US Are humans parasites?

[Hog]

By definition, a parasite is an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense.

Milk and eggs are a popular food. Thus, humans derive nutrients from other species. Therefore, humans are parasites.

However, if the relationship is consensual, then getting nutrition from animals would be okay in my mind. For example, if an adult individual of another species chooses to directly wetnurse a human child then that is okay in my mind. Similarly, if a human chooses to breastfeed a baby of another species, that is okay in my book too.

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The below Chinese police officer breastfed numerous orphaned infants after an earthquake. I deeply respect her actions. I believe that animals are capable of the same level of compassion.

 

[Poppy]

*no expert on this subject!*

I've seen situations where a mother of one animal species would nurse another - recently I think I saw a cat nursing opossum kits on FB - but I suspect that's pretty unusual. Apparently you have to get the lactating mom to accept the foreign offspring very soon after she gives birth, when her "new mom" hormones are at their peak.

As for humans nursing other species, I don't know that I've seen that, although maybe? ouch?

 

[Mischief]

I agree that what the policewoman did was wonderful.

I remember reading a few years ago about a woman who breastfed orphaned primate babies - I don't remember what species.

When I was a kid, we had a dog who would try to nurse and raise orphaned kittens. She couldn't nurse them (she was neutered), and I had to crawl into the dog house to get them out so I could bottle feed them.

 

[Mischief]

As far as humans being parasites; I don't know that we fit the technical, scientific, definition, but we definitely have a huge negative impact on other species and the planet as a whole. We're something quite a bit more damaging than any parasite.