The recent escape of dozens of exotic animals from an Ohio farm had
many people in the area hiding inside from wandering lions.
Authorities have since accounted for all the missing animals, but
don't get too complacent in your backyard just yet. Sure you might
know about avoiding bears in the woods, or deer on a highway. But
there are other dangers lurking in the animal kingdom and some of
these potentially deadly animal perpetrators may surprise you.
Lions, Tigers and Big Cats, Oh My!
If you live in certain parts of India, , tiger attacks are a very real
cause for concern. But don't think you're immune to being stalked in
the U.S. of A. Since 1990, 21 people, five of them children, have been
killed and more than 230 injured in big cat incidents.
Most of the incidents involve animals that were being kept either as
pets or in small, private zoos that may or may not meet recognized
standards for exotic animal care. While many of the victims were
working as keepers, there have been victims who were simply nearby,
such as the teenager killed when a tiger escaped its enclosure at the
San Francisco Zoo in 2007. And if you love heading off the beaten
path, beware in areas where mountain lions and cougars roam.
Pedestrians and cyclists have been attacked and a cross-country skier
was killed by one of the big cats.
"And Bees Will Blot Out The Sun"
If you're allergic to bee stings, you probably know how dangerous even
a mild-mannered honey bee can be. But if a sting just means a little
pinch and some swelling, you still should watch your step in some
parts of the United States.
Afircanized honey bees, known by the more common moniker "killer bees"
seemed like a good idea at the time. A biologist, trying to improve
honey production in tropical climates, interbred European and African
honey bees. Some of the resulting queens escaped from Hives in Brazil
in 1957 and have been heading north ever since.
Unlike their European counterparts, killer bees have a tendency to
guard their territory aggressively, swarming victims and stinging them
hundreds of times. The bees are now found in every state that shares a
border with Mexico as well as Nevada. So if you're planning a
southwestern vacation, give buzzing bees a wide birth.
Home On The Range
Thanks to a certain You Tube clip, we know that Prairie Dogs are
capable of great drama. What you might not realize is the havoc they
can wreak on the health of the human population. While there was much
concern over an outbreak of monkeypox a few years ago, there's another
reason to avoid prairie dogs like the plague.
That would be the plague.
Yes. That plague.
The bubonic plague is alive and well in the United States, infecting
between 10 and 20 people each year. Those folks usually live in rural
areas and come in contact with chipmunks, ground squirrels, mice and
prairie dogs which carry Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes
plague. With a mortality rate of 1 in 7, resist the urge to get up
close with the wildlife.
When Unexpected Animals Attack
It might seem like a no-brainer that when wandering in the wilderness,
one should be on the lookout for animals like bears and bobcats. But
if you're near a river system, you might want to keep your eyes a
little lower to the ground.
When it comes to an animal that inspires fear, the beaver is not
usually anywhere near the top of the list. But try telling that to the
people who had to hunt down the beaver that killed a large dog, or to
the fisherman who nearly bled to death after being attacked by
35-pound example of the semi-aquatic rodent.
And if you think beavers are confined to the Great White North, think
again. The industrious dam-builders are cheerfully chewing up trees
and damming municipal waterways in San Francisco, Chicago and even New
York City. Perhaps it's all part of a revenge plot for 200 years of
fur trapping.
This Animal Is Nuts
They're cute, except when they're scurrying through your attic.
They're adorable, except when leaving behind droppings that can carry
nifty things like Leptosirosis and Salmonella. They're so much fun to
feed in the park, even if they're greedy little furballs that turn
around and consume all the seed from your birdfeeder that the
manufacturer swore was squirrel-proof.
But at least we don't have to worry about a squirrel attacking anyone,
right?
Wrong.
Even though squirrels are unlikely to be carrying rabies, that doesn't
stop some from getting all crazy on the human population. Across the
pond, staff at one UK hospital were ordered to wear protective
headgear and carry an umbrella as a weapon after squirrels attacked a
nurse. On this side of the Atlantic, an Oil City postal carrier had to
go to the hospital after a squirrel latched onto her back. More
recently, a squirrel attacked at least three people in Vermont. On the
upside, journalists get to go "nuts" whenever a story like this comes
up.
Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/30279535/detail.html#ixzz1kUQqZjpE
--- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to n...@netfront.net ---
