I am not questioning there being no ill intent. I am sure most people love and want to protect animals. However, the assumption you can "breed the wild out of them" is false. Domesticated animals are somehing very different than this. Raising an animal in captivity, even over generations does not "breed the wild out of them" by any means. The Lenski Experiment is a good attest to selective breeding for tameness over decades with the result being still wild animals with wild instincts and what had changed mostly was their fight or flight distance. (It's really interesting because they saw that the genes they tried to select seem to be close to genes that express dog like traits; the foxes became more doglike) This does NOT mean the animal is now domesticated and has lost it's wild instincts. Studies show that wild animals living outside of their natural habitat do experience more stress. The dangers of the wild are part of their natural surroundings as well and suggesting they have a better life because they have to fear less is missing the point. Domesticating a species by selective breeding takes centuries and is a process, not a "wild" then "not wild" type of switch you flip after a certain number of generations. The question I ask is why there is need for this other than vanity when shelters are overflowing with homeless domesticated animals and there is no preservatory use in this since they can not ever be released into the wild again.
Bullshit they make great pets!!!
Poor little guy looks drugged ... or bored af 😊
Looks like he’s scared to death....
Gentle foxie!!!!
I am not questioning there being no ill intent. I am sure most people love and want to protect animals.
However, the assumption you can "breed the wild out of them" is false.
Domesticated animals are somehing very different than this. Raising an animal in captivity, even over generations does not "breed the wild out of them" by any means. The Lenski Experiment is a good attest to selective breeding for tameness over decades with the result being still wild animals with wild instincts and what had changed mostly was their fight or flight distance.
(It's really interesting because they saw that the genes they tried to select seem to be close to genes that express dog like traits; the foxes became more doglike)
This does NOT mean the animal is now domesticated and has lost it's wild instincts.
Studies show that wild animals living outside of their natural habitat do experience more stress.
The dangers of the wild are part of their natural surroundings as well and suggesting they have a better life because they have to fear less is missing the point.
Domesticating a species by selective breeding takes centuries and is a process, not a "wild" then "not wild" type of switch you flip after a certain number of generations.
The question I ask is why there is need for this other than vanity when shelters are overflowing with homeless domesticated animals and there is no preservatory use in this since they can not ever be released into the wild again.