Redditors Learn How Leonardo Da Vinci Became Famous for Buying Caged Birds at Markets and Setting Them Free
Leonardo da Vinci is usually remembered for his art, but one of the stranger details about him is how often animals show up in the story of his life. He seems to have looked at birds, beasts, and people with the same sharp curiosity, and not always in humanity's favor.
That is what makes this Reddit thread so fun, because it starts with a simple claim about Leonardo buying caged birds at markets and setting them free, then branches into his notebooks, his habits, and the way people still react to him centuries later. The comments do the rest, mixing admiration, jokes, and a few very relatable side notes.
By the end, Leonardo feels less like a distant genius and more like a man with a very specific soft spot. Read on.
Redditor u/Krieger_Bot_OO7 has this interesting piece of information to share with the TodayILearned subreddit group
Leonardo da Vinci was famed for buying caged birds at markets and setting them free
He wondered why nature had produced a world where animals consumed one another but concluded that since life must reproduce to survive, nature needs a means of controlling population. But he made no mention of avoiding eating meat in his writings.
Although it is possible he was buying it for his household's students, servants, visitors, and animals, his shopping lists do contain meat.
And the comments from Redditors roll in...
This thread quickly turns from a history fact into a bigger conversation about how people read Leonardo's relationship with animals.
This discussion highlights the complex nature of human emotions and our relationships with animals.
How he got a ninja turtle named after him
Why people say his name all the time
Why I kept hearing about that guy
This perspective can help individuals process their feelings of sadness and loss when witnessing harm to animals.
He's a bro
Studying their flight patterns
Whatever this Redditor is saying
That is where the thread starts leaning into the ethics of how people treat animals.
This is similar to the teen’s pony that vanished after a zoo asked for “unwanted” pets.
The conversation surrounding the ethical treatment of animals is becoming increasingly relevant in today's society.
Looks like what?
The irony of it all is that...
He was famed for his art
People in the comments keep circling back to the same contrast, the artist who loved animals and the man who still lived in a world that ate them.
Engaging in discussions about animal rights and ethics can broaden perspectives and enhance understanding.
For the second commenter, it's all of the above
A pretty sad and funny story
What this Redditor read it as
Leonardo da Vinci, allegory of a dog and an eagle
What this Redditor read the title as
Take a look at those arms
Referring to him as the master of setting birds free
This Redditor does the same thing with shelter dogs
The beginning of a solid business plan
Leonardo da Vinci was famed for his paintings
Leonardo may or may not have been a vegetarian, but there is no denying that he cared deeply about animals. He grew up with animals on a farm, and they were constantly present in his studio.
Leonardo studied them, portrayed them, wrote about them, and drew inspiration from them to build devices, even war machines.
Leonardo's bird story is the kind of detail that sticks because it feels so human, even when the rest of his legacy is towering and complicated.
Before you judge da Vinci’s bird market habit, check out how Nikola Tesla’s childhood cat sparked his fascination with electricity.
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