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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 5:55am | IP Logged | 1
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How is this even possible?
When I was at primary school, the teacher had a discussion about which animals could be tamed/domesticated. Dogs were mentioned. Wolves were, too. As were others.
I remember the headmaster telling us that no crocodile or alligator could EVER be domesticated due to their reptilian brains.
I can't help but think the above is a hoax, yet, going by the articles and YouTube videos, it appears to be true. How on earth did a human being get to make a "friend" out of a crocodile?
I'm a layman (and my brain is very non-scientific, sadly), but I did read a book about the reptilian brain years ago. My layman view would have been that no alligator or crocodile could have been domesticated. So this story seems rather bizarre.
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Bill Collins
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
Posts: 11286
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 7:10am | IP Logged | 2
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It`ll all end in (crocodile) tears!
Look at all the zoo keepers etc that have forged a bond
with their charges, then one day the lion, bear, etc
does what comes naturally.
Does the croc`s reptilian brain only attack when the
animal is hungry? Does keeping it well fed keep it
docile?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 7:15am | IP Logged | 3
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For some reason this reminds me of an old one-liner: "There's no such thing as a pretty good alligator wrestler."
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7525
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 7:40am | IP Logged | 4
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My dad was a musician and played for the Ringling Bros circus when it came to town, back when we lived in Wisconsin. He had the opportunity to chat with Gunther Gebel Williams, then the foremost big cat tamer in the world.
Williams told Dad that he loved his cats dearly... but he didn't -trust- them, not fully. There are limits to how friendly humans can be with dangerous, predatory animals, be they reptiles or mammals.
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 7:54am | IP Logged | 5
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I know it's different, but a 'domesticated' cat (orange tabby cat) I looked after, when a neighbour was away, really turned on me once. Obviously, I can handle a cat. Who couldn't? But it got extremely nasty because I wouldn't let it have the other cat's food (it was always trying to pinch the other cat's meal).
If a domestic animal can can act that way, then I sure as hell wouldn't trust a wild animal.
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Tim Cousar
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 May 2006
Location: United States
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 8:01am | IP Logged | 6
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I've also read or heard that when you have a cat in your house, you've allowed a wild animal into your home.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 8:05am | IP Logged | 7
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Dogs own us, but cats are prisoners.
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Bill Collins
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
Posts: 11286
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 8:11am | IP Logged | 8
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Dogs will accept fuss and stroking for as long as you`re
willing to give it, i have found from experience that a
cat will let you stroke and fuss it until it`s had
enough, then it will attack you rather than just wander
off!
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Eric Sofer
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 8:12am | IP Logged | 9
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I don't own any animals, and the last time I did, it was a miniature turtle who didn't run as fast as I thought he should... it didn't end well. (Look, I was seven... let it go.)
But I can't help but think that animals are still animals. It seems that one or two can be trained, or have been bred, to be domesticated and NOT act as they would naturally.
I've heard so many stories of cats and dogs who've attacked their owners, and every time, I feel bad that both sides of the conflict got stuck in their situation. Of course, for every domestic pet incident, there are thousands that haven't happened.
I guess some other animals domesticate well, to a degree that there's a relationship (I'm thinking of horses especially). But a tiny part of me still says, "It's an ANIMAL. It does what it does."
Okay, I figure goldfish are safe because they need a breathing apparatus and some way to move in a foreign environment before they can attack their owners...
But big cats? Large reptiles? Isn't that kind of ASKING for trouble?
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 8:14am | IP Logged | 10
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A while back, there was a guy (UK) who was looking to get permission to import an anaconda as a pet.
An anaconda?!!!
Jeez, the guy must have a death wish. A python or boa constrictor is asking for trouble, but an anaconda, well I doubt you could ever handle that. And isn't it cruel to keep such a large snake in a house?
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John Popa
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 March 2008
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 8:55am | IP Logged | 11
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Whenever I see people being friendly with lions and tigers, I just think of normal cats - most of the time they're pretty chill and harmless but every once in awhile they get ticked off and bite the hand that feeds or scratch your face or chew on your leg.
Now imagine a pet lion having one of those days ...
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
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Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 06 April 2018 at 9:25am | IP Logged | 12
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I wouldn't worry about that, John. I know how to handle a big cat.
In a 70s Spider-Man comic, Kraven just lunged towards a big cat, strangled it and then threw it up the wall. I shall try that when I am in that situation...
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