Simon King's Shetland Adventure

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Hmmm im sure it said it was savaged by a dog?...either way...if it was a road casualty that is still man to blame and not mother nature no?

Not mother nature no but the prog is Simon Kings Shetland Diaries with the credits stating it was written by him, some of it filmed by him, the rest of it filmed about him and his family and their exploits in Shetland during several spells of living there. Therefore you can expect that whatever interested him or happened to him during his stay The Up Helly celebrations, the ceilidhs etc had nothing to do with nature but the title says it all ...... diaries ....... not Shetland wildlife by Simon King - so the injured otter was not out of place .........

Pauline

[Doggle Avaddit]

Originally Posted by PMG

Not mother nature no but the prog is Simon Kings Shetland Diaries with the credits stating it was written by him, some of it filmed by him, the rest of it filmed about him and his family and their exploits in Shetland during several spells of living there. Therefore you can expect that whatever interested him or happened to him during his stay The Up Helly celebrations, the ceilidhs etc had nothing to do with nature but the title says it all ...... diaries ....... not Shetland wildlife by Simon King - so the injured otter was not out of place .........

Pauline

Unfortunately I missed all episodes other than the last one, which was the program I was commenting on. Apart from the Otter Lady it was all about the wildlife.
I'll take your point though.


What upset me about the Otter Lady scenes was the fact that this pup was found, paralysed, at 2 months old. It was then brought up by humans who seemed to constantly be handling it, bonding with it, and dare I say, almost treating it like a pet. I didn't see any other Otters that this unfortunate creature could socialise with and learn what it is to be an Otter, nor did I see it in any natural environment where it could learn the essentials that it would need if it ever was released back into the wild. (I believe Otter pups usually stay with their mother for the first 14 months or so, probably for a very good reason). All I saw was a pup totally removed from everything it needs and desires.

How they thought it would ever recover from its severe injuries and survive in the wild after such deprivation from such a young age, or indeed that this whole sorry episode was a good idea, is beyond me.

I thought it spoke more about the needs of Humans rather than the overall good of the Otter community in the Shetland Isles, who might not welcome such a screwed up individual anyway. Very sad indeed.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by PMG

Not mother nature no but the prog is Simon Kings Shetland Diaries with the credits stating it was written by him, some of it filmed by him, the rest of it filmed about him and his family and their exploits in Shetland during several spells of living there. Therefore you can expect that whatever interested him or happened to him during his stay The Up Helly celebrations, the ceilidhs etc had nothing to do with nature but the title says it all ...... diaries ....... not Shetland wildlife by Simon King - so the injured otter was not out of place .........

Pauline

Pauline you reply as if you are arguing against me? but im actually in agreement and was defending the inclusion of the otter and its being helped by man...that's all =(

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Doggle Avaddit

Unfortunately I missed all episodes other than the last one, which was the program I was commenting on. Apart from the Otter Lady it was all about the wildlife.
I'll take your point though.


What upset me about the Otter Lady scenes was the fact that this pup was found, paralysed, at 2 months old. It was then brought up by humans who seemed to constantly be handling it, bonding with it, and dare I say, almost treating it like a pet. I didn't see any other Otters that this unfortunate creature could socialise with and learn what it is to be an Otter, nor did I see it in any natural environment where it could learn the essentials that it would need if it ever was released back into the wild. (I believe Otter pups usually stay with their mother for the first 14 months or so, probably for a very good reason). All I saw was a pup totally removed from everything it needs and desires.

How they thought it would ever recover from its severe injuries and survive in the wild after such deprivation from such a young age, or indeed that this whole sorry episode was a good idea, is beyond me.

I thought it spoke more about the needs of Humans rather than the overall good of the Otter community in the Shetland Isles, who might not welcome such a screwed up individual anyway. Very sad indeed.

Yes I know what you mean and if I'd had the handling of it I'm afraid it would have been put to sleep right at the off - not cos I go around handing out death sentences - but a wild creature needs to be in absolute top notch health and undamaged to deal with its normal life. A damged critter can be kept of course and can be bred from which is a plus but whether its right to imprison a wild thing for its own good is another matter altogether .... On the same theme my mum-in-law took home a kitten which had been run over and had lost the use of its hind legs. The cat rather amazingly got the use of its legs back and lived a happy cats life with mum in law - which is a different kettle of fish.

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Pauline you reply as if you are arguing against me? but im actually in agreement and was defending the inclusion of the otter and its being helped by man...that's all =(

Apolgies Dan - I wouldn't argue with you sweetheart - my reply without thinking was just an answer to DoggleAvadit's previous post of that bit not fitting in with the rest of the prog - I was just explaining without frills (I'm a bit battered and without my hopefully normal tact today ....) that the prog was a diary about 'his' Shetland (experiences) not a prog about the wildlife in Shetland per se .........

Pauline

[Dan Salter]

xx

[rlchew]

Last Thursday saw the conclusion to an excellent mini-series. The sequence with SK standing in the "simmer dim" listening to the night time sounds was so evocative. I am now waiting for the book to be published in April.

The TV series certainly brought back loads of memories for me of my 2 visits to this wonderful location. Of course it has also had me beginning to think about planning a return trip!

If any of you are also inspired to visit Shetland by SK's series, here is my trip report from May 2008 which may help your planning ....

Trip report - northern Scotland and Shetland

It is expensive to get to but what an absolutely brilliant place to go wildlife watching with binoculars, telescope and camera. Highly recommended!

Richard