the open windows, etc.
Load More Replies...A stray cat began claiming my backyard as home. At first I just ignored him. Then fed him a little. Then fed him a lot. Then got him a covered bed and a plush blanket to keep him warm in a weather proofed section on my patio (he can't come inside because I am very allergic.) Plus treats because he begs. I always considered myself a dog person but I apparently have a cat now.
Cats are very smart. If they like you they make you love them. You have no choice, lol
Load More Replies...In NZ, mice and rats (and possums) are all non-native and decimate the indigenous wildlife; I am happy to catch them and dispatch them humanely. No animal suffers a prolonged death.
In the Galapagos Islands, pet cats are liked (I met an adorable one who hangs out on a garden wall and gets petted by passersby all day), but feral cats are viewed with contempt. One of my friends was unhappy about feral cats being killed there, so I explained that they could otherwise wipe out endemic species. On one island, the marine iguana population increased after feral cats were wiped out. Now several islands have issues with the increasing human population. Immigration has gotten stricter (as North American tourists, my husband and I got visiting rights without an issue, but mainland Ecuadorians get vetted carefully).
Load More Replies...Many home invaders can pose a health risk to me and mine. Bites, diseases, contamination of surfaces/food/water etc. ... It's called "survival". I have a right to safeguard my home. Humanely if possible, with a shovel if not. A cute little mosue on a farm = 100 mice on your farm = mouse pee and poo in your feed and seed = economic crunch b/c you have to replace it all for safety = mouse not so cute. IAnd that's not even coping with crop damage etc. from other pests. deally, we'd all live and let live. Sadly, life ain't ideal.
Finding one mouse is quite different than having an infestation. Releasing a couple is doable but hundreds is another story. I know some who have an infestation and there is feces all along ledges and near food that they have chewed their way into. I think the quantity of these creatures dwelling with you makes a difference and the health concerns they bring. Try telling someone who is allergic to insect bites and stings that it is alright to have found a bedbug/flea/lice etc. to just release it (one is a sign that there will be more in hiding) or that it is alright to let them live and multiply in the place where you dwell because their life is equal to their own. I know of no one with such allergies that would die for the sake of the lives of such creatures.
I have 'rehomed' a lot of mice. I live trap them with a paper towel tube, peanut butter and a bucket. I also found one on a glue trap outside a business. I took the whole thing home and slowly worked him loose with the help of a lot of olive oil. That was an incredibly grateful mouse. Glue traps are awful, awful things and really ought to be banned.
Bless you for helping that poor mouse. Yes, glue traps should be outlawed. They are sadistic, horrifyingly cruel devices. Please. No one use them. Ever.
Load More Replies...To the person feeding the raccoons, refrain from feeding them. People around here that have fed wild raccoons soon find themselves with 20-30 raccoons that occupy their yards and will be bold enough to open sliding doors and kitchen windows to get into where the food is. They will also be quite vicious about it and harass/attack your own pets if they feel they are competing for resources. Raccoons are resourceful and will find their own food. But a kind act can soon become a problematic nightmare. Let them find their own way.
I had a cat that occasionally brought me 'presents'. One day he came through the cat flap, I said "Hello" and he did his usual miaow of reply, at which point a mouse leapt from the inside of his mouth. I spent the next 2 days trying to catch the little beggar before the cat did.
What kind of a sadist captures a pest animal to kill it with their bare hands?
I really appreciate these stories. I had a mouse problem and used live traps to catch and realease, sealed the hole they were getting in through, and haven't had a problem in years. Also had a raccoon in my attic once. I called a company to see how they would handle the situation. They said they would have to euthanize it once caught. I couldnt let that happen. Instead I waited until it left (made sure there were no babies in the attic ) and fixed the air vent they had gotten in from.
Poor mice! This one steals food from our birdies but I don't mind :) 26952032_1...ea2970.jpg
I found a little nest of baby mice in my wardrobe once and I begged and pleaded my parents to keep them but said no. My parents were trying to convince me that we needed to kill the, coz they are pests and they cause damage to the house etc. Well I started crying so my parents said I could take the nest to the paddock at the end of the street. A reasonable compromise, or so I thought. I tucked the nest of mice in between some bushes under a tree, well I started walking home and I decided to turn around and what do I see, 2 kookaburras at the nest eating the baby mice. I was devastated.
Well, at least their death was more usefull than if they would have been killed and discarded in the trash. But I understand you, I would have felt the same.
Load More Replies...We had a young opossum show up in our house one day. Caught him and released him in the park. A month later he was back. I got up at 1am to help my daughter who had an earache. I found him playing dead in the kitchen. Released him again. The next month he got into the compost and was hiding under the sofa. This time he left a smelly mess of excrement. After catching him a 3rd time, I took him to wildlife rescue. We have named him Steve.
How do you get your post to become popular? Or have a single soul see it?
Idk how anyone could kill them if they don't have to. I know I couldnt.
While still in High School I found a baby bat on two separate occasions. Felt bad for the little things and tried to keep them alive. Unfortunately neither made it. I was so very sad and felt terrible that I couldn't save them. Learning later on how very wrong I went about my attempts only made me feel all the more guilty.
You did the right thing trying to help them. Please don't feel bad. You did the best you could at the time. You're a lovely person. Bless you.
Load More Replies...Scrolling down and looking through these comments... it's just so sad and ironic how people nowadays give more value to the life of a mouse or rat than to the life of an unborn child. the people who are saying "just because it's on your property doesnt mean you can kill it" are the same people who comment on other articles and say "it's my womb, so i have the right to kill it" (and yes, I'm fully expecting downvotes and hate for saying this but i dont care. I will always defend innocent lives)
Save all the creatures! They are on our planet for a reason. We have no right to kill them.
I was going to kill a stray moth the other night that flew in when I let my dogs out to pee....but Mrs. PMS made me catch and release it back outside....a first for me lol
I was working in our garage one day and heard this noise, I figured out where its coming from at the same time this tiny mouse popped out of the insulation. Being the brave person I am I got my husband and asked him to catch him so we could release him away from the house. Tragically the mouse jumped as my husband tried to pick him up, he hit the floor and started running, my husband turned to see where it went and ended up stepping on it and killing it. OMG he was sad all day long that he killed it.
You have to be seriously ghetto trash to kill other living things that pose no threat to you. Nobody is entitled to someone else’s life. Other animals are not a moral compass. You can’t say “well other animals are territorial.” Yeah other animals have barbed penises and chase each other down to have violent sex. Not a moral compass.
Yes, mice can be cute. But... The winter after our mouser cat died, 2 mouse families (at least 9 mice) moved in and raided our food pantry. They chewed through bags and boxes of food and left urine, saliva, and droppings everywhere. Since wild mice can carry diseases such as hantavirus, Lyme disease and salmonella, I had to to toss out all the contaminated food and clean and disinfect (with chlorine bleach) all cans, bottles, jars, shelves and the floor. It took hours. I was so not happy when I had to do it again later. Wild mice had also invated our attic and chewed on the telephone, cable and electrical wiring. Fortunately, they never chewed all the way through the insulation. Mice have been known to start fires. Rodents' teeth never stop growing, so they always have to chew stuff to keep their teeth at a reasonable length. Y'all might want to handle wild mice with gloves or some kind of protection.
I once tried to save a mouse caught in our living room. I dropped it in the grass and it took off running. Then, one of our chickens made a b-line for it and swallowed it whole - just its little tail hanging out the corner of her beak. That was the day I learned that chickens eat mice.
We had a mole visit our backyard, and I was explaining to my spouse what signs to look for with moles. As I was describing their behaviour and signature mounds they create, I saw the example mound I was pointing out was moving from underneath. I hurriedly dug around it and unearthed the culprit mole, which we relocated a few miles down the road. We do no harm to the creatures around our property, as they are just doing their thing. I wish I could post a pic of the cute li'l bugger in the comments here.
I don’t like roaches. But even as I have killed those few I’ve encountered in my current home, I understand that I have deprived them of their lives. But they multiply quickly and I can’t have them in my house!
I turned on my bedside light one night in what can only be described as a future Geico ad. One baby raccoon, halfway between the escape route of a crime scene and his accomplice, standing tall on his hind legs in a slightly ajar file drawer wildly waving his arm towards the exit, yelling RUN! RUN! to his partner in crime. I watched from my bed, trying not to laugh because I didn't want to embarrass the two masked bandits and their unfortunate bad timing.
Hey guys I need help. I'm trying to post something on this site, but you know how it says image must be at least 600px wide? I ound pictures that are like 800x750 which is even more, and some in the thousands. But it says it's too small. I don't know what to do . Please help!
I don't quite know, but have you tried taking a screenshot, and cropping it?
Load More Replies...I see spiders didn't make the final cut. RIP to all the fallen spiders!
I always do my best to catch and release spiders outside, or just leave them be if they're out of the way. If there are no insects for them to eat, they will leave on their own. I'm not kind to them for this reason, but many cultures have old folk tales that say harming a spider brings very bad luck.
Load More Replies...The one pest on the planet we truly need to worry about is called Homo Sapiens. "At the dawn of agriculture, about 8000 B.C., the population of the world was approximately 5 million. Over the 8,000-year period up to 1 A.D. it grew to 200 million... whereas it had taken all of human history until around 1800 for world population to reach one billion, the second billion was achieved in only 130 years (1930) ... In 1970, there were roughly half as many people in the world as there are now." https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
Eureka! You CAN add pics to comments! Here's that little mole that I dug-up with my bare hands - he wasn't too enthused about being top-side, but he did appreciate being alive. IMG_201809...24d923.jpg
Two words for you: hanta virus. Don't have to kill, but damn, don't be touching them so much.
A bat once flew into our basement. I had to caugh him and then set him free. And I realized that bats are cute.
Ever wonder if all these hungry critters ever publish reviews and ratings on dining establishments that simply must be experienced. A bucket list of sorts. And what level of snobbery might be involved. Can't blame a critter for not settling for the same old stinky slop tonight. Let's go for the good stuff. A nice selection of cheeses sans mold, a crispy crusty of bread with that soft buttery interior. A nice wine. We fatten the duck or goose with a force feeding tube to have precious pâté de foie gras and grimace in disgust at the whale eating only the liver of baby whales. They do it for energy. We can't claim that reason while having Alexa and smart faucets turn on and off to do our work while sitting in a comatose state from our massaging sofa. Imagine the day tables are turned and see us invading the kitchen of overstuffed raccoons and rats and coyotes. That will happen the same time they dress us up in those ridiculous costumes and outfits we insist they wear.
Bubonic plague comes to mind. I wouldn’t kill him either, but I would definitely release him far, far away from my home.
For the whole of the 20th century it was believed that the Black Death and all the plagues of Europe (1347–1670) were epidemics of bubonic plague. There is evidence to suggest that this view is incorrect and that the disease was a viral haemorrhagic fever, characterised by a long incubation period of 32 days, which allowed it to be spread widely even with the limited transport. It is also believed that humans were the greatest cause of the spread of the disease and not, as used to be believed, the rats.
Load More Replies...Could someone please click my name and look at my post? I really want my photography to get out there I promise it will be worth it.
I guess it's a personal choice but I hope no one declares cockroaches cute.
Every time I hear a story about mouses I remember my mom telling me a story that happened few years ago- our neighbor,a strong man in his 50’s,who is something like a forrest sheriff (takes care of forest in general,so as animal shelters in it) has picked up mouse fever in the same forest. She passed by him in the store,cause she didn’t recognize him-he’s lost like 20kg,pale,bags under eyes,weak,etc. Long story short,he barely survived. And than I always think- what if the mouse comes in the house where I have my kids... not all of them have the disease,of course,but the fear is really strong.
Grease quote, don't come at me guns hot...
Load More Replies...I always think that if you can catch something alive, do it. Make every effort to do so. And in response to @Tiny Dynamine, Mice are cute, I admit, but they do carry a lot of diseases, some deadly. There is also the issue of them eating our food, which could also pass diseases. I don't think that wild mice in a person's home should be shrugged off, but yes, they should also not be killed.
These little f*****s rip apart from car's air filter everyday...so far ive caught 4 of them and gave eternal death...
Are you also going to do this with the ugly animals you find in your house? Every single cockroach and spider, for example?
We had a mouse and I got a humane trap and was going to release it in the wild. But then I was told that in the uk it's actually illegal to release mice into the world. They can upset the eco system and are technically vermin. We didn't catch the mouse in the end so I didn't have to worry. They just disappeared.
I think you have been misinformed Catherine. Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) (available at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/about_legislation.htm) prohibits the release into the wild any animal which is 1) of a kind that is not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to GB in a wild state or 2) is included in Part 1 of Schedule 9. Currently, the black rat (Rattus rattus), the fat/edible dormouse (Glis glis), the grey squirrel (Sciureus carolinensis) and the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) are listed on Part 1 of Schedule 9 and therefore cannot be released, except under licence. Under the WCA there is no prohibition on the release of other species of rats or mice which are ordinarily resident in GB.
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