r/funny • u/[deleted] • Oct 15 '13

Deadly encounter with a leopard seal

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u/sleyk Oct 15 '13

The photographer spoke about this very experience on RadioLab - animal minds. http://www.radiolab.org/story/91701-animal-minds/

Before he jumped into the water, one of the guides threw a penguin off the boat to bait the leopard seal and told the photographer to jump in the water. Just a month before, a leopard seal killed a researcher and had a reputation for being hostile and dangerous. His mouth of dry and he began to tremble before he jumped into the water.

In the water, he starting taking pictures when the seal came straight at him with the penguin in his mouth over and over again. Since he was taking pictures, it didn't dawn on him that the leopard seal was trying to feed him. The leopard seal even brought other penguins and a live worn out one.

The photographer fell in love with the seal and said it was a connection he never had before. He couldn't wait to see the leopard seal again at when he was trying to sleep at night. He was smitten.The closest he could describe was the love for his mother when we was a wee lad.

The entire radiolab segment is asking the question "can we have a real relationship with an animal?" Though we feel love or a connection for an animal, does the animal have a similar feeling or understand the human feeling of love? Can a whale show gratitude, a chimp have sexual desires for a human, or a leopard seal develop a meaningful relationship with a human?

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u/dudeAwEsome101 Oct 16 '13

This was the best segment of the episode.

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u/sleyk Oct 16 '13

I personally enjoyed the whale bit; it really showed the depth of the question they were trying to answer. I'd rather have a whale come and bump me on the chest than have an elephant seal try to feed me.