Tiger Shark Craves Attention

I have always been frightened by sharks but at the same time I am fascinated by these amazing creatures. This morning I came across this video and wanted to share it with everyone here. I'm not suggesting we should all go out and embrace wild animals but, I think it's important that we see another side of them and in this case it's this shark that keeps coming back to the diver for affection. Enjoy

Source

a reply to: 2manyholes

Sorry to be a spoil sport but I don't think the shark wants affection.

Tiger shark likes a tickle

Great Whites too

From what I gather, they have a "soft" spot on the nose and under belly, and they like it being tickled. - maybe that is some sort of affection from us but the Shark just likes it IMO

a reply to: 2manyholes

Very cool video.

I don't think I would have the courage to get that up close and personal with any type of shark but, that was just amazing to watch.

Thank you 2Many...

A very touching moment indeed... The sharks eyes say everything...

Reminds me a little of Snuffy the seal... especially the end of the video... :



However, all is well that ends well :



Kindest respects

Rodinus

I think it just feels good to the shark. I can't imagine a shark feeling anything akin to affection.

a reply to: Lucifer84

You're not a spoil sport, I still think it's pretty cool though that she is coming to the human for a feel good. Thanks for sharing the links you've provided.

a reply to: suz62

More than likely you're right but, do we really know for sure what any animal is really feeling? When I see pets mourn their people I'm not so sure that animals are incapable of feeling emotion.

a reply to: Rodinus

LOL at Shark Week one of the reasons I fear sharks so much. Thanks for the videos!

a reply to: 2manyholes

Please note, I said shark, not animals in general. I believe mammals are capable of affection. Curiously, I do not include primates, however I could be wrong about that. Based on primate behavior I'd say they're a lot like us - they hate each other.

originally posted by: 2manyholes
a reply to: Rodinus

LOL at Shark Week one of the reasons I fear sharks so much.

Thanks for the videos!

My pleasure.

Just for information.

For over 25 years I worked as a veterinary welfare officer/researcher in primate conservation and behavioural studies.

Primates do not hate each other but have a pecking order...

A great anecdote of primate affection is the following :

Back in 1994 I was head of a program enabling primates that were used for Malaria (Plasmodium Vivax) research to be released onto an island somewhere off the coast of South America to live out the rest of their lives.

The animals that were used for said research (Paludism) were Saimiri (squirrel monkeys) who were held in semi captivity over here in France in a research institute and are well known in groups to be quite savage towards each other depending on the Alpha male in the colony and what is called spermatogenesis (when one of the males (the Alpha) becomes quite agressive and builds up the energy needed "so to speak in order to mate.))

During my time spent caring for those animals, I hand reared many siblings that were abandoned by their mothers and also stitched up and repaired a few males that were attacked by the Alpha males... thus leading to a relationship of trust between the animals and myself...

For information : Saimiris normally can survive in semi captivity for up to 15 years or more.

Anyways...

12 years later... I attend an international conference for primate conservation and wellbeing at a primate center in the South of France and decided to go and visit the Saimiri enclosure...

As I knew the care takers there quite well and as they equally knew my past experience, they let me into the Saimiri enclosure which housed roughly 30 monkeys.

Imagine my surprise when one of the ageing Saimiri with half a leg missing due to amputation following a nasty bite injury infection jumped down from his tree branch and hopped onto my shoulder and started to rub himself all over my face and head...

Yep... he was one of the little fellers that I had hand reared 12 years before and had cared for after a particularly nasty attack by an Alpha male....

The tears in my eyes were tears of emotion and joy to realise that he recognised me... I spent so much time with him during the rest of the conference that I missed all of the lectures...

Animals are capable of showing affection...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus

Yes, a mammal.

originally posted by: suz62
a reply to: Rodinus

Yes, a mammal.

Gotcha

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus

Rodinus, how lucky you were to be a part of that study and be able to tend to the monkeys. All primates have had a special place in my heart since I was very small.

As a child I grew up in Hawaii and I had neighbors that had a chimp. They had enclosed their very large back yard so "Susie" could go have a large home. This chimp and I formed a bond and became my playmate so to speak. Being an outsider to the island I had no friends at the time and was only 5 or 6 yrs old.

For 2 yrs I spent most every day with this chimp and I was the only one that these people would let inside her enclosure with no fear of anything happening. It wasn't until I got older that I became aware of just how vicious a chimp can be.

But anywhoo, I started this thread to show a gentle side of one of the most feared creatures on our planet. Whether it was just a feel good that kept him coming back to the diver or if after years of working with them this shark remembered him fondly we'll never know. Until we are able to get inside and actually experience their life through their perspective we'll never know what the other inhabitants of this planet experience. I sometimes think we people greatly overlook the capabilities of other creatures due to our belief that we are superior.

I don't in any way think I'm superior. I've been proven to be on equal ground many times by my cats! Anyway, I just don't think a shark has that kind of capacity. They're hedonists to be sure, but to ascribe them emotions seems a bit of a stretch.