#though learning how to approach non-threateningly is definitely different for non-mammals | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

apprendere · 2 years ago

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I'm slowly gaining an reputation about "scary" arthropods with my niblings because I move slow and calm (when I know the animal is there) and its interesting how uncomfortable some people get when you let the bee you pulled off their hair sit around and groom a bit before it flies away

Sure, Aussie magpies are scary when you get swooped, we've all been there. I've been there. But consider: you can befriend them. Whistle to imitate their song, slip them some delectable tidbits, and voila: you have new friends, who are birds. This is good.

Here's the secret: if you're careful and respectful and learn how to interact with them in a way that shows you're careful and respectful, you can befriend *any* bird on that list. Heck, any bird at all really. *this is not an endorsement for people just getting into birds' personal spaces or feeding wild birds or anything utterly ignorant and destructive along those lines

before y'all say impossible for cassowaries, I will remind everyone that they were tamed, domesticated, and reared as farm animals on Papua/Niugini/Niu Gini/New Guinea

#and I used to be teased for being afraid of spiders #like see a tiny spider on the wall and refuse to go in the room scared #and now have become the dedicated relocator (if possible) for spiders and wasps in the house #though learning how to approach non-threateningly is definitely different for non-mammals #I think it's not that humans are bad at figuring out animals #our brains are good pattern analysis machines #and animal behaviour is definitely analyzable #its that more people are growing up without exposure to animals/nature #something about how you need to have both access and observational skills to learn things like how an animal responds to your body language #the puppy is almost 2 years old here and I'm finally getting the hang of her happy signals during petting #after having grown up without much time around dogs (mostly cats)#also regarding the flying insects: I flipped from standard “oh no a wasp I hope it doesn't sting me”#to being able to calmly catch em in cups to take outside #when I learned about bug vision and how they navigate by flying towards/maintain distance/fly away from things based of apparent speed #relative to objects and also how honking big we are to them #no wonder you're flying erratically miss #I moved when you were trying to use me as a static reference #and so you nearly hit me #and its amazing how much less aggressive e.g. wasp flight looks when you spare a thought to how they navigate #this is way too many tags

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