Skip Skippy's Carrots

What I read

In his article "Kangaroos attacking carrot-bearing tourists spark warnings", Andreas Illmer (2018) says that tourists to Australia who want to take cute photos with kangaroos are changing their habits by feeding them unhealthy food such as carrots and are also risking serious injury from these powerful animals. This has led authorities to warn visitors who do not realise it that kangaroos "are wild animals and have to be treated as such." 

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My response 

And the koalas are dangerous, too. 
That was probably my first thought as I read Illmer's article. Koalas are cute, and when I visit my brother's place in Australia, I usually manage to spot a few in his trees, but koalas have long claws that are well-designed not only for live high in the gum trees, but also for self-defence against threats from approaching animals, such as humans who want to pet them. My nieces and nephews know this, so although they like to get up close, they are sensibly careful. Kangaroos are so common in Australia that most locals don't think they are anything special, and also know that they can be very dangerous. Personally, I prefer my kangaroo nicely grilled on the plate in front of me. 

Ea enjoying the sight of tourists
feeding the fat pigeons.

But kangaroos are not the only native pest that can be attractive to visitors. When we were in Chiangmai just before Songkran, my friends and I were amazed to see numerous tourists eagerly feeding the filthy pigeons that flock around the Thapae gate area, presumably because they have learned that there are numerous tourists there eager to feed them and take selfies with the birds feeding from their hand or perched on their body. Yuck! I'd be worried about the well-fed birds relieving themselves on my clothes, or worse. After we had enjoyed the sight of the tourists supporting the local sellers of seed, we noticed that there was a large sign in English, Thai and Chinese warning people ... not to feed them. As soon as I hear pigeons cooing on my balcony, I rush out to scare them away before they decide  to settle down and make a filthy mess. 

He kept a careful watch on
the python's head.

On the other hand, we had fun at Chiangmai Night Safari, where we got up close with a gorgeous Burmese python and fed the giraffes, being sensibly warned not to feed the sharp-toothed zebras. 

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My question

Is it a good idea to take selfies with wild animals? 

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Reference

• Illmer, A. (2018, May 2). Kangaroos attacking carrot-bearing tourists spark warnings. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-43971894