Wildlife Encounter

[nightdog_barks]

silverjackal, I saw this and thought of you immediately.

Wildlife photographer in the Great Smoky Mountains has an up-close-and-personal encounter with a young bull elk

Comments

[silverjackal]

I also wondered why the photographer was so concerned about keeping his hat on.

To shield his eyes from making direct contact with the elk. In that he was correct, as it really could have provoked an aggressive reaction. While he was avoiding eye contact he also should have refrained from pointing that giant black mechanical eye (camera) at the elk. Cameras are mostly hostile, staring eyes to animals who haven't been carefully habituated to them.

[taiga13]

Oh that makes sense! Pretty much the only thing he did that makes sense.

[nightdog_barks]

This, about the camera. Even if the elk had been losing interest, the camera clicks could have re-drawn his attention. I understood the urge to take more shots, but it seemed monumentally stupid to do so.

[silverjackal]

When he was shooting up at an acute angle at the elk standing over him I almost expected the animal to slam its' head down and gore him in the torso, aiming for the camera. Now wouldn't *that* have made for interesting video! Man disemboweled by elk!

[nightdog_barks]

INTESTINES ALL OVER THE ROAD!

And then the young elk probably would've been put down. >:-(

[silverjackal]

Yes. Accompanied by much weeping and wailing in the press about DANGEROUS WILDLIFE, and SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THE AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS.

[nightdog_barks]

And meanwhile, Jackal, the REAL DANGER is ALLOWED TO ROAM FREE.

http://news92fm.com/426074/chupacabra-found-in-south-texas-alive/

:D
:D
:D

[silverjackal]

Oh gods! Can no one save that poor woman? Get it *off* her! Right now! D:



Hahahaha. Oh dear. Coyotes with mange, and now a raccoon with mange. Curiously most of these "Chupacabra" reports seem to come from Texas. Do you have any insight as to why your countrymen (and women) are so determined to make a mythical beast out of ordinary wildlife?

[nightdog_barks]

*BEAMS*

I knew you'd get a kick out of that. :D

And no, I have no idea, other than (a) people are idiots, and (b) the chupacabras have driven out all the jackalopes. ;-D

Oh, and also the news services aid and abet this nonsense by playing up the "chupacabra" angle.

[silverjackal]

I knew you'd get a kick out of that. :D

The raccoon is amusing, the hair terrifying. Only think the damage she has done to the ozone layer over the course of her life...

Oh, and also the news services aid and abet this nonsense by playing up the "chupacabra" angle.

It never ceases to baffle me because one would think that people had never seen a coyote or a raccoon before, and that is patently not so. Especially in these days of television and the internet but I suppose people are people and this is just something they love to play at.