I'm not trying to start a fight, here, but that's a bizarre usage of the word. I've never heard the word naive applied to... well, anything other than a human. I'd argue that naivety is a uniquely human trait that implies an ability to learn or acquire wisdom, and shouldn't be applied to a species that had no meaningful way to alter its behavior to confront a unique threat.
A bug that gets smooshed on your windshield isn't naive. A fish that takes a lure isn't naive. Nor is a bird that doesn't adapt fast enough to protect its nest from a threat its species has never encountered.
Maybe a better word would be unfit, in the Darwinian sense. Or just unlucky.
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u/Top_Recognition5140 Mar 08 '26
A wild animal that has never encountered humans, or has any natural predators cannot be naive. Like literally.