5/18/2006: Safari park bears attack and eat monkey (warning, graphic)

Undertoad · 05-18-2006, 12:19 PM

IotD readers are animal lovers as is your IotD author. Every Friday we feature happy animal pictures. It's been a tradition for years.

Sadly, today is not Friday.

Why do we have pets? Why do we visit zoos? Why do we go to drive-through safari parks? Why do we spend so much time on IotD looking at animal shots?

Partly because they remind us of nature. In a pet, we have a little slice of real life nature in our environment. Like plants, they are not strictly required but something in us calls us to embrace nature. We are intrigued by it. Have we managed it, in our desire to control everything about our environment?

Not really. Which is also why, although it's one of the saddest IotDs to date, this series has to be shown. Sorry.

Last Sunday, in a safari park in the Netherlands, sloth bears attacked and killed this barbary macaque in front of horrified onlookers.

First the macaque wandered into an electric fence in water, and got shocked hard until he was stunned.

Normally the bears and the monkeys live in the same space and it works out okay. But now the bears can't believe their luck. They're salivating at the prospect of this suddenly defenseless prey.

At first the monkey is completely stunned. Onlookers throw stones at the agitated bears for ten minutes. The macaque manages to climb onto the grass before collapsing. A keeper shows and tries to throw fruit at the bears to coax them back into their cages. During this time the macaque manages to find some strength and to crawl away.

The macaque, still moving slowly, manages to climb up a man-made structure. But the keeper can't keep the bears away... they return.

The most intrigued bear can't be kept away any longer, and what follows is nature at work. Wild animals remain wild, even in the confines, and relative safety and security of a safari park. Bears attack and kill things... it's what they do.

These images are copyrighted by the owner and photographer, Marco Barelds, and use of them here is by arrangement. The summary is taken from his own story of the events. More, and higher-res photos can be had from him via paypal; details are at this PDF.

glatt · 05-18-2006, 12:37 PM

I saw one picture of this event in the newspaper, accompanied by the story in text. The picture they ran didn't show the story at all. It was of a bear nuzzling a ball of fur on the ground. This IotD does a much better job than the paper did.

It's a sad story though. Poor monkey.

Sometimes when I'm at the zoo, I imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a cage with the animals. This is what it would be like.

dar512 · 05-18-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

Sometimes when I'm at the zoo, I imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a cage with the animals.

No need to imagine. You live in the U.S. You've been through high school. You already know.

Happy Monkey · 05-18-2006, 01:11 PM

#1 threat to the US: BEARS

wolf · 05-18-2006, 01:27 PM

As much as I love them I don't think they have the offense to pull it off this year.

largirl · 05-18-2006, 01:54 PM

I've been checking these pictures out for a few months and this finally prompted me to post.

I live in Omaha, and our zoo recently built a new exhibit. In the exhibit were boars (or whatever Pumbaa on the Lion King was) and some white stork-like birds. As we were watching the animals, one of the boars started chasing a bird around the cage. A keeper was watching too, and said that happens all the time, but they coexist well together and are just playing. However...a few seconds later, the boar caught the bird and tore it to pieces. I have a few pictures of it on my camera. Needless to say, the next time we went there, the birds were all gone.

glatt · 05-18-2006, 02:08 PM

I'm glad you joined the Cellar to post that. Good story.

Elspode · 05-18-2006, 03:51 PM

I'm sorry, but this is what I couldn't help thinking with that first picture. I'm a bad person.

Griff · 05-18-2006, 05:08 PM

You are, but that's exactly you've not been banned.

greenchica · 05-18-2006, 05:29 PM

like largirl, just had to add my piece.

was in belfast zoo with my brother and a young cousin. Stopped beside a group of 5-10 year olds to look at the oh so cute bears. This real cutie bear wandered right up to the barrier and smiled sweetly at us. There was a chorus of "ahhhs" from the mums. Then the bear bent over and started to give himself a blowjob!
My wee cousin started yelling "he's drinking his wee! he's drinking his wee!", me and my brother were falling about in hysterics, and all the mums were giving us filthy looks while trying to cover their kids eyes and ears at the same time!
was a classic

Griff · 05-18-2006, 05:53 PM

Ha ha! We saw a bear doing the same at the Syracuse Zoo a couple weeks ago. It is a boring life at the zoo... but he'd probably do the same thing in the woods.

Ibby · 05-18-2006, 05:56 PM

I remember when I lived in Omaha, there was a brand-new wallaby enclosure. A couple days later, a stray dog makes it into the park, where he starts barking at the wallabies in their cage. The frightened marsupials jumped as far away from the dog as they could... and jumped right against the bars of the cage. Every one of them died.

seakdivers · 05-18-2006, 06:03 PM

Els - you are going to Hell.

Don't take my seat.

richlevy · 05-18-2006, 07:00 PM

I guess sloth in this case doesn't mean slow.

capnhowdy · 05-18-2006, 07:24 PM

Nature is never niggardly when it comes to reality checks. So sad. But so real.

This is what i call really 'having a bad day'.

05-18-2006, 01:11 PM	#4
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	#1 threat to the US: BEARS __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

05-18-2006, 01:27 PM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	As much as I love them I don't think they have the offense to pull it off this year. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

05-18-2006, 03:51 PM	#8
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I'm sorry, but this is what I couldn't help thinking with that first picture. I'm a bad person. Attached Images __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

05-18-2006, 05:08 PM	#9
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	You are, but that's exactly you've not been banned. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

05-18-2006, 05:53 PM	#11
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Ha ha! We saw a bear doing the same at the Syracuse Zoo a couple weeks ago. It is a boring life at the zoo... but he'd probably do the same thing in the woods. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

05-18-2006, 12:19 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	5/18/2006: Safari park bears attack and eat monkey (warning, graphic) IotD readers are animal lovers as is your IotD author. Every Friday we feature happy animal pictures. It's been a tradition for years. Sadly, today is not Friday. Why do we have pets? Why do we visit zoos? Why do we go to drive-through safari parks? Why do we spend so much time on IotD looking at animal shots? Partly because they remind us of nature. In a pet, we have a little slice of real life nature in our environment. Like plants, they are not strictly required but something in us calls us to embrace nature. We are intrigued by it. Have we managed it, in our desire to control everything about our environment? Not really. Which is also why, although it's one of the saddest IotDs to date, this series has to be shown. Sorry. Last Sunday, in a safari park in the Netherlands, sloth bears attacked and killed this barbary macaque in front of horrified onlookers. First the macaque wandered into an electric fence in water, and got shocked hard until he was stunned. Normally the bears and the monkeys live in the same space and it works out okay. But now the bears can't believe their luck. They're salivating at the prospect of this suddenly defenseless prey. At first the monkey is completely stunned. Onlookers throw stones at the agitated bears for ten minutes. The macaque manages to climb onto the grass before collapsing. A keeper shows and tries to throw fruit at the bears to coax them back into their cages. During this time the macaque manages to find some strength and to crawl away. The macaque, still moving slowly, manages to climb up a man-made structure. But the keeper can't keep the bears away... they return. The most intrigued bear can't be kept away any longer, and what follows is nature at work. Wild animals remain wild, even in the confines, and relative safety and security of a safari park. Bears attack and kill things... it's what they do. These images are copyrighted by the owner and photographer, Marco Barelds, and use of them here is by arrangement. The summary is taken from his own story of the events. More, and higher-res photos can be had from him via paypal; details are at this PDF.

05-18-2006, 12:37 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I saw one picture of this event in the newspaper, accompanied by the story in text. The picture they ran didn't show the story at all. It was of a bear nuzzling a ball of fur on the ground. This IotD does a much better job than the paper did. It's a sad story though. Poor monkey. Sometimes when I'm at the zoo, I imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a cage with the animals. This is what it would be like.

05-18-2006, 01:54 PM	#6
largirl Kinda New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1	I've been checking these pictures out for a few months and this finally prompted me to post. I live in Omaha, and our zoo recently built a new exhibit. In the exhibit were boars (or whatever Pumbaa on the Lion King was) and some white stork-like birds. As we were watching the animals, one of the boars started chasing a bird around the cage. A keeper was watching too, and said that happens all the time, but they coexist well together and are just playing. However...a few seconds later, the boar caught the bird and tore it to pieces. I have a few pictures of it on my camera. Needless to say, the next time we went there, the birds were all gone.

05-18-2006, 02:08 PM	#7
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I'm glad you joined the Cellar to post that. Good story.

05-18-2006, 05:29 PM	#10
greenchica Kinda New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1	like largirl, just had to add my piece. was in belfast zoo with my brother and a young cousin. Stopped beside a group of 5-10 year olds to look at the oh so cute bears. This real cutie bear wandered right up to the barrier and smiled sweetly at us. There was a chorus of "ahhhs" from the mums. Then the bear bent over and started to give himself a blowjob! My wee cousin started yelling "he's drinking his wee! he's drinking his wee!", me and my brother were falling about in hysterics, and all the mums were giving us filthy looks while trying to cover their kids eyes and ears at the same time! was a classic

05-18-2006, 05:56 PM	#12
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	I remember when I lived in Omaha, there was a brand-new wallaby enclosure. A couple days later, a stray dog makes it into the park, where he starts barking at the wallabies in their cage. The frightened marsupials jumped as far away from the dog as they could... and jumped right against the bars of the cage. Every one of them died. __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

05-18-2006, 06:03 PM	#13
seakdivers Icy Queen Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Southeast Alaska Posts: 700	Els - you are going to Hell. Don't take my seat.

05-18-2006, 07:00 PM	#14
richlevy King Of Wishful Thinking Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Philadelphia Suburbs Posts: 6,669	I guess sloth in this case doesn't mean slow. __________________ Exercise your rights and remember your obligations - VOTE! I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. -- Barack Hussein Obama

05-18-2006, 07:24 PM	#15
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	Nature is never niggardly when it comes to reality checks. So sad. But so real. This is what i call really 'having a bad day'. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

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