This is why they club seals

[tanklizard]

Animals know stupid when they see it

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African mugger fleeing the scene of his crime hides in a tiger enclosure.

On the country's coast, a woman attempts to be a good Samaritan by pushing a young seal into the sea, believing the poor thing is stranded.

Both people paid heavily for their stupidity, underscoring one of nature's truisms: humans do dumb things around wild animals.

"I blame it on Walt Disney, where animals are given human qualities. People don't understand that a wild animal is not something that is nice to pat. It can seriously harm you," said James Cameron, a South African professional hunter.

The cartoon image of wildlife may have prompted a 49-year-old South African woman in October to try to help a seal which she believed was stranded, allowing her 1-year-old grandchild to stroke the creature in the process.

The seal responded by biting off the woman's nose.

Cape Fur Seals are common on South African shores and many have become accustomed to humans.

They are a popular tourist attraction and can be viewed playing in the sea by Cape Town's waterfront -- which may also give a false impression of placid friendliness.

"Cute" seal pups have also been used as potent symbols by groups such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare, further enhancing the animal's "cuddly status."

But they can in fact be dangerous and sometimes attack people who venture too close -- as South Africa's noseless do-gooder discovered to her horror.

Then there was the South African robber who made the mistake last month of taking refuge in an enclosure which turned out to be home to a pair of unimpressed tigers.

He had fled into a nearby zoo after security guards heard the screams of a couple he had just mugged in Bloemfontein, about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.

Not surprisingly, he was mauled to death by the big cats.

The mugger was not the first South African criminal to err in hiding among zoo animals.

Max, a 200 kg (440 lb) gorilla, won fame in 1997 after being wounded by a terrified gunman who jumped a moat into his space in Johannesburg's zoo while fleeing police.

Max pinned the fugitive against the wall of his enclosure and guarded him even after being shot until police arrived, making him an instant folk hero in crime-ridden South Africa.

Other people don't realize that you shouldn't get between a mother and her offspring -- especially when dealing with the world's largest land mammal.

In April of this year, an elephant gored a tourist to death in a Ugandan national park after the man, carrying an 8-year-old boy in his arms, approached the animal's calf.

"I think many people are just far removed from nature. People who live in cities often see nature as something that is tame and manageable," said Sue Lieberman, director of the global species program for conservation group WWF International.

"And wrongly so. We don't need to tame nature, we need to keep the wild out there," she told Reuters.

SHOW-OFFS

Then there are the show-offs.

Lions mauled a South African teen-ager in March who came too close to their enclosure while trying to impress his girlfriend.

The sixteen-year-old, his girlfriend and his mother were having lunch with the lion keeper when he ignored advice and went off with his girlfriend to see the lions in the breeding section of the park just north of Johannesburg.

The boy went into an area off-limits to the public and touched a lion through the mesh fence.

The lion quickly sank its teeth into his arm and dragged him under the fence before the curator came, drove the four adult lions in the enclosure away and rescued the teen-ager.

"It just shows a total disregard and disrespect for wild animals," said Cameron.

The boy was luckier than a couple from Taiwan in 1993, who got out of their car to photograph lions up close at a South African game park -- and who were quickly savaged to death by the beasts.

---------------------------------------------

I almost had something like this happen to a former co-worker several years ago. He was a city boy from Pittsburgh and didn't know anything about the outdoors. We were in North-Central Pennsylvania for a conference so I took him out to see the Elk. We saw several and finally stopped to look at a fully grown bull standing in somebody's front yard. What does city boy want to do? Get out of the truck and get closer. I was tempted to let hin do it but figured it would negatively affect my job if I let him get gored. What's really funny is we were Park Rangers and people asked us about the wildlife all the time and he didn't have a clue. He lasted one season.

[tanklizard]

Animals know stupid when they see it

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African mugger fleeing the scene of his crime hides in a tiger enclosure.

On the country's coast, a woman attempts to be a good Samaritan by pushing a young seal into the sea, believing the poor thing is stranded.

Both people paid heavily for their stupidity, underscoring one of nature's truisms: humans do dumb things around wild animals.

"I blame it on Walt Disney, where animals are given human qualities. People don't understand that a wild animal is not something that is nice to pat. It can seriously harm you," said James Cameron, a South African professional hunter.

The cartoon image of wildlife may have prompted a 49-year-old South African woman in October to try to help a seal which she believed was stranded, allowing her 1-year-old grandchild to stroke the creature in the process.

The seal responded by biting off the woman's nose.

Cape Fur Seals are common on South African shores and many have become accustomed to humans.

They are a popular tourist attraction and can be viewed playing in the sea by Cape Town's waterfront -- which may also give a false impression of placid friendliness.

"Cute" seal pups have also been used as potent symbols by groups such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare, further enhancing the animal's "cuddly status."

But they can in fact be dangerous and sometimes attack people who venture too close -- as South Africa's noseless do-gooder discovered to her horror.

Then there was the South African robber who made the mistake last month of taking refuge in an enclosure which turned out to be home to a pair of unimpressed tigers.

He had fled into a nearby zoo after security guards heard the screams of a couple he had just mugged in Bloemfontein, about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.

Not surprisingly, he was mauled to death by the big cats.

The mugger was not the first South African criminal to err in hiding among zoo animals.

Max, a 200 kg (440 lb) gorilla, won fame in 1997 after being wounded by a terrified gunman who jumped a moat into his space in Johannesburg's zoo while fleeing police.

Max pinned the fugitive against the wall of his enclosure and guarded him even after being shot until police arrived, making him an instant folk hero in crime-ridden South Africa.

Other people don't realize that you shouldn't get between a mother and her offspring -- especially when dealing with the world's largest land mammal.

In April of this year, an elephant gored a tourist to death in a Ugandan national park after the man, carrying an 8-year-old boy in his arms, approached the animal's calf.

"I think many people are just far removed from nature. People who live in cities often see nature as something that is tame and manageable," said Sue Lieberman, director of the global species program for conservation group WWF International.

"And wrongly so. We don't need to tame nature, we need to keep the wild out there," she told Reuters.

SHOW-OFFS

Then there are the show-offs.

Lions mauled a South African teen-ager in March who came too close to their enclosure while trying to impress his girlfriend.

The sixteen-year-old, his girlfriend and his mother were having lunch with the lion keeper when he ignored advice and went off with his girlfriend to see the lions in the breeding section of the park just north of Johannesburg.

The boy went into an area off-limits to the public and touched a lion through the mesh fence.

The lion quickly sank its teeth into his arm and dragged him under the fence before the curator came, drove the four adult lions in the enclosure away and rescued the teen-ager.

"It just shows a total disregard and disrespect for wild animals," said Cameron.

The boy was luckier than a couple from Taiwan in 1993, who got out of their car to photograph lions up close at a South African game park -- and who were quickly savaged to death by the beasts.

---------------------------------------------

I almost had something like this happen to a former co-worker several years ago. He was a city boy from Pittsburgh and didn't know anything about the outdoors. We were in North-Central Pennsylvania for a conference so I took him out to see the Elk. We saw several and finally stopped to look at a fully grown bull standing in somebody's front yard. What does city boy want to do? Get out of the truck and get closer. I was tempted to let hin do it but figured it would negatively affect my job if I let him get gored. What's really funny is we were Park Rangers and people asked us about the wildlife all the time and he didn't have a clue. He lasted one season.

[h2co-pilot]

Ah, Darwin's theory at it's best.

[ShaggyX]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tanklizard:
Lions mauled a South African teen-ager in March who came too close to their enclosure while trying to impress his girlfriend.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>I saw a couple of videos (2 different shots of the same thing) of something similar a while back. Happened in the 70's or something. Some guy with his wife (and maybe kids...don't remember exactly) decided to get out of the car to get a closer picture of some Lions eating...and got jumped from behind. Video stops shortly there after, but he definately didn't get out alive.

[ShaggyX]

[TootsSUT]

Poor wittle seal!

Pssss....Shag, is the bag made out of seal and, if so, how do I get one!!!

[GeorgeSSSS]

Just keep your eye on where you are in the food chain. When I go hunting, I look out for two things: Deer and bears. I know I'm somewhere in the between.

Best regards,

George SSSS

[Bondage]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by GeorgeSSSS:
Just keep your eye on where you are in the food chain. When I go hunting, I look out for two things: Deer and bears. I know I'm somewhere in the between.

Best regards,

George SSSS </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Here's one for the bear hunters out there...
A guy goes bear hunting - sees an enormous bear on a ridge, sights, fires, and the bear disappears. A few minutes later, he feels a tap on his shoulder, turns around, andit's the bear. The bear bends the guy over and rapes the ever living crap outta him.

The guy goes into town and buys a bigger rifle. Returning to the same spot the next day, he sights the bear again, and BOOM. The bear disappears. A few seconds later...tap tap. He is bent over and raped again.

He limps into town and finds a bazooka at a surplus store. He returns again the next day and, again, there is the bear on the ridge. He pops up the sights and BOOOOOM. The bear disappears in a cloud of smoke.

A few second later...tap tap tap. He turns around and looks at the bear. The bear grins and says, "Hey. You're not here for the hunting, are you?"



Sean

[DRTYFN]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by h2co-pilot:
Ah, Darwin's theory at it's best. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

X15 brazilian

[Dan]

[Fubar]

[GeorgeSSSS]

Regarding being aware of bears:

The Forest Service has issued a BEAR WARNING urging everyone to protect themselves by wearing bells and carrying pepper spray. You should also be alert for signs of fresh bear activity and be able to tell the difference between Black Bear dung and Grizzy Bear dung.

Black Bear dung is rather small and round.

Grizzly Bear dung has bells in it and smells like pepper spray.

[DDWH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by GeorgeSSSS:
Regarding being aware of bears:

The Forest Service has issued a BEAR WARNING urging everyone to protect themselves by wearing bells and carrying pepper spray. You should also be alert for signs of fresh bear activity and be able to tell the difference between Black Bear dung and Grizzy Bear dung.

Black Bear dung is rather small and round.

Grizzly Bear dung has bells in it and smells like pepper spray. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

LMAO!