Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

So the channel Animal Planet has this pretty recent show thats quite fascinating...

It's called "Fatal Attractions" and it's about people across North America who have taken exotic pets into their homes, or treat wild animals as if they are not something to be feared. Some of the episodes so far have been about people who have had the following animals as pets, and "friends" (and by pets, I mean that the animals come into their homes):

Buffalo.

Kindof scary to have in your house, eh? And just kindof scary to be up close to, in my opinion.

Elephants.

Cute, yes, very cute. Also very heavy. With big feet. That could crush you way too easily, whether accidentally, or purposely.

Venomous snakes. *shudder* (and sorry for the space, that's how the picture is?)

Bleh, no, no, no! This is the one that makes absolutely not a bit of sense to me!! But I've also got a slight issue with snakes, and always have. Okay, see, the people who have these highly venomous snakes think that the snakes love them. :/ Just look at it. Does it look loving? Not to me!!

Bears.

So the story with bears had a lady who fed the bears outside her house, eventually ending up with an overwhelming amount of them coming to get food. And I mean, yeah, sure. If there's one or two of them, why not? But uh...I think I'd be seriously afraid to go outside where there a ton of bears waiting for you...Yikesabee.

Chimpanzees.

Okay, okay, yes, adorable, but they tend to go crazy. I don't really like the idea of death by chimpanzee, ya know?

Lions.

Okay, lion cubs? Cutest thing EVER. I get that. Even I wouldn't have much of an issue with having a little lion cub in my house. But as soon as it started getting bigger, and becoming an adult, it would definitely scare me. While Aslan is completely, ridiculously awesome, I just don't think an actual lion is going to act that way, ha! I mean, there's just something so incredibly intimidating about a grown lion...even moreso than tigers, in my mind. Which brings us to...

Tigers.

Oh my. The other one that makes the most sense to me is the tiger. I mean, I can just see thinking of a tiger as a big cat! And if you have them from the time that they're a kitten, and raise them, then I can totally see having a bond with them. But nonetheless, I don't think I'd be having a full grown tiger in my home; the largest tigers can reach up to nearly 12 feet :o Now while I understand having a bond with them and all, I would NOT want to have an animal anywhere near that big in my house...especially not when they've got some seriously frightening teeth. I mean, just the idea kindof freaks me out a bit.

So while this is a fascinating show, I also feel as if the tone that is given off is not very understanding. At all. They portray the people that they spotlight in a pretty unflattering way. They imply that the people are a little whacked in the head. And I'm not saying that there aren't some who are. . .I mean, the snake people have me a little concerned...but beyond that, and call me crazy, but I can see a tiger, or lion, or chimpanzee being affectionate! That doesn't mean I think it's safe to live with it in your home, but I understand where the owners of the animals are coming from. It's like they're just looking for love in all the wrong places, you know?

Anyways. So there's just a few of my scattered thoughts on this show. While it's interesting to see people interacting with these great animals, the show in itself is not something that's too wonderful. And I have to say, I don't necessarily recommend it, considering that the episodes mainly point out cases that have tragic ends.

So what are your thoughts? Have you seen the show? How would you feel about bringing any of these animals into your home? Hmmm...

[pictures via weheartit]