Scared Animals
If you're an animal lover (likely in this neck of the digital woods), don't worry, this isn't about non-humans. No, this is about the Scared Animals that run from threats, that lash out when cornered, and that act unreasonably when we feel scared. This is about humans.
Modern humanity is driven by fear and our fear responses. The left is driven by fear of attacks on their person and self, and responds with hiding and retreating to safe spaces. The right is driven by fear of attacks on their culture, and responds with shows of might to enforce that culture. Billionaires are driven by fear of extinction, and respond by hoarding to protect themselves. Puriteens are driven by fear of ostracization, and respond by lashing out at any threat to that. I'm making generalizations here, but I think there's enough evidence online that my point is valid; our culture is largely driven by fear.
So what does that mean for zoos? And how do we navigate a world so full of Scared Animals? I'd argue that we're no different from other animals, and that we should treat each other like we treat scared non-humans. Approach carefully and gently. Pay attention to their response, and give them space if needed. Be calm, and let them come to you in their own time. You can't force the fear out of someone; the best you can do is show them you aren't a threat, and let their instinctual fear response wear off.
Earlier this year, I came out to the furry communities I was a part of. Maybe it seemed naive looking in, but I was under no delusion. I was well aware it would be the end of the friendships I had worked so hard to build. I knew it would be back to square one, socially. I fully expected to see people I loved proclaiming how much they hated people like me. But I came out anyway; I've never been glad I gave in to fear.
Months before coming out, I started preparing. I left all the furry Discord servers I had been in. If I was going to come out publicly, I needed to know for a fact that I'd be okay without them, and that they'd be okay without me. I figured if either proved wrong, I could quietly rejoin and nobody would question it. I talked to my therapist, set a date on my calendar, and braced.
It went about as well as could be expected. Which is to say, terribly. It's one thing to know it will go wrong, but it's entirely another to experience it doing so, in excruciating detail. Post by post, moment by moment, you start to lose track of and second guess who are your friends, and who were your friends. It feels indescribably terrifying in the moment. Yet, months later, I'm still here. I'm still me.
I had two main goals with coming out. The first was to be able to live fully, openly, and proudly as myself. So far, that's been a total success. The people around me, some old, some new, love me for who I've always been. I don't have to worry about being "outed". I don't have to feel like I'm hiding a part of myself from the people I love.
My second goal was to show that the people someone "hates" are sometimes the same people they loved. I think I had more of a mixed result with that goal, and at least some of it was my fault. In the few days after coming out, I felt scared, and I acted unreasonably. I felt cornered, and I lashed out. I felt threatened, and I ran.
But despite all that, I noticed something; the blind anger opened its eyes, just a bit. It was a small shift, but for those that knew me, it was a shift. People's wording changed; "evil" became "terrible", "zoos run screaming" became "this is not a place for zoos", and "hate" all but disappeared from their vocabulary. And, other than a loud few, people were silent.
Do I think that every zoo should come out? Absolutely not. I know how important community can be, and I know not everyone is in a place to, mentally. It was genuinely the most difficult thing I've ever done, and I don't know how I'd have handled things if I didn't start from such a high point in my life. I know it'd have been worse for everyone involved, without a doubt. But I think it's worth considering.
At the end of the day, we're all just Scared Animals. Approach carefully and gently. Pay attention to their response, and give them space if needed. Be calm, and let them come to you in their own time. And eventually, they might.
Thank you for your time.
Article written by Allium Painted (November 2025)
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