It helps a lot to look at our teeth. We do have edges on a couple of our
front teeth (nothing like your house cat or lap dog) but the rest of our teeth
are grinders, good for grains and vegetable matter. Our jaw moves sideways
when we chew, like, um, cows. Watch your dog or cat chew: straight up and
down, scissoring with their teeth. We also have (if you don't mind my getting
so personal) very, very long intestines...much longer than, say, a tiger. If
you came to this planet from Mars or something and did an autopsy on a human
you would know, from these physical characteristics alone, that we are not
carnivores. We are omnivores, designed to process large quantities of
vegetable matter with the occasional field mouse or dead squirrel as a treat.
If you fish, take a good look the next time you catch trout vs. something like
a carp. Carp are vegetarian-omnivores, and they are stuffed full with
intestines that are needed for the longer digestion process, while trout...the
tigers of the water...have much shorter direct guts that do a quick-process of
the more easily digestible proteins. What this all shows is that we do NOT
come from a long line of meat-eating predator-hunters. I think if you check
the more recent anthropology, the idea now is that our ancestors were
Gatherer-hunters, picking up fruit, roots, nuts etc. and the occasional bit of
meat. They probable were not Hunter-gatherers, depending primarily on hunting
and meat. There are only two fairly recent cultures I know of who had to rely
on hunting: the First Nations of Alaska, who gathered during the short
summer, and one of the First Nations of North America (well, forgot the tribe
again). The only other possible culture I can think of that had a high meat
diet was the Aztecs, who ate the folks whose hearts they cut out. Stuffed
them with squash blossoms and tomatoes, and stewed them. But I don't think
that strictly counts as hunting.
Also, hunting now is not like hunting then. The First Nations of Alaska had
elaborate rituals of respect, mystery, and expatiation for the animals whose
lives they took.
I do think you are right about a loss of some sort in the area of self-
respect, camaraderie, adventure, and sense of ultimate individual worth. But
I am not certain men experience this because they don't hunt.
Again,Madrone
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat May 16 19:38:06 1998
Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 21:38:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Vera M. Britto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: democracy now <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: 31 Animals Died At Disney Theme Park, four cheetah cubs (fwd)
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 03:54:25 -0500
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: 31 Animals Died At Disney Theme Park
>Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Precedence: bulk
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> 31 animals died at Disney park
>
> By Cory Lancaster
> of The Sentinel Staff
>
> Published in The Orlando (FL)
>Sentinel, May 14, 1998
>
> Thirty-one animals died at Disney's
>Animal Kingdom in the
> months before the park's opening,
>more than the 12 previously
> reported, according to records from
>the federal agency that cleared
> Disney of wrongdoing.
>
> The documents, obtained Wednesday
>under the federal Freedom
> of Information Act, show that the
>31 animals died at the theme
> park from September through April
>because of accidents,
> poisonings, fighting and other causes.
>
> Although the U.S. Department of
>Agriculture cleared Disney of
> wrongdoing, the inspectors cited a
>possible ``error in professional
> judgment'' for causing the deaths
>of two Oriental small-clawed
> otters. But inspectors concluded
>the error did not violate federal
> animal-welfare laws.
>
> The animal-care staff had approved
>planting loquat trees in the
> otter exhibit and had known the
>animals were eating the fruit. Not
> until two otters died during four
>days in March did the staff realize
> that the otters also were chewing
>the seeds, which are poisonous.
>
> The 24 pages of documents come
>three weeks after USDA
> inspectors closed their
>investigation of Disney's Animal Kingdom,
> which opened April 22 with 1,000
>animals. Inspectors interviewed
> a dozen people, spent five days at
>the park and reviewed hundreds
> of pages of animal-care records.
>
> ``The number of these deaths is
>still very small compared to the
> number of animals in the park and
>mortality in the wild,'' said
> Disney spokeswoman Diane Ledder.
>
> The USDA records reveal that Disney
>posted round-the-clock
> security guards at the park's
>animal compounds after four cheetah
> cubs died from ingesting a toxic
>chemical. The guards now
> carefully check identification
>badges, which are given only to
> employees who work in the animal
>areas.
>
> Three of the 4-month-old cubs died
>within a week of their arrival
> in December, and the fourth was
>euthanized because of the poor
> prognosis for recovery.
>
> Disney officials said they could
>not determine how the cubs were
> exposed to ethylene glycol, an
>ingredient in antifreeze and paint
> thinner. Nor could USDA inspectors
>find the cause.
>
> ``Deliberate poisoning cannot be
>totally ruled out,'' wrote Robert
> Brandes, a veterinarian and USDA
>inspector.
>
> Among the deaths were those of nine
>herd animals -- such as
> gazelles, kudus and antelopes --
>that were injured during fights,
> entangled in fences while trying to
>escape or possibly kicked by an
> ostrich. A dik-dik, a small type of
>antelope, died during surgery,
> according to the USDA records.
>
> Two rhinoceroses, a hippopotamus,
>two mole rats, two litters of
> baby chinchilla rabbits and a
>guinea hog also died. Among the
> most publicized deaths were those
>of two West African crowned
> cranes that were run over on two
>occasions by the park's safari
> vehicles.
>
> The USDA is not responsible for
>protecting those birds and did
> not include them in its
>investigation. But USDA inspectors said
> the drivers could not see the
>birds. The vehicles travel at only 3 to
> 5 mph, and Disney has placed more
>mirrors on them to prevent
> blind spots, along with relocating
>the remaining birds.
>
> News of the deaths angered
>animal-rights activists, who protested
> outside Animal Kingdom on opening
>day and have accused Disney
> of abusing and exploiting animals.
>
> ``These are not natural deaths,''
>said Joe Taksel, managing
> director of the Animal Rights
>Foundation of Florida. ``We may be
> asking for a re-investigation.''
>
> Taksel also accused Disney of being
>less than forthcoming in
> originally confirming only 12
>deaths since September.
>
> ``I think they should have come
>forward with all of this,'' he said.
>
> Ledder responded, ``It's
>impractical for us to call the media for
> every animal death.''
>
> The complete text from the USDA
>investigative report on Animal
> Kingdom is available on Orlando
>Sentinel Online at
> www.orlandosentinel.com/news/ak/ak.htm
>
>
>
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