#wildlife

[rebeccathenaturalist]

So--long story short, a FedEx driver killed a rattlesnake that happened to be on someone's porch, not causing any immediate problems. This is an all too common practice here in the United States, where a significant portion of the population has the backwards idea that "the only good snake is a dead snake" and that the only way to deal with a venomous snake in the proximity of a house, or people in general, is to kill it. Never mind that snakes tend to move on if left alone, and that there are numerous entities that can be contacted to move the snake safely to another place if so desired, and that most bites occur when someone is harassing, handling, or trying to kill the snake.

Dr. Emily Taylor of California Polytechnic State University (@snakeymama on Twitter) has requested that people contact FedEx about their recent commercial glorifying the killing of the snake, which you can view here. I've included both her and my letters to the appropriate folks at FedEx. There are options for both email and snail mail correspondence, and the more people FedEx hears from about this appalling matter, the better.

It's 2024, almost 2025. We have tons of information on rattlesnake behavior and best practices in coexisting with them (to include training your dogs in snake avoidance). We know plenty about the importance they have in local ecosystems, and the devastation that has been done through people slaughtering them, sometimes in the thousands (I wrote about the ongoing problem of rattlesnake roundups and their inherent cruelty here.) There are multiple rattlesnake species that are endangered or otherwise threatened with extinction.

The vast majority of encounters with venomous snakes are benign, and the vast majority of bites come from someone (person, dog, etc.) confronting the snake that was just trying to defend itself. We've spent a lot of time in this country defaulting to killing anything that inconveniences us, but there are better ways to live safely in proximity to wildlife that don't involve violence. It just takes a little more effort and awareness, and most importantly a significant attitude change that no longer vilifies native wildlife simply trying to live their lives.

As Dr. Taylor mentioned, if you want to contact FedEx, here are your options:

"You can help by reposting this or by emailing to express your concern about the commercial: mediarelations@fedex.com and to the CEO at FWSmith@fedex.com. Or send letters to: Fred Smith, CEO Brie Carere, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Ryan Kelly, Vice President of Marketing FedEx Corporation 942 South Shady Grove Road Memphis, TN 38120 USA"

[sproutellini]

Wild life Joel and Gem designs whooppee

[www-inertia]

make it wild

1st time drawing any of these guys

click for better quality

[lillaray]

The winner of wild life!! Joel Smallish Beans!

[flareyn]

Revenge...?

[blueawo-art]

Common tern with gouache paint and black ink

[oakyadair]

joel may have won wild life but jimmy bammed his wife in the bunker so who really won

[sprinkles62]

AHHHHHHHH

*noms your art*

moments before disaster

[thomas--bombadil]

If you watch a goldfinch living its life - even for a few minutes - your worries will lessen.

I promise that this is true.

[lillaray]

Joel on his teleporting chase in the wild life finale!

[josie-illustrations]

Just some toxic sapphics for your day. Live loved their dynamic in the life series so much it’s so fun so cute so heartbreaking.

[courageisthemostcowardlydog]

I'm kinda new to the Life Series and things around that topic AND I NEEDED AN EXCUSE TO TALK ABT THIS MAN

BigB was one of the first lifers I flocked to, and he could be said to be one of the least watched lifers (I think), but God, I love him!!

I haven't watched all the seasons of the Life Series, but he just seems so awkward(which is probably why I flocked to him)

I wouldn't be surprised if he was alone every season because he just seems like he would be. In Wild Life, I just feel like he didn't really know what to do with his videos, so he just stirs the pot just because he can. (AND I LOVE IT)

A lot of people think he's better as a lone wolf; but I don't know.. because I love the clips of Double Life since he actually has someone to talk to/forced to talk to. ALSO BIGB & GRIAN SECRET SOULMATES WAS AND STILL IS MY HYPERFIXATION(COME BACK PLEASE)

Another thing I want to talk about is clips- In every life series clip compilation I watch, there are either no BigB clips or like one. And this is kinda tying back into the Double Life statement but when he is actually with people, he's more likely to be clipped, because unlike other lifers, he isn't the type to say anything...too...crazy when just talking to his audience.

All of this to say; the reason why some of my favorite Life Series are Secret Life or Double Life is because you are pretty much forced to be social with the other lifers. And with someone like BigB, who isn't really used to interacting with them, I find his content even more enjoyable and funny when he's with other lifers. Wild Life was good, and I was actually rooting on the person who won! But with Wild Life, you didn't HAVE to interact with anyone. (Except for Trivia Bot)

And in the next Life Series, I hope it has more to do with social challenges for the lifers to face, so the more nervous people like BigB can actually not be alone.

PS - Can we have an episode where if someone loses all their teammates *cough cough* Grian, they just go find BigB to team up with??? Like both of yall don't have a team-

Anyway-

RANT OVERRR💚💛❤️

jesus, okay. bigb's fourth wild life session goes as follows:

bigb schemes with mumbo and grian to lure scott into their trap

cleo overhears. she rightfully gets mad at him

bigb tells her he was lying. cleo (RIGHTFULLY) does not believe him.

he says (TO HER FACE) that he's never done something like that.

SHE RIGHTFULLY REMINDS HIM OTHERWISE.

he goes crying to ren (wholesome box boys reunion!!!).

the way he explains the situation sounds like he deadass was going to help mumbo and grian and lied to cleo about lying. which is. hysterical.

ren ropes bigb along in his plan to kill and trap grian

while planning, bigb sees grian in the distance.

bigb lies about killing a pig for food, sneaks off and TELLS GRIAN. ABOUT THE PLAN TO KILL HIM.

bigb still ends the session allied with ren and martyn, neither of them knowing he snitched.

by the way both plots are executed about a million miles away from bigb. he doesn't even get actually involved with either scheme he's roped into. he literally misses the grian kill because he was too busy cooking.

and then he still meets with the Gs after all that, saying sorry to scott

and then he shoots pearl. which ends in him running away as she and cleo shoot after him.

all this to say: bigb is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. in the WORST WAY POSSIBLE. this man is not as bound to the world of roleplay and alliances which means he does whatever the fuck he wants. i stand by my theory that this man thrives best when he's a lone wolf. he does not fucking care about anyone else, the only reason he has allies is for survival!! he's just a silly guy who does what he wants!! his principles are unknowable!!! his moral compass is spinning!!! he thinks consequences don't apply to him and he's wrong but he's not going to act otherwise!!! all he knows is eat hot chip and lie. and he drives me crazy

[kinemikis]

congrats mr smallbeans 🎉🎉

[renqued]

VICTORY IS MINE.

[ chat i am SO happy about a joel win IVE BEEN WAITING FKR THIS ]

[ofhoovesandheart]

the mustangs of pyror mountain 🏔️