Animal Activist: Let Mosquitoes Bite You As They Are "Mothers" Trying To Feed Their Babies
"There is good reason to have a bad conscience if you kill a mosquito".
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 09 Aug 2019, 02:26 PM
A French television presenter is making international headlines for urging people to allow mosquitoes to bite them
Animal rights activist Aymeric Caron made the comment in a video on 1 August.
"There is good reason to have a bad conscience if you kill a mosquito," he said.
Since mosquitoes that suck blood are females, Caron argued that the insects are merely "mothers trying to nourish her future children"
Male mosquitoes only feed on plant sap or nectar, instead of blood.
According to The Times, he explained that the purpose of sucking human blood is to obtain protein for their eggs.
He argued that the insects should not be killed for risking their lives for their babies, and that people should instead allow mosquitoes to obtain "blood donations".
As an anti-specist, Caron believes that all animals are deserving of equal treatment
According to The Independent, the activist said that animal lovers should allow the insects to bite them.
However, under certain circumstances, Caron acknowledged that the insects should be killed.
He urged people to follow a quote by philosopher and animal-protection pioneer Albert Schweitzer - "In Africa, where there is malaria, he allowed himself to kill mosquitoes. In France, where they are inoffensive, he allowed himself to be bitten."
Meanwhile, the UK head of animal-welfare group Animal Equality said that she would draw the line at "parasites that carry malaria and kill millions of people a year"
"For most people, this is a step too far and a distraction. It's unhelpful in trying to educate people about the suffering of animals in factory farms, and is unrelated to animal welfare campaigns," Toni Vernelli said.
"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," she added.
World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that in 2017, there were an estimated 219 million cases of malaria in 87 countries, and 435,000 deaths.
