Real World Monster

[Steel_Wind]

What is to be gained or lost (philosophically/morally/scientifically) by killing this creature? And what of letting this creature live?

Demonstrably, the certainty that it will kill and eat another human being again if given the slightest opportunity to do so.

Likely, the prevention of the continuing opportunity for the thing to propogate genes which seem predisposed to eating human beings as an ordinary source of food.

When the pit bull down the street kills the neighbour's kid - you shoot it in the head. When a bear kills 2 campers - you hunt it down and kill it. The same is true for a cougar or a crazed moose. All of these things have happened - and in the past few years - in North America.

But it's a 17 foot long freaking crocodile on a continent far, far away and you get romantic over it?

There is no mens rea defence for a crocodile that by all accounts appears to be a serial man-eater. 83 people?? Let's accept for a moment that happens to be true.

It's not about punishment or judgment. It's about making sure an animal which considers *you* food doesn't eat *you* and breed more offspring that act the same way to eat *you* and *your* offspring.

Substitute *you* for the pronouns *him* or *her* and the result does not change.

If this thing was an alligator that wolfed down a school bus full of kids near a golf course in Miami Dade, I'm guessing that it doesn't get tranquilized and shipped off to Everglade National Park. Any argument about that?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but North Americans tend to care more about African animals then African people.

And as this is now germinating into political discussion, I think...

'Nuff said.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

His hide showed all manner of scars and they even said something about it being so tough that machine guns couldn't penetrate it. Cool show.

I wonder what they meant with "machine guns". Probably they only tried with sub-machine guns, those little lead pumps using pistol ammo, 9mm and the like. Take an assault rifle, and I start to doubt that the crocodile would be proof to those bullets. Take a "real" machine gun, one of the big things with really big ammo, and I'm pretty sure the beast would have no chance whatsoever (privided they hit, which they'd do eventually). But I doubt they had a real machine gun, they're not exactly standard issue for every forester out there ;-)

 

[tarchon]

I think what scares me most about this line is that some of the posters are more than eager to off an animal for feeding but less than willing to pipe up and say "yeah that BTK guy needs to have his head cut off quick now".

Indeed - it's pretty obvious that he should be fed to the crocodile.

 

[Krieg]

But I doubt they had a real machine gun, they're not exactly standard issue for every forester out there ;-)

In Africa they are. Over there the forest ranger's main job is hunting down heavily armed poachers. It ain't quite Ranger Smith in Jellystone.

 

[Ghostwind]

Watch the show if you get the opportunity. Those scars were caused by rounds much bigger than 9mm (and I do have a good knowledge of firearms and ammunition). If I had to guess, I'd say 5.51mm (known as .223 in the US) because it was probably a military round and 5.51 or 7.62 would likely be the most prevalent rounds. Either way, the croc was big, very old, equally mean, quite smart and damn near invulnerable.

 

[Krieg]

I believe you mean 5.56 (5.56x45mm to be exact).

 

[Ed Cha]

That thing is HUGE! I wish I could see how big its jaws are. It looks like it could swallow a full-grown man in one bite. I'm sure you'd have to slash it a lot of times with a sword if you wanted to kill it. I'd say it's got at least 100 hp.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but North Americans tend to care more about African animals then African people.

Just look at the stats for "people killed by elephants every year" and compare with the plans of various green groups for confirmation of that.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I've always thought it was the Salties in Northern Australia that you've really got to watch out. Often reach over 20ft in length, they are the worlds biggest reptiles. They eat people too.

 

[Narfellus]

Supposedly the most dangerous animal in the world is the hippopotamus. Africa sure has its share of dangerous beasties. Here's a link where a woman tells her story of an attack.
http://www.divernet.com/travel/hippo996.htm