An animal rights activist recently went viral and raised a lot of eyebrows because of his controversial remarks.
According to French radio and TV personality Aymeric Caron, we should not hit mosquitoes when they bite us. Instead we should just let them suck! A fervent supporter of animal rights and a vegetarian since the 1990s, Caron said people should only swat mosquitoes when they are in risky places, such as in Africa where there are cases of malaria.
Otherwise, we should just feed the hungry insects.
“One can consider that a blood donation from time to time to an insect who is only trying to nourish her children is not a drama,” he said.
For those who hate mosquito bites, Caron advises that they only use natural repellents like citronella, garlic, and lavender oil.
Not surprisingly, a lot of people expressed strong disagreement with Caron’s claims.
Although she heads the Animal Equality group, Toni Vernelli said the presenter’s words are “unrelated to animal welfare campaigns.” In fact, she thinks it’s a “step too far” from what animal rights activists are trying to achieve.
“We’re much better off focusing on the tangible things people can do to reduce suffering, such as not eating meat, using animal products and wearing fur,” Vernelli explained in an Independent interview.
Meanwhile, the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO) warns us all that mosquitoes are among the “deadliest animals in the world” because they “carry and spread diseases” that claim millions of lives each year.
