Introducing a new feature and new voice to New Wild Review, the Bird Ally X blog, we bring you Joc Garcia, a wildlife rehabilitator at Humboldt Wildlife Care Center thinking on the topic of aliens, human use of animals, and what that means for a wildlife care provider.
When you become a wildlife rehabilitator you quickly learn that a lot of media that’s not about wildlife rehab is, in fact, absolutely, undeniably about wildlife rehab. Suddenly, songs about love, life, and loss somehow capture the exact feeling of releasing a once-emaciated seabird, or raising a litter of baby raccoons, and, of course, the dreaded and inevitable loss of some patients.
One night in July, while relaxing after a ten-hour day at the clinic, neck deep in baby season, I
rewatched Jordan Peele’s 2022 horror sci-fi film, Nope. And it happened again. Suddenly, a
movie that was once about two siblings on a quest to capture footage of an alien was reminding
me of work. No, Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer didn’t capture the alien being and restore it to
health with IV fluids and antiparasitics. That would be a little too on the nose, and that’s just not
Peele’s style. I’ll just give you a brief (spoiler-filled) synopsis:
The film opens with a rather gruesome scene of the chimpanzee-turned-sitcom-star “Gordy”
mauling and maiming his human costars after being set off by the pop of a latex balloon. He then
approaches the only remaining costar, a young Jupe Park (Steven Yeun), and offers him a gentle
, bloody fist bump before being fatally shot by police.
In his adulthood, Jupe operates a small
theme park attraction. Upon the arrival of an other-worldly creature in the sky, Jupe, believing he
has a special connection with non-humans after being spared by Gordy, begins to try to tame the
alien by feeding it horses as part of his new show, the Star Lasso Experience. He ultimately
learns that he is not special when he, his loved ones, and the audience are devoured by the
creature in one fell swoop. The being (nicknamed “Jean Jacket”) then moves on to find its next
meal, unaware and unfazed that it had just consumed its most loyal disciple.
Meanwhile, siblings OJ (Kaluuya) and Emerald (Palmer) of Haywood Hollywood Horses understand the difficulties and dangers inherent to taming a wild animal. They’re able to capture a life-changing photograph of Jean Jacket from a distance, emerging relatively unscathed. Though unfortunately, Jean Jacket now has a taste for human flesh and must be taken out to protect those remaining. The euthanasia technique included a giant cowboy mascot balloon, but I’ll leave it at that for now.
This film showcases various approaches to (co)existing with wild creatures, and three main
takeaways stand out to me in relating the film to the life of a wildlife rehabilitator:
- A wild animal does not know your intentions. We humans are large predators;
naturally, animals assume the worst for their safety. Because of this, you should do the
same. If you must interact with an animal, approach it considering it is terrified and likely
to take means to protect itself. Bills, talons, teeth, and hooves serve several purposes.
Protect yourself, and don’t take offense when an animal doesn’t know you are trying to
help it. - Wild animals seldom belong in captivity. Nope wonderfully highlights the effects of
captivity-related stress and how attempts to stifle wildness never end well. As we’ve
learned time and time again, with cases such as Tilikum, Harambe, Travis the Chimp, andMantecore, captivity and anthropomorphising are dangerous (and occasionally deadly)
for both humans and the animals we believe we are appreciating. - Leave it to the professionals. Occasionally, rescuers are hesitant to turn over an animal
to our care, believing they know what’s best and that they can care for the animal
themselves. Wildlife rehabilitation is an ever-evolving science based on trial and error.
Our methods of care have been developed over decades, and every patient offers an
opportunity to learn, whether or not the individual makes it to release.
Fortunately, we are always accepting new volunteers! If you feel a pull to care for injured and orphaned wildlife, this is a place where you can learn how to do so while prioritizing the patients’
well-being.
All in all, Nope is a cautionary tale about the dangers of anthropo-morphising animals, and a reminder to maintain a level of humility in the presence of our wild neighbors. Or, perhaps, simply that balloons and wild animals do not make a great pairing.
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