Pythons, Invasive and Hungry, Are Making Their Way North in Florida

[Malum Argenteum]

But because they're considered cute and lovable by most people they're allowed to roam outside around the world and slaughter everything in their path. But no no no it's the big scary snakes in one tiny corner of the world that's the REAL issue we need to be constantly fearmongering about and threatening the rights of everyone else over.

I really like house cats (we have two) but hate feral cats. In one environment (in the house) they're a net benefit and in the other they're a disaster.

There are invasive plants that do a ton of environmental damage, too. And insects transported both by shipping, and by exotic animal keepers (non-native isopod movement by animal keepers is an environmental problem that is almost completely ignored both by hobbyists and regulators/legislators). And all the ill conceived intentional releases of things from ladybird beetles to house sparrows for various reasons.

A big problem is that almost everyone focuses on some certain species or other (depending on what a group thinks is cute or scary, as you point out) rather than the general problem of humans being "bulls in china shops" with almost everything we do.

[Animallover3541]

I hate how people get so protective over feral cats. TNR programs are amazing and I wish instead of just feeding feral cats people would reach out to rescues to trap them, especially the aforementioned TNR focused ones. Plus, feral cats are deprived of the safety they are owed when we first introduced them into our farms and homes as pets instead of just a wild animal. The amount of severely injured wildlife I have seen while working with native animals is insane. It only takes a few baby birds or bunnies who are almost completely degloved to realize just how horrible someone letting Fluffy roam around unsupervised outside is. The worst things is when someone asks how to prevent it, and don't like that the answer is to keep their cats inside. My boyfriend and I are both from two different areas where people commonly keep their cats outside and I cannot tell you how upsetting it is to me to see people putting both their pet and local wildlife at risk. They just don't care. People hear that you shouldn't feed wildlife, you should only keep your cats indoors, you shouldn't take animals out of the wild, you shouldn't keep fish in a bowl, you shouldn't feed live to your reptiles etc. and most people who do those things just ignore it. And don't get me started on people carelessly introducing invasive plants in their gardens...

I'm sorry for going on a rant but I have seen so much suffering in animals because of people that it is horrifying. It used to be mainly due to ignorance, but I feel that in our modern "information age" many people are told these things and just ignore it. Not all, but still. The one positive of this though is that many younger people who grew up having access to this information make sure to try and do that right thing. I just wish people who ignored this updated information could see the things that I have see working with animals. Maybe then they would understand.