The Internet’s V. Uncomf About A Heavy Leopard Rape Scene On ‘Planet Earth’

By

Published

November 15, 2016

CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses rape. If you would like to talk to a counsellor about rape, sexual assault or domestic violence, give the people over at 1800 RESPECT a call on 1800 737 732.

The premiere episode of Sir David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II series gave us the greatest chase scene of all time: the now-infamous footage of a baby iguana fleeing a mass of writhing snakes and – SPOILERS AHEAD – miraculously surviving to scamper another day.

Ep 2, however, left a nation traumatised by dramatic footage of a female snow leopard submitting to sexual assault to protect her young cub from two aggressive alpha males. We know what you’re thinking: can an animal actually *be* raped? Isn’t that just part-and-a-parcel of the animal kingdom?

Well, kind of. Sexual coercion isn’t exactly unusual in the animal kingdom, but it can often be disturbingly violent; drakes often force themselves on ducks, for example, if they feel their chance of passing on their genes is threatened in some way i.e. their methods of seductive are falling on deaf ears.

It’s within high intelligence species – like dolphins and apes, who bear more of a likeness to humans than any other – that females are coerced into sex with the explicit motive of subjugation. Dolphin males literally take turns ‘gang raping’ females (they rape males too, if there are no females around). So it does happen.

In this case, the BBC captured a female Himalayan snow leopard sacrificing herself to protect her totally-dependent young cub from two male snow leopards; on heat, she drew out one male snow leopard who posed a threat to her baby because “males kill cubs that are not their own,” Sir Attenborough told viewers.

She did her best to fend off one of the males but then another, even bigger male arrived on the scene.
A scuffle ensues but, unable to fend off both leopards, she offered herself to the bigger male, rolling over and allowing him to mount her to divert the males’ attention long enough to let her cub escape.

If that weren’t bad enough, the mother was injured in the fray and no longer be able to hunt. Thankfully she recovered, but wasn’t seen with her cub again.

Twitter was *not* ok with what it witnessed.

Phew. For a minute there I thought might be some hideous snow leopard rape scene. #planetearth2

— Jaxx Nelson (@JaxxNelson) November 13, 2016

Heavy this snow leopard rape ??

— ? Marty Roberts ? (@marty_robo) November 13, 2016

Not sure I’m ready for snow leopard rape. #planetearth2

— Elliot Hackney (@ElliotHackney) November 13, 2016

Planet Earth just publicised snow leopard rape and domestic abuse????

— Jade Raicevic (@jade_raicevic8) November 13, 2016

Was not prepared to witness snow leopard rape

— ross (@Ross_archibald) November 13, 2016

Feeling a bit rough to watch snow leopard rape on a Sunday #planetearth2

— David Pettitt (@david_pettitt) November 13, 2016

its a bit weird that the first extensive footage the bbc release of a snow leopard is a rape scene

— Joe Shabadu (@JoeShabadu) November 14, 2016

Snow leopard rape culture on a Sunday night makes for uncomfortable viewing. #planetearth2

— Emma (@MossbawnStoic) November 13, 2016

Snow leopard gang rape results in abandoned, vulnerable youth. Planet Earth has once again left a nation devastated.

— Nathan Makan (@nathanmakan) November 13, 2016

If you want to watch the clip, here ’tis: