This is ridiculous.....
Of course he should be allowed to live!!
As Pagan girl said - he's shown the will to live and survive so whats wrong with letting him do it and who are they to pass judgment?
Ive hand reared a few animals (
Hedgehogs, birds etc) and sometimes there is an element of luck as to if they stay "wild" or imprint, my last infant was a wood pigeon - he would sit on your hand and eat peanuts right up to the day he "released" himself by flying out of the back door while hubby was feeding him while I was at work - we had put a coloured ring on his leg for when we were going t let him go - just to see if he would hang around, he comes to our bird table to eat and has a mate this year, but he flys away if we go outside or anywhere near the table.
I believe its a case of the basic temperament of the individual - I know its not quite the same idea but Ive had litters of feral kittens which Ive worked with and the last lot I had 3 outof 4 of the kits tamed no problem but the 4th one just refused point blank to be handled under any circumstances and eventually we lost him - he got himself so stressed out he worked himself into a fit and his heart gave out...poor little thing.....
So I say well done this little guy for making it and well done the folks who managed to rear him successfully, sometimes you have to step up and take some responsibilty - not just use the get out clause of "let nature take its course"
Oh - and where do they get off with "suffer the humiliation of being a domestic pet"????
If they are playing by their own rules and not attributing him any human qualities - how can he be humiliated?????