Discusted With Animal Planet

[AnimalHouse36]

I wasn't sure where to post this and excuse me if this is a bit messy I'm just pretty angry!

I was watching animal planet when a new show came on. It was call something like Animals with Differences or Animal Oddities or something. Well anyway, the begining was a snake "collecter" who would bring his "freak" snakes and turtles to a fair, put them in glass tanks, and have people tap on the glass and marvel or discust over there looks. The guy went on to say that oh my I love my snakes. I payed over $20,000 for my "golden girls". THe snake was a two headed albino rat snake. He put it outside to show the camera's how the two heads struggled to move. They were constantly straining to get to one place pulling the two heads apart and I found it absolulty appalling.

THen they went to a TURTLE FARMER. A guy whho had over ten thousand breeding adult turtles. He said he;d been doing it for ten years after his father retiered from doing it for thirty. That year they bred over 500,000 baby turtles to be sold off for one dollar as pets or food. Sickening.

Then, they skiped to farm animals with "weirdness". They showed a chicken farm that had a chickenwith four legs. THe chicken was FILTHY and did not want to be handled. It showed a tiny little kitten with one and a half heads having to be handfed by her backyard breeding owners. I hardly doubt she survived. It showed a pig farm with a pig with two heads. He dies at 1 1/2 from inhaling food.

I also know that on that program they have "dwarfed" cats that offer suffer arthrites, hairless cat collecters because they are exotic and a number of other dissapointing things for Animal Planet. Quite frankly that makes me never want to watch it again. Sorry for this rant and well the lengthy niss of it! I just......arg!

 

[dra&pigs]

I understand how you feel. There's a show called "Funniest Animals", or something like that. They show tapes of animals doing "funny" things that always make me feel so bad for the poor things. Nobody ever makes sure they are OK afterwards, they just laugh. I have to admit, some are harmless and absolutely hilarious (some cat & string ones were great), but there were some that were dangerous and simply unhealthy for the pet.

 

[sophistacavy]

Well anyway, the begining was a snake "collecter" who would bring his "freak" snakes and turtles to a fair, put them in glass tanks, and have people tap on the glass and marvel or discust over there looks. The guy went on to say that oh my I love my snakes. I payed over $20,000 for my "golden girls". THe snake was a two headed albino rat snake. He put it outside to show the camera's how the two heads struggled to move. They were constantly straining to get to one place pulling the two heads apart and I found it absolulty appalling.

I know exactly which show you're talking about. It came on Animal Planet
this past week. I watched the whole thing, including the part with the snake. I honestly do not recall anything about him bringing the snakes to any kind of fair, and I don't recall anyone tapping on glass. Plus, when I saw the two-headed albino snake, it didn't appear to be having trouble moving at all. I think the heads can figure out how to move in unision, like human siamese twins can.

Please realize that just because I said I didn't see any of that stuff about the snakes, doesn't mean that I don't beileve it was there. I just didn't see it, but you could be right. It just sounds like you could be exaggerating just a little because you're so upset right now. I know how you feel, and I also know that I can get out of hand when I'm as upset as you must be right now too.

But I totally see your point about the show. It seems to me that Animal Planet would have better standards set for themselves, maybe they don't have any standards. Maybe you could try contacting them. I'd be very interested in hearing what they said to you.

 

[AnimalHouse36]

In the begining there was a man who collected snakes with oddities. He brought them to a fair in Austin Texas. While people were looking at the snakes and turtles they would tap on the glass.

The albino rat snake was put outside after it met with some wild rat snake. While the snake was trying to climb a rock wall, they would both try to win the "fight" over which way to go there for causing their heads to pull at each other.

Also, even the man mentioned that the reason most snakes like that don't survive (of course even finding one like that it rare. It's suposedly the only two headed albino of its kind.) is because they are required to think single mindedly. It helps iwth prey but as mentioned is a neccessaty to escape predadors.

Honostly, I really didin't exaderagte. Sure, maybe it wasn't ten thousand breeding turtles maybe it was less maybe is was more, but I definantly remember that he had 500,000 babies and he had gotten up to about 800,000 babies.

 

[sophistacavy]

AnimalHouse36-- Well, I sort of remember everything now except for the rock wall and encounter with a wild snake part. I do remember the whole single-mindedly thing now, thanks for mentioning that.
Yeah, you didn't exactly exaggerate, I just could almost feel how angry you were when I read it. No, you're exactly right about those turtles, don't worry about it. I remember that part fine, because I was a bit disgusted when he said he sells some for pets and others for food...so did he mean people/human food?? What the heck country eats turtles? I've honetly never heard of humans eating turtles before, I wish I could talk to that guy...I've heard of raccoons eating turtles, but not people. Just wild animals, which is fine by me cause its nature. But I hope by food, he doesn't mean people feeding the poor turtles to some weird pet they have....

And dang, I live in Asheville, North Carolina, the good ole' south where they eat things I never imagined eating before. I mean, our stuff down here really isn't all that unusual or bad (just game and stuff that hunters could get, you know), but turtles??!! Ew *gags*

Then did you see that two-headed turtle collector man? He bought a two-headed teeny tiny baby turtle from that weird farmer dude for $500.00. 0_0
Turtles should only be available as pets, from people who aren't backyard breeders, and from really good pet stores who have knowledable turtle staff.

 

[starshine123102]

I think in Japan turtles are a delicacy (I know I saw something about some Asian country on the Travel Network with Andrew Zimmern). Just because we may not eat them doesn't mean other cultures don't. Just like we don't eat cavies but a lot of South American and from what I've heard recently, African cultures do. It's just a act of life. It sucks I know but so long as they don't make me do it I can live with it.

Apparently people in Southern US eat them too...I just googled it out of curiousity.

 

[AnimalHouse36]

No, I didn't see that turtle collecter. I pretty much left the room and came and posted it on here. And right after that show was Animal Cops of some sort.I wonder if I could contact animal plantet....? Hmmmm, looks like it's time for a visit to there site. But I'm not sure if they'll listen to one person. Maybe people from the site will email him if anyone else see's this thread.

Hahaha! I just realized on this thread title I spelled **disgusted** wrong. I guess that was an indicater as to how mad I was?

Edited to add:

I think in Japan turtles are a delicacy. Just because we may not eat them doesn't mean other cultures don't. Just like we don't eat cavies but a lot of South American and from what I've heard recently, African cultures do. It's just a act of life. It sucks I know but so long as they don't make me do it I can live with it.

Yeah I was thinking that ,too. But man, can you imagine what a horrible way to live for those turtles? I'd imagine the manner in which they were slautered and shipped there wasn't very good. But, I completley agree with the whole it's there culture thing. Just like some meat eaters are completly disgusted with people eating dogs when they have them as pets, and then turn right around and eat a cow which can very well be a very nice pet. In my opion it's all hypocrisy.

 

[sophistacavy]

Yup, if it's their culture, then its not anyone else's problem. I had just never heard of that before. When I was doing my research about duck egg incubation and candling for my graduation project, I found out that eating duck embryos just before they're ready to hatch is a delicacy in China. They'll eat anything that has legs and a mouth, probably. Found that out watching the Olympics, when that lady did some special on dishes that were being served at Olympic restaurants in China. She tried everything she had filmed except the roast/fried/whatever (I don't remember exactly) scorpion (she just couldn't get that past her lips xD).
Then I learned that dogs and cats were banned from all Olympic restaurants in China during the Olympics. I guess that was because of so many tourists from different countries like the USA that would be offended by that....why couldn't people just grow a pair?? For example, imagine how a true Indian (from India) would feel eating in a restaurant that served cow (which most Americans have no problem with, as you already said). Its the same thing. Dog and cat dishes aren't as common as cow dishes, so why temporarily ban something thats not popular worldwide, but popular in China....let them eat what they want. Imagine if they temporarily banned cow dishes for the Olympics........;P

 

[Taboo]

^ Yeah, I find it wierd that people could be appalled at eating dogs, but then go and eat a pig (which actually are very similar to each other. Pig's are just as intelligent and at alot like a dog). An animal is an animal and they should all be considered equal. Of course everyone can have their personal prefernces (like I would never ever ever eat birds since I love them so much.. I'm vegetarian anyhow).

In my opion it's all hypocrisy.

Yep, exactly.