Personally, I think you can extend the debate right up to allowing tourists into nature reserves.
We as people have destroyed the animal's natural habitats to the point where there are very few places in the world where wild animals can survive without human intervention. And that human intervention ALWAYS come at a price. Privately owned reserves usually have to make at least as much money as the owner/s could make by more traditional farming on the same ground. Governments all over the world are under immense pressure to provide more land for burgeoning populations.
The result is that wild animals are pretty much always exploited to some or other extent.
The question is, what level/types of exploitation are morally acceptable. And after a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that the only rational measure AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED is how the animal is affected by our exploitation.
Thus, as far as I am concerned, if the animal is not harmed, then it is not immoral. And in this situation, presuming that, if food is given, it is either given so irregularly that the birds will not come to rely on it, or so regularly that they can rely on it absolutely, I cannot see the harm.
Rant over, I love these low-level photos. I am often found lying on my stomach, but even that does not get close to these hides. I would love to have the use of one.
In recent times, quite a few have sprung up here in Southern Africa. I know of five, although one is not open to the public, and one is designed specifically for elephant and other mamals, being situated further away from a water-hole.
The remaining three are so expensive that only the well-off can consider them As an example, look at this:
http://www.irl.co.za/activities/4-night-photography-package/). I wish there was a local sunken hide at the prices this guy is asking!
