To quote Larry Niven: think of this as evolution in action.
Two cheetahs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo have met with some unexpected prey. The result was predictable.
Zoo officials say a white- tailed deer was killed by the cheetahs after it apparently jumped into their enclosure on Friday. A spokeswoman calls it “a normal and expected reaction” by the carnivorous big cats.
There can be only one response to this… Who’s a good kitty? You are! You’re a good kitty! And so are you! Such good hunters! Time for ear skritches!
…Gimme a break, we just got a cat. Besides, cheetahs are tameable and whitetail deer are a freaking nuisance in the Northeast. I’m ready to let the dang cheetahs go hunting… under proper supervision, of course.
Moe Lane
That is what is known as “nature taking it’s course”.
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Wondering if a bunch of liberal heads are going to explode over this?
I would pay money to see this. Zoos should arrange for deer to “accidentally” jump into the cheetah/tiger/fast carnivore enclosure more often.
When I worked at the SF Zoo, there were three instances of seagulls being preyed upon. Once by a bobcat, once by a siamang and once by an otter.
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Given the volunteers’ general hatred of seagulls, we loved it when that happened.
Mother Nature is a stone-cold mass-murdering bad-ass.
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I second jetty’s suggestion – it’s a good idea for kids to learn the way the real world works when they’re young, they’re less likely to be taken in by scam artists and Dem politicians later in life.
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Mew
“Cheetahs are tameable” – really? I have no particular insight on this, I’m just skeptical. But damn, that would pure double-distilled awesomeness at the dog park.
http://melissaasmith.hubpages.com/hub/about-pet-cheetahs
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Obviously, not for everyone and for a good reason. I wouldn’t want one myself; litter box cleanings are bad enough without the animal being larger than my cats.
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And my Greyhound’s play group would probably be pretty intrigued with the speedy kitty.
Yup. They’re not domesticated, but they can be tamed. Personally, I wouldn’t, because they don’t do all that well in human society, but cheetahs are largely safe to be around.
They race them in India or at least they used to…..
This is the feel-good story of the year. Playful kitties and a dead deer, rightfully consumed.
Can I extend hunting season here in MI by using a cheetah instead of a rifle?