Dying of old age

[Frostbit]

Rarely happens in Africa...

[Gingersnap]

It doesn't happen anywhere in the wild except maybe to elephants and possibly some bears.

That's one of the things that bugs me so much about the animal rights people - the idea that Bambi will grow up, have deer sex, live a long and happy life, and finally die in his sleep. The reality is that sick or elderly animals in groups (herds, packs, flocks, etc.) are first marginalized and then often attacked by their own kind which causes them to leave the safety of the group and subsequently be eaten alive by predators. Solitary predators in the same situation try to avoid being noticed by other predators but they often end up the same way - eaten alive.

This is true of almost all animals from bacteria to eagles. Being shot is no fun but I expect it's better than having your genitals eaten while you are still aware enough to be trying to escape.

[Frostbit]

It doesn't happen anywhere in the wild except maybe to elephants and possibly some bears.

That's one of the things that bugs me so much about the animal rights people - the idea that Bambi will grow up, have deer sex, live a long and happy life, and finally die in his sleep. The reality is that sick or elderly animals in groups (herds, packs, flocks, etc.) are first marginalized and then often attacked by their own kind which causes them to leave the safety of the group and subsequently be eaten alive by predators. Solitary predators in the same situation try to avoid being noticed by other predators but they often end up the same way - eaten alive.

This is true of almost all animals from bacteria to eagles. Being shot is no fun but I expect it's better than having your genitals eaten while you are still aware enough to be trying to escape.

The thought crossed my mind but it would sound like propaganda coming from me. The Lion I killed was dead in about one third the length of time it took to watch that video.

[Gramps]

It doesn't happen anywhere in the wild except maybe to elephants and possibly some bears.

That's one of the things that bugs me so much about the animal rights people - the idea that Bambi will grow up, have deer sex, live a long and happy life, and finally die in his sleep. The reality is that sick or elderly animals in groups (herds, packs, flocks, etc.) are first marginalized and then often attacked by their own kind which causes them to leave the safety of the group and subsequently be eaten alive by predators. Solitary predators in the same situation try to avoid being noticed by other predators but they often end up the same way - eaten alive.

This is true of almost all animals from bacteria to eagles. Being shot is no fun but I expect it's better than having your genitals eaten while you are still aware enough to be trying to escape.

Wondering why you picked genitals.

Something is wrong with your head.

[phillygirl]

Rarely happens in Africa...

Do the lions actually feed on the other lion, or just kill it? They seemed to be doing an awfully slow job of the killing part. I hate watching that stuff.

[Frostbit]

Do the lions actually feed on the other lion, or just kill it? They seemed to be doing an awfully slow job of the killing part. I hate watching that stuff.

That is nothing compared to watching a group of Lions kill a Buffalo. The kills is rarely clean. Like G-Snap snap it more resembles "eating something alive". Don't know the backstory on this kill but judging by the looks of the black maned male that has the victim by the nads he's probably the pride holder and the one at the throat is probably an immature "son" not kicked off the pride yet. The victim may have either been caught in pride territory or presented a challenge to the pride holder and is now gravely regretting that choice.

[Gingersnap]

Wondering why you picked genitals.

Something is wrong with your head.

I'm guessing you didn't grow up on the farm or in the woods. Almost all your charismatic mega fauna predators cripple prey first and then proceed to eat lunch from the rectum/genitals/udder (if applicable) inwards up through the gut and into the chest cavity. Skin is tough and muscle meat is the least nutritious part of the prey. It's better to gobble up through the naturally weakest body parts.

Also, predators are often interrupted by other predators. If you start eating at the genitals and lower belly, you'll still have gotten quite a bit of living lunch before a bigger appetite comes along.

They didn't cover this city kid biology class?

[Adam]

I'm guessing you didn't grow up on the farm or in the woods. Almost all your charismatic mega fauna predators cripple prey first and then proceed to eat lunch from the rectum/genitals/udder (if applicable) inwards up through the gut and into the chest cavity. Skin is tough and muscle meat is the least nutritious part of the prey. It's better to gobble up through the naturally weakest body parts.

Also, predators are often interrupted by other predators. If you start eating at the genitals and lower belly, you'll still have gotten quite a bit of living lunch before a bigger appetite comes along.

They didn't cover this city kid biology class?

Beat me to it. There's a reason that pretty much every case of a predator killing its prey in the mammalian world, one of the first things they do is flip the prey over on their back. Those soft, fleshy bits are the quickest way to incapacitate an animal. Cats are relatively unique in their preferred method of killing being to bite out the throat and/or snap the neck. Bears, hyenas, wolves, etc. are much more likely to flip the prey over and start in on the softest bit, which is pretty universally the genitals on mammals.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

That is nothing compared to watching a group of Lions kill a Buffalo. The kills is rarely clean. Like G-Snap snap it more resembles "eating something alive". Don't know the backstory on this kill but judging by the looks of the black maned male that has the victim by the nads he's probably the pride holder and the one at the throat is probably an immature "son" not kicked off the pride yet. The victim may have either been caught in pride territory or presented a challenge to the pride holder and is now gravely regretting that choice.

Anthropomorphism. Most animals don't make choices, per se, nor do they regret them. They act in accordance with their instincts and, in the immortal words of Jerry Butler, only the strong survive.

[Frostbit]

Anthropomorphism. Most animals don't make choices, per se, nor do they regret them. They act in accordance with their instincts and, in the immortal words of Jerry Butler, only the strong survive.

Bullshit!! They make choices. His instincts undoubtedly pushed him to look for a group of females. If he won the fight and either drove off or killed the pride holder his instincts would have driven him to kill every living cub in the pride to drive the females back into estrus to breed with and pass on his genes. But....he would not have just trotted into their territory and picked a fight. He would have looked the situation over and decided if he had the ability to unseat the pride holder. He made the wrong choice.

[Adam]

Anthropomorphism. Most animals don't make choices, per se, nor do they regret them. They act in accordance with their instincts and, in the immortal words of Jerry Butler, only the strong survive.

Bullshit!! They make choices. His instincts undoubtedly pushed him to look for a group of females. If he won the fight and either drove off or killed the pride holder his instincts would have driven him to kill every living cub in the pride to drive the females back into estrus to breed with and pass on his genes. But....he would not have just trotted into their territory and picked a fight. He would have looked the situation over and decided if he had the ability to unseat the pride holder. He made the wrong choice.

Gotta agree with Frosty on this one. Lions in particular are cunning animals, and they definitely make choices, everything from the choice of a grizzled older male deciding whether to fight off the up-and-comers vs. going off and just muscling in on another pride to deciding whether or not it's worth the effort to go after that straggler gazelle or wait for easier prey to come along.

I think I would say that most mammals make choices, actually. Choices do not equate to thought and reasoning, but few mammals can survive without making choices to survive.

[Gingersnap]

LOL! The turn this has taken makes me laugh! In our society it's the people who act on instinct, completely helpless to accept, reject, or chose (poverty, racism, sexual impulses, addictions, sexism, etc., are the putative causes of this) while animals like fish and chickens are supposed to have keen insights into their own interior lives.

[Frostbit]

LOL! The turn this has taken makes me laugh! In our society it's the people who act on instinct, completely helpless to accept, reject, or chose (poverty, racism, sexual impulses, addictions, sexism, etc., are the putative causes of this) while animals like fish and chickens are supposed to have keen insights into their own interior lives.

Now I know YOU have never been on a farm as you accused Gramps of earlier.

[Gingersnap]

Now I know YOU have never been on a farm as you accused Gramps of earlier.

You may scoff but you've never read a suburban Chicken Blog.