Bear and the Bat Incident

[JonathanD]

Seems like BG has really dropped a clanger. As there have been quite a few reports of people emulating his bat tennis episode since it was first broadcast, the BCT have taken a stance to minimise the damage already done. The latest news from the Bat Conservation Trust below:

1. Bear Grylls footage: latest update and opportunities to have your say

As you will be aware from our last bulletin, BCT has been working with the international conservation and animal welfare community to investigate the footage of the TV presenter Bear Grylls smoking out, swatting and then stamping on bats in Asia. During the programme, several bats are killed deliberately and this was treated as a game. The footage has recently been aired in the UK and across Europe on the Discovery Channel and on the internet. In Britain the programme series appears as Bear Grylls Born Survivor.

We feel that the footage is very damaging to bat conservation, because it treats the reckless persecution of bats as entertainment and may have encouraged others to harm or kill bats for fun. Following investigation, we believe that the incident took place in a country where bats are not protected by law. However, viewers in Europe are not informed that copying the presenters actions would be illegal in many countries.

Bear Grylls is a prominent public figure and a role model, as Chief Scout at The Scout Association and ambassador of RARE (whose mission is to “to conserve imperilled species and ecosystems around the world by inspiring people to care about and protect nature&#8221. For this reason his conduct, and the influence it may have, is of great concern. Furthermore, we believe that in the UK the programme is in breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code because it may encourage crime.


To limit the damage Bear Grylls and the Discovery Channel have done to bat conservation BCT, in collaboration with Bat Conservation International and other national and international conservation organisations are calling for:

· the Discovery Channel to ensure this edition of Born Survivor and related footage is not aired again and that this footage is removed from Youtube, the Discovery Channel website and all other communications;

· a public apology from Bear Grylls;

· the support from Bear Grylls and the Discovery Channel for bat conservation efforts in the region and where the filming took place.

We are currently awaiting responses from the Discovery Channel and Bear Grylls.

If you share our concerns about the message this episode of Bear Grylls Born Survivor portrays, we recommend you contact the Discovery Channel directly via their by communications website http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations.

If you have seen the episode, you could also make a complaint to Ofcom https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/pr...?itemid=286480. Our letter to Ofcom (attached) outlines which part of Ofcom Broadcasting Code has been breached.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Boing! nom nom nom,

are the bats in the country where he thwacked them in any danger of being wiped out?

 

[JonathanD]

Boing! nom nom nom,

are the bats in the country where he thwacked them in any danger of being wiped out?

No idea. I think the problems though, are a)the countries that the programme was broadcast in, bats are protected and led to people allegedly emulating BG and killing protected species as a bit of fun. And b)BG treated it as a game rather than a last ditch attempt to catch food for survival.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Its a fair comment, but if we are worried about people emulating illigal activities should we ban the broadcast of all crime related programming? i know his show is presented in a "real life scenario" styley, but if someone was going to bat a bat(my saying dont steal it) im sure they are the kind of person who would do it having seen the programme or not,

 

[Toddy]

If the footage was intended for the people of that country and culture that might be (just, a game????) excusable.
It wasn't, it was intended for British and American audiences.

Tell me again that this man is an admirable icon ?



I can fully understand the Bat Conservation Trust's point of view.

Toddy

 

[JonathanD]

Its a fair comment, but if we are worried about people emulating illigal activities should we ban the broadcast of all crime related programming? i know his show is presented in a "real life scenario" styley, but if someone was going to bat a bat(my saying dont steal it) im sure they are the kind of person who would do it having seen the programme or not,

The difference is BG is an ambassador for young folk involved in outdoor activities. His outdoor programmes are going to be watched by these young folks and therefore should be more responsible in the content. He joked about and treated it as a game whilst laughing and shouting out tennis quotes. It would have been better and more responsible explaining it is a last ditch survival technique and being serious. He has eaten snakes live and killed them, these scenes didn't really affect me as he wasn't larking around and killing them by using them as an impromtu whip whilst screaming YEE HAA. That, I would have had a problem with. For an ambassador and head Scout and member of animal protection and awareness organisation, it makes you wonder whether he is in the latter organisation for the recognition, rather than really having a genuine interest in the subject themselves.

 

[sasquatch]

It's not clever but at the same time anyone going to the effort to smoke bats out and knock them out of the air would probably know better(Bear?)! I stopped watching it when he killed a snake, took a bite, spat it out then carried urine to drink in the skin. Just after getting stung around the eyes by bees through stupidity he then wandered off into the desert and drank the urine from the snakeskin and started to retch I think. That was enough for me!

I suppose it is being filmed for broadcast in the UK so it's a bit daft to show that regardless of where it was filmed or how numerous bats are in Asia. Killing things for a reason is one thing, killing for fun is crossing a line in my opinion and that's why I stopped watching Bear...

 

[Retired Member southey]

Yup i conceed the point, if he was doing it in a manner in which showed the animal respect then fair enough, but to play a game whilst getting dinner for a show, isnt really the done thing, fair point,

 

[Paul_B]

Never seen the show as don't have Discovery but his shows are entertainment to a degree. Perhaps a warning before he did the act or subtitles put up in the editing would have been wise. Mind you in a real survival situation perhaps a bit of light relief while getting food might be good for morale?!!!

I agree with you JonD, it is irresponsible in light of its audience. Also if it was done in too light a way then perhaps that was inappropriate. It is not wrong for him to show how to kill bats in an area where bats are plentiful. His only errors in my book is he didn't warn the audience that bats are endangered in many regions and this act should be only used in cases of need plus he should have done it in a less entertaining manner. I have no qualms with snake eating, bat eating or anything like that (won't eat bugs though unless I absolutely had tothen it would still be hard for me). It is the way he did it that is wrong not that he did it. Am I right that he was in Asia? If so aren't bats common over there?

Jon - would you concede that showing the responsible hunting or trapping of bats as part of a survival situation in an area where they are plentiful is acceptable provided warnings about bat conservancy in the region it is being shown in is represented sufficiently?

 

[JonathanD]

Jon - would you concede that showing the responsible hunting or trapping of bats as part of a survival situation in an area where they are plentiful is acceptable provided warnings about bat conservancy in the region it is being shown in is represented sufficiently?

Yes, absolutely.

If he wasn't joking about and shouting 15:Love, game set and match etc whilst batting them out of the sky with his homemade racket, I would have had much less of a problem with it myself as it is a viable and valuable technique for obtaining food. The incident was treated as a callous bit of fun and moved well away from presenting it as a solid option for food in a survival situation. It was handled completely incorrectly and BGs attitude was totally against what he is an ambassador for. I think that is what many people, including myself have a problem with.

 

[John Fenna]

If the footage was intended for the people of that country and culture that might be (just, a game????) excusable.
It wasn't, it was intended for British and American audiences.

Tell me again that this man is an admirable icon ?



I can fully understand the Bat Conservation Trust's point of view.

Toddy

I am with you here!
Wrong attitude, wrong audience, wrong headed!

 

[stovie]

All I can say is, if my youngsters followed his lead in all his programmes, ther'd be evicerated camel skins scattered all over sussex...

not condoning (not actually seen the particular footage in question) just pleased that most youngsters can separate TV from reality...

But there's always one...

 

[ged]

... BG is an ambassador for young folk ...

Not, apparently, any more.

It's difficult for me to describe my shock, horror and outrage after reading what I've just read. If you, Jonathan, say that the guy treated this as a game then I'm prepared to take your word for it but I'd still like to see the footage and make my own judgment before saying anything else.

I don't have a TV. Is there a link somewhere where I can get hold of the broadcast, or can someone can let me have a copy privately?

This might be a legitimate reason (private research) for making a copy under the copyright laws, but in this case I personally don't give a flying fox for the copyright laws.

 

[JonathanD]

not condoning (not actually seen the particular footage in question) just pleased that most youngsters can separate TV from reality...

The problem with this scene was that it was reality. It was very real that he was having fun and a bit of a laugh at the animals expense.

I've met Bear twice now at HMS Forward and liked him as a person very much and always could seperate him from his programmes. It was his actions alone during this scene (not the programming script etc), that lowered him considerably as a person in my estimation. I'm not the only one.

He is a great ambassodor (this incident excepted) for your movement and he does earn respect when you meet him in person. If you don't want that view tarnished, I suggest that you don't watch that scene as it may very well do just that. I know he has a fear of bats and that may have affected his actions, but even so....

 

[JonathanD]

Not, apparently, any more.

It's difficult for me to describe my shock, horror and outrage after reading what I've just read. If you, Jonathan, say that the guy treated this as a game then I'm prepared to take your word for it but I'd still like to see the footage and make my own judgment before saying anything else.

I don't have a TV. Is there a link somewhere where I can get hold of the broadcast, or can someone can let me have a copy privately?

This might be a legitimate reason (private research) for making a copy under the copyright laws, but in this case I personally don't give a flying fox for the copyright laws.

PM sent. Please no one post a link to that footage here.

 

[Toddy]

Sometimes the best lesson, and often the hardest, that human kind learns, is, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

atb,
Mary

 

[Retired Member southey]

I dont think weve learnt it yet,

 

[rommy]

Personally I don't think anyone has a right to condemn what goes on in another country. What might be a beautiful and protected species here is invariably a plague in other regions.

I can't stand BG and after watching a couple of his programs switched him off permanently.

Despite what folks say, there is a place for such nonsense being shown here. Parents can point out that such behaviour might be acceptable in that country but that here we behave in a more enlightened manner because of the status of the species or that we are perhaps a little more civilised.

 

[BarryG]

Bear is with out a doubt, a proper numpty...but you have to wonder about the programmes producers and editors. They must know Bears faults and should be ready to jump on, and filter out his more stupid moments.

His bat tennis (i missed it) sounds deplorable..totally..however there should have been a second take surley?

 

[durulz]

Yes, bat tennis is dreadful.
Hedgehog footie is great fun though...





I'm not being serious, obviously, before someone takes it so.