Nature is Metal
I was late dropping my boys at my parents’ house this morning because my oldest son saw a bee get stuck in one string of a spider’s web and was watching it try to free itself. Ollie is obsessed with animals, big and small, especially how different species interact with one another. He was completely engrossed in the bee drama so I let it play out instead of worrying about being in the office by my normal time.
A year or so ago, I found an Instagram account called Nature is Metal. It’s a graphic, brutally honest and violent representation of the animal kingdom. The curators are clearly fans of the unforgiving nature of Mother Nature. Recent posts include hyenas eating a lion’s head, an anaconda swallowing a fawn and zebras murdering their young. This is not for the faint of heart.
Ollie and Harry’s favorite books are Who Would Win (a series that explores who would win in a fight between two dangerous animals), so I started sharing Nature is Metal with them. I’m sure most mothers would say it’s too graphic (Instagram even censors a lot of the images), but every bit of it is naturally occurring. I love animals as much as the next person and have always been fascinates with their power and will to survive. I want my boys to feel the same.
I’ve developed a morbid fascination with these pictures and videos. So often, we’re disconnected from our food and where it comes from. Growing up on a farm, my connection to the source of meat, milk, veggies and eggs is stronger than your average bear, but it’s still much more planned and sterile than what happens on the Serengeti. I’ve always had a healthy respect for domestic and wild animals alike, but looking at these striking images has taken that to a new level.
Nature is black and white. Everything is about survival and reproduction. Some species work cooperatively to accomplish that goal and others are loners. I relate to the herds and packs just as much as the singles and see the advantage of both approaches. Sometimes I relate to the lioness offering up wildebeest entrails to her young and sometimes I relate to the wildebeest herd trying to protect their babies from the lions. We’re all just trying to navigate this eat or be eaten world.
Nature is Metal reminds me that in order for me to live, something else must die. And remember, this is true whether you eat meat or not. If you eat grains, they’re processed by huge combines that kill all kinds of small animals who are bedded down in the crops. Plus, according to this BBC article, plants may have feelings too. Basically, if you’ve survived and thrived, you have blood on your hands, whether you want to admit it or not.
Oddly, I find comfort in realizing the relentless nature of the animal kingdom. An alligator taking down a cautious drinker at the watering hole helps me realize the risks we must take to be able to survive. Killer whales toying with their prey shows that we’re all vulnerable. A chipmunk unsuspectingly picked off by an owl reinforces that life is unpredictable and that eventually we’ll all be eaten (even if only by worms and bacteria). A bald eagle swooping down to snatch a trout from the water reminds me that I can triumph and not just survive, but thrive.
Even though we think we’re detached from the natural world, it’s always affecting us because we’re hard wired to navigate our surroundings and withstand great challenges. Since we’re not using that super-power to survive, we should put that energy and mental endurance to good use by pushing ourselves to be our best physically, emotionally, relationally, professionally, etc.
Ultimately, life is finite and infinite at the same time. Any death supports the life of many others and I find comfort in knowing that I’m a part of that circle of life. This is what I want my boys to take away from the brutal and uncensored images. Plus it makes me way cooler than your average mom.
Oh, and if you’re wondering, the bee got free and lived to buzz another day.
