Orcas Kill, But Not Just for Food | Bad Natured | BBC Earth

While filming orcas, Steve Backshall witnessed them hunting and killing prey, but not for food. He explains why they do this and how he’s processed this disturbing behaviour.

#BBCEarth #BadNatured

Watch more:

Welcome to BBC EARTH! The world is an amazing place full of stories, beauty and natural wonder. Here you'll find 50 years worth of entertaining and thought-provoking natural history content. Dramatic, rare, and exclusive, nature doesn't get more exciting than this.

[superfly]

I found it incredibly fortunate and such a blessing l, and delightful that Orcas are incredibly intelligent, they recognize human and don’t prey on us. Otherwise they would be 100x scarier than sharks.

[noneofyourbuisness]

I think the reason people find this so "dark" or "disturbing" is because we're so use to distinguishing ourselves from other animals. For the longest time, we thought that we were something truly unique. But then we find animals using tools, displaying emotions, solving complex problems, developing cultures, and even languages. And we accept it because it appears so innocent on the surface, almost like watching a baby learn how to talk and whatnot; we see them as a counterpart to ourselves.

But then we see things like this, killing for sport or education, and we're scared because it forces us to contend with a part of ourselves that we don't like or condemn. We lambast war and killing of others, and yet animals do this, too. And we're afraid because it's like learning that the aforementioned baby has some how killed someone when you weren't looking. We're so use to being set apart from the rest that finding another species - and on our own planet, no less - that shares so many parallels to us is truly unnerving to some.

[nxva]

🐋 1= "Some human is telling us we have disturbing behaviour"
🐋 2 = "That sounds human to me"

[rottweilerfun]

If they don't train their young, they could starve to death someday. That's pretty rough too. The fish and crabs will feast on the dead, nothing goes to waste in nature.

[timp]

Orcas are highly intelligent and therefore have complex behavior. They kill not just for food, but also for teaching their young, and for playing, which we perceive as cruelty. And the fact that they sometimes let their prey go free could also mean that they have compassion when there’s no need for food. They are absolutely fascinating.

[toradora]

During the Narrative of this video and how he was conflicted about the actions of the Orca killing for sport, it made me think how an extraterrestrial would observe Human behavior and the thought process they might have in that observation.

Im glad that they were objective enough to admit it in the end.

[ColumbiaB]

There are a number of predator animals that sometimes “play” with their prey without killing it, or kill prey without eating them (at least immediately). Cat species, and mustelid species, are other prominent examples. Behavioral ecologists speculate that there may be a survival advantage conferred by behaviors that give animals opportunities to practice their own predatory activities, or teach them to their young.

Accordingly, some animals seem to have evolved so that the bond between their instinct to hunt and attack, and their urge to kill and eat, has become somewhat attenuated. It’s not become so loose that the animals fail to eat altogether, and thus starve to death, but it’s become loose enough that at times the predators don’t kill immediately, and thereby give themselves those opportunities to practice, or teach.

[sphinxrising]

My parents took me to a rather large zoo when I was small, & after viewing all the animals, near the exit was a group of peep holes where you could look at some of the smaller animals in their natural habitat without being seen by the animals. The last peep hole was listed as the most dangerous animal in the world. When I looked in it, I seen a reflection of myself.

[nethravathidr]

The way you narrated this video, I could totally see lot of emotions. I can listen your content even without any video/pictures. Just amazing how naturally it comes out!

[Rolandais]

I feel like, when people go "Why would any Animal do X?" the first question should be. "Why would I do X?" Because, like other animals, we do things for reasons other than food.

[WildlifeThroughLens]

Orcas are highly intelligent, social and ferocious predators. Incredible creatures 💙

[victor.hausen]

narrator: do not project your moral values on animals
also narrator: projects moral values on animals

[NightShadow]

Orcas really do live up to their alternate names of killer whales. Although, they are technically the biggest members of the dolphin family. 🐋 🐬

[tonybu]

“I bet you don’t dare get on the shore and snitch that seal.”
“Hold my pufferfish.”

[bilsid]

If an orca were to stand up for an election, id vote for it 💯

[grimeto]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that in the cases where we find intelligence, we also find cruelty... I wonder if the two are related.

[simmek]

Why not show these events if you were there filming it, instead of these generic shots of Orcas?? I really don't get it

[deancaleb]

Imagine being a sea lion and getting ganged up by predator and when you except to die, they bring in their weakest and youngest to play with you.

[reesepei]

Thanks for this very cool video! I always found this kind of behavior off-putting, because it struck me as cruel as well. But the video got me thinking and it's really not any different from what an average housecat will do to any bug unfortunate enough to cross its path.

[thcpuhr]

The fascinating thing about these animals is that it recognizes that it isn't the apex predator. They taught their young pretty well that humans are the most dangerous and that they know that if they attack human, humans will see them as a threat. Surprisingly, orcas don't hold a grudge on the whole species when attacked but instead, they remember that single individual and they know that humans are different from each other.