Re: future pets

Warrl kyree Tale'sedrin (warrl@mail.blarg.net)
Tue, 21 Apr 1998 15:23:11 +0000


> From: cryon@mindspring.com (Randy Smith)

> Yes, indeed. In fact, the old saying 'like a fox in a henhouse" would
> apply here. If you go into a henhouse after a fox has been in there,
> you will find all of the chickens dead and perhaps only one or two
> eaten. The fox likes to kill and has it in his genes. I have seen a
> panther catch a bunch of sheep in a pasture and break the necks of all
> of them and eat only one.

I don't envy you the experience of being close enough to see that
happen. (What if the panther decides you're an oddly-shaped sheep?)

Add to the list of things "you don't see in animals" that you see in
animals (not suggesting that they are all as abhorrent as those who
proclaim "you don't see it in animals" wish us to believe -- but some
are):

adultery in monogamous species
homosexuality
prostitution
infanticide
use of intoxicating drugs

And you can find ALL of those without looking at the species that
might be written off as "too closely related to man". The first
three, I know for certain are found in birds; the latter two, in
cats. And most likely in many other species as well.

> People do idealize animals while often denigrating humans in many
> ways. Chimps for example, our closest primate cousins. I have seen
> videotape of chimps hunt down other monkeys and tear them apart and
> eat them.

They even occasionally hunt other chimps. But usually it's
orangutans, so they mostly evade a charge of cannibalism. Many
non-primate species of carnivore and omnivore won't hesitate to eat
their own kind.
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