Reptile & Amphibian Forums

NBC (New York, New York) 28 August 06 Gator abuse?
Beyoncé Knowles isn’t bootylicious to alligators.
A world-renowned expert on reptiles has written an outraged letter to the former Destiny’s Child singer, suggesting that she abused an animal on the photo shoot for her new album B’day.
"There was a shot where I held an alligator. It had its mouth taped — that was my bright idea,” Knowles recently told a magazine. “He was really cute, but since his mouth was taped he didn’t have any way to defend himself. He was upset so he peed on me. That was an experience!”
“As a specialist in reptile biology and welfare I’m concerned about your posing with a terrified baby alligator for your new album cover,” British biologist Clifford Warwick wrote to Knowles on behalf of PETA. “Humans and alligators are not natural bedfellows, and the two should not mix at events such as photo-shoots. In my view, doing so is arguably abusive to an animal.”
Gator abuse?

When the original story came out a few weeks back it only showed up in a couple of newspapers and a few music-industry related sites. But when PETA makes a press release it is news around the world.

He is referred to as "One of the world’s foremost authorities on reptile biology" by PETA. Maybe so, but if you Google "Clifford Warwick" most of what comes up is animal "rights" related.

The link below is more grandstanding about alligators from a few years back.
CSG Newsletter 1999

His whole angle goes south when he says “Humans and alligators are not natural bedfellows, and the two should not mix at events such as photo-shoots. In my view, doing so is arguably abusive to an animal.”

Should the gators stick to themselves at such events? Kinda like the 8th grade dance with all the boys on one wall and all the girls along the other, both too shy to ask the other to dance?

Please. She wasn't abusing the thing. PETA should really consider employing credible biologists and stop playing like Sgt. Pepper's Bleeding Hearts Club Band!

>>His whole angle goes south when he says “Humans and alligators are not natural bedfellows, and the two should not mix at events such as photo-shoots. In my view, doing so is arguably abusive to an animal.”
>>
>>Should the gators stick to themselves at such events? Kinda like the 8th grade dance with all the boys on one wall and all the girls along the other, both too shy to ask the other to dance?
>>
>>Please. She wasn't abusing the thing. PETA should really consider employing credible biologists and stop playing like Sgt. Pepper's Bleeding Hearts Club Band!
-----
My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

how dare you say PETA is a joke the guys right alligators should not be put in those surroundings its not natural if your truly interested in alligators you should understand that. and also i dont want scum like beyonce who wears fur having a picture taken with an alligator anyway she doesnt derserve to be in an alligators presence. but, may i add the alligator wouldnt have urinated beacause it was frightened it would have just been doing that anyway an alligator is not going to be frightened by that "THING". obviously gators should not be put in those surroundings.

the only bigger joke than PETA are the people who support them!

>>how dare you say PETA is a joke the guys right alligators should not be put in those surroundings its not natural if your truly interested in alligators you should understand that. and also i dont want scum like beyonce who wears fur having a picture taken with an alligator anyway she doesnt derserve to be in an alligators presence. but, may i add the alligator wouldnt have urinated beacause it was frightened it would have just been doing that anyway an alligator is not going to be frightened by that "THING". obviously gators should not be put in those surroundings.
-----
My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

If the august and respected croco-phile community will allow the old newt guy an editorial comment please: I've got 12,000+ press items in archives, a significant number of which deals with your favourite critters.
I've learned that one should never, ever react to the first press item detailing some croc-related event involving a child being bitten, a dog being taken or a celebrity. For whatever reason more times than not, there's usually a column 12, page 11 newspaper editor ammendment to the item ... once they have all the facts.
If I may be so bold; when you see press items on subjects, personalities and organisations such as this: look for the agendas - look for the credibility of those involved - look for the tone of the press publication that the story is featured in - and last, as 'experts in your field', please ask yourself, does the story ring true/possible/true-but-misinterpreted by those lacking your experiences? (NATO's longest run-on sentence?)
I hope and trust that the subsequent investigation will bury this story as credible event worthy of your collective notice. respects all;
Wes, the paperboy.

EURWEB.COM (Los Angeles, California) 01 September 06 Beyonce Gator Drama Load Of Croc: Sources say real gators were never handled by Beyonce in photo shoot for ‘Ring the Alarm.’
Turns out the story involving Beyonce and the gators that prompted an irate biologist to send her a defensive letter is “completely bogus” according to sources close to her label Sony.
According to TMZ.com, a “well known reptile biologist” wrote a letter to Beyonce protesting a recent photo shoot in which the singer was said to have posed with two alligators. The Web site cited quotes from British men’s magazine Arena, which features Beyonce on the cover of its September 2006 issue.
Beyonce was quoted as saying: "There was a shot where I held an alligator. [He] had [his] mouth taped--that was my bright idea. … He was really cute, but since his mouth was taped, he didn't have any way to defend himself. He was upset, so he peed on me. That was an experience!"
But a source for Beyonce’s label Sony tells EUR, “Those alligators weren't even on the set with her. They were super-imposed for the shoot.”
Meanwhile, no one has told Dr. Clifford Warwick, the world renowned reptile biologist who TMZ says was contacted by PETA to write the protest letter to Beyonce. The website obtained a copy of the letter, which admonishes the singer for “reports” that she had the alligators mouths taped shut.
“You noted that he was so frightened and defenseless that he relieved himself all over the set,” wrote Warwick. “By taping his mouth closed, this alligator was very exposed to his captor (you) and other surrounding threats with no way of evading the predicament. …I should hope that, on reflection and consideration of these wild animals’ natural needs, you would opt from now on to leave wild animals in the wild."
The letter was also posted on PETA'S website.

Beyonce Gator Drama Load Of Croc

n/m! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA