Importation of inapt life forms as ecological disaster

[Kinser79]

(05-27-2016, 09:03 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: Unforeseeable accidents do not qualify for the Darwin Awards.

So you're telling me that messing about with a fish with a barb on its tail that it can potentially kill you with was an unforeseeable accident? If so that blows your theory that he "knew what he was doing" right out of water. The man intentionally molested a damn fish and it retaliated killing him. I'm actually surprised some other creature hadn't done it already. Salties are nasty creatures I'm told.

Quote: Doing something stupid that any reasonable person could see could get one killed, like trying to steal copper wire -- live wire, that is, which means a dead vandal. Or using a welding torch on a container that holds (or recently held, but still has fumes of) a flammable liquid. Making a home-made firearm that misfires and kills the user could get one a Darwin Award. Confusing a an explosive, flammable,  or extremely-toxic substance with something innocuous and getting killed might qualify. Using liquor as an enema qualified. Swimming with crocodiles qualified.

Yes and molesting dangerous animals can get one killed and is incredibly stupid. The only legitimate excuse for it would be research which I assure you he was not doing either on his inane tee-vee show or while he was at the beach.

Quote:Scientific research often has its risks. Volcanology is obvious enough. Astronomy is surprisingly dangerous... especially if one drives along the dangerous mountain roads that lead to and from the observatories on mountaintops. But these are calculated risks, and they don't qualify.

Collecting lava samples from an erupting volcano could yield valuable information. Wrestling crocs for the entertainment of the masses will not. It isn't even that good as far as entertainment goes.

An astronomer being involved in a car crash on his way to the observatory is a tragic accident. Molesting sting rays while knowing that they are dangerous animals (and bear in mind I take my kid surfing so I'm aware of the dangers in the ocean--not to mention live near the Shark Bite Capitol of the World) is asking for trouble. Being bitten by a shark while surfing is however a calculated risk. Sharks often view humans as potential pray because we swim sort of like injured fish. Most such bites are fortunately bump, bite, spits. We apparently aren't that appetizing to them. I would have no sympathy for someone who went out, chummed up the water and then decided to swim with them either. Under the right conditions any animal will attack you. Usually when they do it is the HUMAN'S fault that the animal did.

Why? Because the human is supposed to know better. The animal is either merely trying to feed, or defend itself, its mate or its territory.

Quote:I can think of sea creatures that I would fear much more than sting rays -- various sharks, the saltwater crocodile, the leopard seal, dolphins (they can ram one to death), and all sorts of venomous creatures.

The most dangerous animal in the world's oceans is actually a jellyfish. I don't play with those because I'm not a moron.

Rays are quite dangerous. They have some pretty nasty teeth, don't care to be stepped on and most have some really sharp spines that can severely injure or even kill you if they hit you in the right location. And for the record I myself have been bitten by a shark. It was a nurse shark that was resting in a slue before the second sandbar where the big waves are. I stepped on it I think, as they are mostly bottom dwellers and primarily nocturnal. Given the bite size I'd say it was only about 2ft long so it was a baby.

For the record nurse sharks are not particularly aggressive toward humans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_shark