Big kitty being a kitty.
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 ...
Ahh...because he could? And he's a bad Mofo Jag!
Seriously though it is mention that jaguars will eat rancid meat so they will over kill if the killins good and go back and munch at later dates.
Big kitty being a kitty.
Because...he was a Jaguar who was damn tired of Alpo.
Clearly, the jaguar had converted to Islam during his incarceration.
Anyone who owns a house cat knows that cats are killing machines. Every day they size you up and decide they can’t kill you.
Add 100 lbs to your dog, you still have a loving companion. Add 100 lbs to your cat, and you’ll be on the menu.
And we thought it was only humans who killed just for the hell of it.
Because if you’re a jaguar, it’s what you do.
LOL, my cat tries to tell me that in her own way, every day.
He’s been in the zoo. He just has pent up anger.
Oh, they know how to kill you- what they can’t figure out is who will operate the can opener when you’re gone.
Because they all asked for you.
Apparently they’ve never had a house cat.
Mine killed for sport.
Because there weren't any liberals on hand?
Do you know about the Choc Mul at Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula????
I’m pretty sure the plan of attack involves tripping. Every time we go walking they spend all their time throwing themselves against my shins.
That is mine about 3 times every day. One already this morning. Either dropping their gifts at my feet or putting them in daddy’s shoes for safe keeping.
I don’t know why they are complaining… he just saved them big bucks on the meat bill for him and on the feed & maintenance bill for the herbivores who no longer need fed and cleaned up after.
To make up for lost time while he was locked up in a cage
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