The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Hunt

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 11, 2007, 12:30 PM   #1
FirstFreedom
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 31, 2004
Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A.
Posts: 12,451
National Geographic Channel show on deadly cape buffalo vs. hunter attacks

It was interesting....talked about unprovoked attacks due to apparent natural instinct to view white-skinned men as predators (developed from centuries of euro /american hunters) and thus attack them as they do lions. Dark-skinned people = viewed as mostly harmonious co-existing species....

Anyone else see it? Can't remember the exact name of it, so can't find direct link to it here:


http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/programs/
FirstFreedom is offline  
Old January 12, 2007, 09:03 PM   #2
BrianBM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 25, 2006
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 273
I saw it, and thought the piece was intriguing. The idea that they are smart enough to distinguish the skin color and behaviors of hunters in the field from the local Masai, and to apply to the hunters the aggressive defense they've learned against lions, seems quite plausible to me.

The skull comparison between the Cape Buffalo and cattle - I'd like to have known what breed of cattle - was interesting. I wonder if N. American bison had similar responses, before they were so reduced? Did other wild cattle?

Big thick heads ... if ever there was a skull that said Use Enough Gun to the viewer .... yikes.

The more we learn about animal intelligence, the smarter they look.
BrianBM is offline  
Old January 13, 2007, 01:49 AM   #3
banditt007
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 19, 2006
Posts: 694
time for some face paint and gloves
banditt007 is offline  
Old January 13, 2007, 10:57 AM   #4
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
 
Join Date: November 13, 1998
Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA
Posts: 24,798
I'd bet it's more the behavior of hunters, rather than skin color. After all, it's commonly a mixed group, considering scouts or guides and the bearers.

You can see the difference in deer behavior on a ranch. When the ranch hands are just working, the deer pay little heed beyond normal alertness. When people are moving around in unusual (to the deer) places, the deer are more spooky.

So, I'd bet the buffalo have figured out that the daily native behavior is not particularly inimical, but a small group playing sneaky snake is a Bad Thing and should be stomped on.

Art
Art Eatman is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.04067 seconds with 10 queries