Jul
Maneaters
Along the Rufiji River of Tanzania and in the Tsavo region of Kenya, nature has shown that it is not safe. Tsavo was the site of numerous lion attacks on humans. One estimate is that the pair of lions killed 135 people during their reign of terror. That happened over one hundred years ago. In this century, a rogue lion in Tanzania killed at least 50 people.
For most of us, lions are things seen in zoos and documentaries. They are a curiosity. In parts of Africa, lions are an uncomfortable reality that can suddenly turn deadly.
In North America, there are usually a few bear maulings each year. Most are the work of the ferocious grizzly and Kodiak type bears. A few are done by the smaller black bears. Fatalities are infrequent but not rare. Occasionally someone runs afoul of a mountain lion. The usual results is a mauling, but fatalities happen.
Modern folks have a tendency to regard animals as cute, fuzzy things. The tiger cubs and baby bear that are brought on a talk show look lovable. We live in a world with teddy bears and children’s shows that anthropomorphize large predators. No amount of showmanship can change the fact that some animals are dangerous. Those baby tigers and bears grow into formidable, bellicose animals. The cute fuzzy lion cubs become massive “cats” with large claws, massive teeth and several hundred pounds of muscle. Humanity can capture them and put them in zoos and treat their babies like house pets. It can even attempt to tame some of them. The danger does not go away. No matter what veneer of “taming” is imparted, it is an illusion. Beneath is a very wild beast capable of extreme violence.
We might like the idea of being able to tame a lion. What we need to do is remember that the lion’s diet can include humans. There are animals that can hurt us, and given the opportunity would cause us harm. Call it a “reality check.” We need to remember that the creatures in our world are not entirely safe. Life itself is not entirely safe, either. We are safe when we recognize that Life has dangers. We are in danger when we ignore the fact that Life is not guaranteed to be safe. Recognizing the possibility of danger makes us careful. Ignoring it makes us stupid.
It is that simple.
