this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2026
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My go is for the Buzzard, it would sure as hell make desert trips and heat waves seem a lot less worrying and paranoiac.

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[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 1 points 13 hours ago

Elephants. I feel like they just eat to many leaves and its an inefficient build. They are like an American F150

They walk around the jungle stomping on things and eating a lot. They can squirt water from their trunk and what else? I like em but dont get the point of them.

[–] Foreigner@lemmy.world 49 points 5 days ago (5 children)

The only animal I think is truly worth eradicating is the bedbug.

Every other insect from the mosquito, to the tick is an incredibly important source of food (especially protein) for other animals, especially in places with very harsh conditions where other insects struggle to survive. I used to hate and fear insects but now I know they all have their place.

All, except the bedbug. These things are specifically designed to hunt us and pretty much only us. They have precious few predators, much less predators that rely on their existence. They deserve obliteration.

[–] JapaneseJudas@fedinsfw.app 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

True, but from what I've read, virtually all mosquitoes don't bite people. You can wipe out the 1% or less of the ones that do without significant environmental impact since the things that eat mosquitoes aren't choosy about which ones so you really are just reducing their available food by like 1%, and even some of that will probably be backfilled by other species of mosquitoes since the ones that bite people don't only bite people.

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[–] BryyM@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

I like your answer as its way more thought through than what most people tend to answer when questions like this is asked, like I wish seagulls would just die out as the niche they have is doing what other species are doing in an obnoxious way. I do recognise that this would likely have ramifications that I don't know about though, so I wouldn't want resources used to actively eradicate them.

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[–] finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] njordomir@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Here's the answer I was looking for! I'm surprised I had to scroll so far to reach it. We are the source of most of what's wrong with the world so I'm pretty sure the rest of the animals would vote us off the island too.

[–] SuiXi3D@fedia.io 28 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Mosquitos. Dad died from a bite, got West Nile virus as a result of it. I’d give anything to have him back.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 3 points 5 days ago

I'm so sorry for your loss. I agree, mosquitoes are what I would choose.

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[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Oh no, vultures are great.

For me—probably ticks.

[–] Bronzie@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Was looking for this before commenting. They are terrible creatures full of dissease. I'd pick them to be banished to hell instantly.

Then I could finally got hammocking in shorts without a full body inspection every evening.

[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 3 points 4 days ago

If you scroll down a lot of ppl agree with us. Horrible little things. I'm in the midlantic and this year, everyone I know who’s gone camping or hiking has come home with at least one tick. Every. Single. Time.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 14 points 5 days ago
[–] jaemo@sh.itjust.works 15 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Sorry that's fucking gross. OP wants to walk through a world of rotting meat and unscavenged carcasses. Seriously. Read up on what happened to vultures in India when they gave all their cattle Diclofenac.

Cultures might not be pretty but they are fucking awesome and entirely necessary. Why peeps gotta hate on the cleaning staff I don't know.

[–] oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 days ago

I agree, but got different reasons.

OP went with "less paranoic" as their barrier of choice, whereas the "tick" and "mosquito" choices are actual posts that are dangerous.

Personally I fall in the mosquito camp. I don't know if anything depending on them specifically. And even if there is, I'm ok with sacrificing them too.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

How decline of Indian vultures led to 500,000 human deaths

Also vultures are beautiful.

My sweet girl Zsa Zsa.

And there is the King Vulture.

Bearded Vulture

Egyptian Vulture

[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 5 points 5 days ago (2 children)

King Vulture looks like a kid coloured it, just pure chaos.

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[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Bearded vultures swallow bones, often shattered after they drop them onto rocks from great heights, but sometimes whole. They are so badass.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Very awesome! Some quick reading says the bones are actually their primary diet. They'd often rather have the bones than the meat. Talk about a biological niche.

And it can chomp down some huge looking bones!

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[–] UncleArthur@lemmy.world 22 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Mosquitoes. If I'm allowed, midges too.

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What are swallows etc going to eat?

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[–] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 17 points 5 days ago
[–] MolochHorridus@piefed.social 17 points 5 days ago

Humans. We destroy everything.

[–] Kennystillalive@feddit.org 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)
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[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 2 points 3 days ago
[–] Furbag@pawb.social 6 points 4 days ago

Fuck ticks.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] SwissArmyKazoo@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

We're practically descendants from the simians so I think it's time to devolve back to where we were moulded from.

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Ticks. One of the most dangerous animals in the world.

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[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago
[–] SaorSol@startrek.website 9 points 5 days ago

Humans or at the very least Epstillians

[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 5 days ago

What is worrying about a buzzard? Are you a small rodent?

[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Ugh. Easy. The St Barnabus Mite (they call them Wringlers in the US, I think). Hate, hate, hate them. Nasty, relentless, ethereal, bitey little shitlords, and they're so resilient they turn up everywhere. They can fuck right off.

Edit: Holy shit, it worked!

[–] gandalf_der_12te@feddit.org 1 points 3 days ago

these flying stinging insects ... what are they called ... that can give you bad diseases (e.g. malaria)

Bigfoot, of course. This reign of terror must come to an end.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

All I see here are a bunch of cowards, just look at all the top posts here, what do they have in common? Bedbugs, ticks, mosquitos... all parasites that target humans.

I'm actually willing to step out on a limb and say something unpopular. Manatees. What have manatees done for me lately? Laying about... Aggressively loitering in our estuaries! Get a job you lazy sea cows. You think kelp grows on trees? They're a drain on the global economy and a blubberous maquatic menace!

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[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

I love vultures so much! Nature's garbage crew.

I will have to go with palmetto bugs, sorry guys you freak me out so bad and I think there are other bugs that turn leaves into dirt without being nightmare fuel.

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

My go is for the Buzzard, it would sure as hell make desert trips and heat waves seem a lot less worrying and paranoiac.

I'm not sure I understand that one. What's the connection between buzzards and heat waves? Why do they make you worry? We have a ton of them in Germany, pretty cool birds and not dangerous unless you're a mouse.

I guess if I had to pick one, it would be ticks. But I'd rather not remove any, because whatever animal you remove may have devastating consequences on the entire ecosystem.

I wonder what the world would be like without humans?

[–] tigermountain@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago
[–] gasgiant@lemmy.ml 5 points 5 days ago

Don't want to get rid of a good scavenger like the buzzard. They really help the ecosystem. Particularly with population and disease control.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 6 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Possums, in NZ.

Here they are a scourge. They're introduced and outcompete or prey on native birds.

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[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 5 points 5 days ago (6 children)

Wait.. Buzzard as in buteo buteo? What did they do to you?

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[–] agentTeiko@piefed.social 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Humans and I'm not joking maybe Neanderthals would have coexisted with the planet better and we would not be going through the 6th Anthropocene mass extinction event.

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[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 5 points 5 days ago

Why wish? It happens every day.

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