Well, it’s Wednesday. I wasn’t very optimistic about getting enough material to post a second “Man vs. Beast” blog entry. I was wrong. Granted there have not been that many attacks since last week, and I was forced to broaden my search, but I do think I found some interesting ones. Ones that give credence to the notion that the animals of the world are coming together, in some sort of organized uprising. Their motives are still unclear to me, for I know not what they hope to accomplish.
I guess time will tell.
Here’s what I found:
In Tulla, County Clare, Ireland, a farmer was attacked by an otter. Yes, you heard me right. An otter. You know, those furry little river rat looking things we see at the zoo. In a small Irish village, a farmer filling his vehicle with diesel spotted the creature struggling to remove a “crisp bag” from its head. Being the good Samaritan that his mother raised him to be, he came to the animal’s rescue only to be bitten for his trouble. In addition, the ungrateful otter took his bad attitude out on the poor man’s truck. And if that weren’t enough, once the farmer was able to release the “fanged fish-gobbler” onto the shores of a nearby river, it had to be rescued, yet again, because it nearly drown from exhaustion. I was unable repost all of the photographs as they are copyright protected, so please take a minute, and click [here] to view the calamity for yourself. It is well worth it. I got quite the laugh out of it. On an a side note, “fanged fish-gobbler” is now my new favorite animal description.
In Lincoln County, Wisconsin, a man out hunting with his buddies shot and wounded a bear. The bear then attacked the man, injuring him. Of course, the bear lost in the end when he was hunted down and killed by the man’s buddies, in what can only be described as a revenge killing. Again, I’m no bear advocate, but I think this is a clear-cut case of what’s good for the goose…
A kite-surfer (yeah, I don’t know the heck this is) in Papua, New Guinea was attacked by a tiger shark on Sunday. While wave-running (again…no idea), the man was bitten and knocked off his board by the shark. This was a strategic attack on the part of the shark, for the man states that it catapulted out of the water and aimed right for his leg. When I read this story, I couldn’t help but think of that video they play over and over again on America’s Funniest Home Videos – the one where the toddler is just walking along, minding his own business, and along comes a frisky kitty who launches himself at the boy, knocking him to the ground (looked – could not find it for the life of me). I wonder in this case, if the shark had ill intentions or if this was simply a case of “I have an uncontrollable urge…”. You can read more about this story [here].
I may not be a bear advocate, but I am a big cat lover. Of course, I’m not going to go around camping where they make their home. That would be stupid, but I do enjoy looking at them and have a healthy respect for their prowess. Sadly, in a case of guilt by association, on Vancouver Island, two cougars were killed when they were spotted near popular campgrounds. These killings were in response to an attack on an 18 month old boy by a different cougar at a different campground. This one sorta pisses me off and I have nothing real snarky to say about it. If you would like to read more about this one, you can do so [here].
At the El Paso Zoo, a Malaysian tiger on loan from the San Diego Zoo, killed her mate over the weekend in an apparent love triangle gone bad. To quote Chicago’s Velma Kelly and the other ladies of murderess’ row, “he had it coming”. The male showered an older female with attention. This, in any relationship – man or beast, is not to be borne. She did what any self-respecting female would have done in her position. She took him by the neck and squeezed until he was dead.
“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, No hell a fury like a woman scorned.” William Congreve, The Mourning Bride
Of Bears and Boating 