Posted on 07/19/2018 9:04:30 AM PDT by BBell
For non-experts trying to comprehend Saturday's (July 14) jaguar escape at Audubon Zoo, one big question lingers -- why did he kill so many animals?
When Valerio the jaguar was discovered outside his enclosure and inside the zoo's fox exhibit at 7:20 a.m. Saturday (July 14), he had already killed six animals and seriously injured three more, who, within 48 hours, would also die. In total, one emu, three foxes and five alpacas were killed.
If Valerio was hungry, why didn't he just kill one or two animals to feed on? Was he being territorial?
That sort of logic may make sense to humans, but it isn't how jaguars are hardwired, said Dr. Aletris Neils, executive director of Conservation CATalyst, a group dedicated to protecting wild cat species around the world. Neils has spent 15 years tracking and studying jaguars in the wild, including a rare and tiny group of individual jaguars that have been spotted in Arizona.
Neils and other experts said Valerio's escape was an example of "surplus killing," which typically occurs when the hunting instinct of cats, both big and small, meets a human-altered environment. Like all cats, the jaguar's predatory instinct is "linked to movement," she said. When a jaguar is in hunting mode, movement guides how much she kills, not how hungry she is or if she is feeling territorial. Now, consider a jaguar hunting in an enclosed environment where its prey can't get away. The 3-year-old Valerio was simply acting on instinct, Neils said.
"It was completely natural behavior that is in no way reflective of a bad cat," Neils said.
Jaguars live in 18 countries, all in Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina. They are the largest big cat living in the Americas today, but are threatened by illegal hunting, deforestation and loss of
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Jags don’t get enough respect here for their awesome size and ability.
Dey is a bad assed mofo.
Probably still alive. Just feeding the family.
Don’t you just hate it when solicitors come to your door to sell you meat off the back of their trucks?
Maybe the Alp in Alpo stands for Alpaca then it fits.
Maybe the Alp in Alpo stands for Alpaca then it fits.
Exactly!
He was locked up for years, wanting to kill. It must be excruciatingly painful.
Once out, he was just making up for lost time.
They should have given him a live cow or goat once a month, like big snakes get chickens or rabbits.
Because they are just like Aliens and Terminators.
"laugh at me will You!"
" Where are the bars now fool!"
And he then sent them up to up to the big ol' sky!
Check out my keywords. I had to think about it.
I call it plotting. I have three little hairy plotters in my house, two of witch are in and out ones so you know theys killas.
Good kitty!
...'help me!'
I took it and released it into the bushes to likely get caught again another day.
I would be more concerned how he got out. Imagine if some zoo goers came upon him loose
Target rich environment
He’s a White Christian cis-gendered NRA member.
I just looked it up. Warriors doing sit ups with their hands holding stone bowls of blood.
Or smothering while you are sleeping.
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