Antischadenfreude

I do not take pleasure in the misery of other people or any other animals. I don't know how much a chipmunk suffers from the after effects of mosquito bites, but I wouldn't wish those nasty bugs on anyone or anything. So why have I got a photo of a mosquito biting a chipmunk? It was an accident. The little fellow paused and gave me a chance at a few shots, and I concentrated on getting his eyes in focus and catching the posture of paws in front of mouth with claws extended. It was only afterward that I noticed the tiny predator doing its "syringical" thing. Of course, predation on all scales is part of life. Nothing to be sorry about here, anyway. This chipmunk has eluded snakes and other life threatening predators, and is evidently eating well and storing up for winter. Look at those cheeks!

So, it's often "eat or be eaten", but here we could say "eat and be eaten"!

Permalink: http://jilcp.blogspot.com/2012/08/antischadenfreude.html

Jess Isaiah Levin

www.jilcp.com