Because
Independence Day (1996 film) - Wikipedia is not a dumb popcorn flick; it is a
documentary.
And WE are the aliens!
And to return to the original title of this thread.
Here's the moon:
"We came in peace
for all mankind."
Interesting phrasing.
Not all life on Earth, not all of nature, just all of
man-kind.
Incidentally, what repels the martians in H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds -- which this film was heavily inspired by -- is not all the might of human warfare, but common bacteria on planet Earth that their immune systems are not developed to fight!
We like to think that we are the strongest and most adaptable creature on the planet, but the simplest of organisms, bacteria, can actually defeat us -- and some of them can even survive a long time in the vacuum of space! Talk about the paradox of the "advanced"!
If I read you correctly... that IS being done because people care then.
They aren't a cultural icon; are they?
Other than...
Well the first time I learned of Tasmania was because of Taz.
So even if they are not to the level of the Kiwi, they still are iconic.
While the devil doesn't feature on Tasmania's coat of arms -- the now extinct Thylacine does -- the Tasmanian devil is the most well-known native Tasmanian animal in this day and age, so the same rule as with the kiwis applies. Unfortunately, most people only seem to care about what socially impacts them -- that seems to be the ongoing trend.
So we need to help such animals to survive, because not everyone can adapt to our cities and roads.
In fact, we've made our technology and environment so people-centred and specific that
most animals are not able to survive and find their place in it. Very few animals manage, and we look down upon them for doing so: pigeons, rats, crows, etc. We see them as unclean, sewer creatures. That filth on them is our filth -- the filth of the urban environment we've created for ourselves.
I see even ravens succumb to getting run over by cars occasionally on the road in front of my home -- and they are most intelligent and adaptive birds!
Interesting, makes them even more magical!
They're quite special -- both in terms of study and in personal contact with them. I believe because we differ from them more than other animals (mammals), there's a sort-of instant bond that's forged because we are less instinctively afraid of each other. It's quite odd when I think about it, actually. I'm not sure why this happens, but Australian native animals are less afraid of people, more accepting of us, and more curious.
Yep, they are quite aggressive (at least when compared to other animals) when they are eating.
But when they are not, then they aren't that bad.
They
appear aggressive to us, but actually if you watch carefully they are considerate to each other and sharing. The sudden pulling/tugging behaviour helps them cooperate in eating, as they all grip the food up-close to each other, and pull it apart with their strong jaws. So even though it appears they're fighting over the food, they're actually sharing a meal. At the end, when there is little left on the bone, they usually play a game of social power-play -- grabbing the remains for themselves and carrying them around to tease others with them. But this is
after they've all had a good meal.
Their basic communication is a little more physical than ours, so little bites (that don't draw a lot of blood) don't count as something harmful among them. They count as warning signs in their communication, just like opening their mouth wide does. Their jaw plays a crucial part not only in feeding, but also in communication and self-defence.
In this video, I don't get why he's carrying the meal around, walking with it. I think he's doing it just for effect. This is completely unnatural and unnerving the devils -- not to mention putting them in danger of being injured/stepped on. They're clearly really hungry -- just put down the meat, and let them eat!
This is also why they're having a bigger fight over the food than usual -- because they're filled with adrenalin and on edge by the time they get to gather around it. Not to mention they're extremely hungry, and forced to be together by circumstances.
Poor devil who didn't get to eat.
This video saddens me. I hate it when people make a "dangerous" show of animals. I'd like to see animals do that to us, and see how we appreciate it!
People are imbalanced and cruel.
Maybe in the fossils/eggs.
Nope. Only frozen in ice -- you need organic tissue/material for DNA.
But didn't Jurassic Park teach us not to mess with nature? There's a good reason dinosaurs have evolved since and are no longer with us. It's not advisable to mess with nature's balance -- especially by utterly ignorant and imbalanced creatures such as us.
"What you call discovery, I call the rape of the natural world."
"Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet's ever seen, but you wield it like a kid that's found his dad's gun."
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
~ Dr. Ian Malcolm in 'Jurassic Park'
So much nostalgia! My childhood in a song.
I'm ready for adventure! You coming?!