I believe this is the one my parents call "Boscoe." He is a bit larger than a great dane (and weighs in at a good three hundred pounds I'd guess).
He also has his own food bowl. I and other family members/friends have advised my parents that it is a very bad idea to get them used to being in proximity to humans, especially by teaching them to associate our species with food. I pray that this does not become an issue.
A hopeful sign: even though he allowed me to get really close to him, he still showed apprehension and flight tendencies whenever I made any sudden movements or approached too quickly. This indicates that he is still at least somewhat scared of humans, but if he was really hungry and a human was carrying food that smelled appetizing, who can really tell what would happen?
A snapping turtle (a bit larger than a soccer ball) I saw crossing the road not far from my house. Again, I did not use the zoom on this picture either. I've photographed other snappers before but they were quite agitated and never allowed me to get this close. He seemed very relaxed and indifferent to my presence....
...even when the camera lense was only twenty inches from his face.I grew up around lots of wildlife and while I appreciate their beauty and their role in the ecosystem, there is also a healthy respect for the damage they are capable of. I don't advise getting this close to either of these creatures unless you are quite familiar with their body language, sometimes even that is no guarantee of safety (as many self-styled nature photographers with big scars could tell you).
3 comments:
Um, I don't think you needed the zoom. :-)
And as much as I love-love bears, I agree with you. That's a horrible idea to get a bear used to accepting food from humans. Imagine him going up to a hunter, or to a less understanding home! No, they need to stop. I hope they listen to you, too.
I agree. As Nonsequitur's eldest sibling and the designated uptight one of the family, I am not so entranced by the whole "Dances with Bears" scenario. Some say there would be comfort in foreseeing the manner of one's own death, but for our parents I can only hope for something slightly less spectacular than the last scene of "Legends of the Fall"....although if they are going to insist upon communing with the dominant male Bosco as he grows and gets more aggressive, I can always check around and see if some deep-voiced Native American voice actor can prepare something spiritual to say as a voiceover while it is happening....
Crackerlilo... that's just it, I DIDN'T use zoom! My parents' staff now think I am barking mad as a result.
Gi, that has to be the best post response I've ever gotten, still chuckling.
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