After writing several articles over the past few years on our ‘cotton wool culture’ and increasing aversion to risk, seeing some Venezuelan children go out hunting on the BBC documentary Human Planet did make me chuckle.
In the episode, entitled Trees, the children, of whom all look no older than ten, go wandering off into the jungle, without adult supervision, in search of tarantulas that they plan to eat for dinner.
Whether or not you agree with the view that British kids are too cosseted, watching the children expertly hunting their prey, spearing strangely fat spiders with tiny little sticks and eating tarantula kebab over an open fire, did make even the hardiest of British children seem, by comparison, just a little bit soft.
Apparently chargrilled tarantula makes a tasty little snack*… who knew?
*(like scrawny chicken wings in plum sauce…in case you were wondering)
See the full clip here: Tarantula kebab
