grrclark Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 There are quite a few motorists that I know that are a car accident waiting to happen, should we shoot them? What about the sheep that stray from their fields onto road bordering grassy meadows, or swans and geese? It was a single rhea, indigenous or otherwise, what was it going to do, breed with itself and spawn it's devil leggy offspring around the country? It had not strayed widely from the area that it escaped, in the many weeks it has been out there have been no hideous car accidents with drivers disembowelled by spur adorned feet plunging through the window. I have no doubt there would be lots of volunteers happy to try and trap/contain the bird to reunite with it's owner. I rather suspect shooting it was the attractive option to the GK involved and I also suspect that many on here would have loved that opportunity too, after all who wouldn't want to be a hero saving the general population from the potential/maybe/possibly/perhaps terrible fate of being ravaged by a rogue rhea? I think it is fairly sad. Rheally,let's not Ostrigsise him, I reckon EMUst be a hero! Quality punning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overandunder2012 Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Its a NON indigenous species, it is dangerous and it has now been stopped, the guy deserves a medal not derision! If he had left it and those clawed feet injured/killed someone, or the thing caused an RTA etc., everyone would have said why didn't he shoot it when he had a chance! my guess is it would have stayed away from people in the fields the ods on it killing someone are very low by any stretch of the imagination i would think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 There are quite a few motorists that I know that are a car accident waiting to happen, should we shoot them? What about the sheep that stray from their fields onto road bordering grassy meadows, or swans and geese? It was a single rhea, indigenous or otherwise, what was it going to do, breed with itself and spawn it's devil leggy offspring around the country? It had not strayed widely from the area that it escaped, in the many weeks it has been out there have been no hideous car accidents with drivers disembowelled by spur adorned feet plunging through the window. I have no doubt there would be lots of volunteers happy to try and trap/contain the bird to reunite with it's owner. So why didn't they? I rather suspect shooting it was the attractive option to the GK involved and I also suspect that many on here would have loved that opportunity too, after all who wouldn't want to be a hero saving the general population from the potential/maybe/possibly/perhaps terrible fate of being ravaged by a rogue rhea? I think it is fairly sad. The police/authorities have played up the danger of this bird and the owner has apparently given up on it, if it had injured some child/baby there would be hell to pay, you can't have it both ways! Quality punning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 (edited) my guess is it would have stayed away from people in the fields the ods on it killing someone are very low by any stretch of the imagination i would think. It isn't me that has played up the size/speed/potential danger of this bird, it is the authorities, at what %risk do you say forget it and let it wonder about, and at what % risk do you stop it permanently? Edited May 11, 2014 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 The police/authorities have played up the danger of this bird and the owner has apparently given up on it, if it had injured some child/baby there would be hell to pay, you can't have it both ways! To the first point, I guess because the public serving hero with the gun got it first. As for the 2nd point, I imagine they played up the danger factor to try and prevent another well meaning public serving hero, with less lethal intent, from rugby tackling it or something equally daft as it scarpered across the golf course. Why choose a baby/child as it's potential victim, what if it had come across the potential rapist lurking in the bushes waiting to jump out on his unsuspecting victim, it might have kicked him in the nuts with it's mighty talons and prevented a crime.... What if a baby/child innocently playing in the park is bludgeoned by a swan flying overhead that has a heart attack and drops from the sky? I know that is ridiculous, but playing the innocent child/baby card is what i would expect from the Daily Mail, not PW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 (edited) To the first point, I guess because the public serving hero with the gun got it first. As for the 2nd point, I imagine they played up the danger factor to try and prevent another well meaning public serving hero, with less lethal intent, from rugby tackling it or something equally daft as it scarpered across the golf course. Why choose a baby/child as it's potential victim, what if it had come across the potential rapist lurking in the bushes waiting to jump out on his unsuspecting victim, it might have kicked him in the nuts with it's mighty talons and prevented a crime.... What if a baby/child innocently playing in the park is bludgeoned by a swan flying overhead that has a heart attack and drops from the sky? I know that is ridiculous, but playing the innocent child/baby card is what i would expect from the Daily Mail, not PW. #25 If he had left it and those clawed feet injured/killed someone, or the thing caused an RTA etc., everyone would have said "why didn't he shoot it when he had a chance!" Not good enough for you apparently, but the baby got your attention! Like I said, you can't have it both ways, its either harmless and not an issue or needs stopping. Although as non indigenous there is no debate that it needs capturing or stopping 100%. If the authorities has done their job and captured it before this incident we would not be having this debate... and why have all these willing volunteers you proclaimed not found/captured it, it has been free for a month? Edited May 11, 2014 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 #25 If he had left it and those clawed feet injured/killed someone, or the thing caused an RTA etc., everyone would have said "why didn't he shoot it when he had a chance!" Not good enough for you apparently, but the baby got your attention! Like I said, you can't have it both ways, its either harmless and not an issue or needs stopping. Although as non indigenous there is no debate that it needs capturing or stopping 100%. If the authorities has done their job and captured it before this incident we would not be having this debate... and why have all these willing volunteers you proclaimed not found/captured it? No, it wasn't good enough, it was just a statement of emotional rhetoric. It is all if's and buts. There are loads of things that are potentially dangerous, do we cut down trees in case someone climbs them and falls out? What about ponds, do we drain those in case someone falls in and drowns? I don't know what the actual risk to the public was with that bird, however after 5 weeks on the run with no reported incidents I would suggest it is fairly slim. llamas are non indigenous, if one of them legged it out it's field does that mean it should be exterminated when it happens to cross the path of someone with a gun, it might spit in your eye and blind you, or worse a blind a baby. If there were a number of breeding pairs released i would agree entirely, but one bird hardly constitutes a material risk to our indigenous wildlife. I can't give you an answer why it had not been caught, I am fairly certain there were lots of people trying, but after 5 weeks with no reported harm done, was there a significant increase in risk, or was it just unlucky that it fell within range of the hero with the gun. Personally I think that it is sad that people would wish to despatch this beast on the basis of a specious argument about public safety with no real quantifiable risk. If it was trapped in a shopping centre, public gathering place, school play ground then fair enough, but roaming across golf courses and farmland!! I recall a similar thread on this site about someone thinking they saw a large black cat, again lots of people thought that should have been shot on sight as it was a dangerous animal, despite reported sightings of large black cats nationwide for 30-40 years with no reported instances of babies/children being slaughtered. I am being a bit provocative in my responses, but i hate this nanny state approach, of being for the public good/safety, to justify the actions of someone. If he came out and said i saw it, it was in range and I could safely despatch it so i shot it then at least he would be standing behind his actions, instead of some contrived nonsense about preventing a potential RTA. It might well be the local plod asked neighbouring gamekeepers to shoot the animal as the whole episode was becoming farcical, but they should come out and say so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 (edited) No, it wasn't good enough, it was just a statement of emotional rhetoric. It is all if's and buts. There are loads of things that are potentially dangerous, do we cut down trees in case someone climbs them and falls out? What about ponds, do we drain those in case someone falls in and drowns? Commonly today yes! I don't know what the actual risk to the public was with that bird, however after 5 weeks on the run with no reported incidents I would suggest it is fairly slim. As I said before, what % risk is acceptable and what % risk isn't? llamas are non indigenous, if one of them legged it out it's field does that mean it should be exterminated when it happens to cross the path of someone with a gun, it might spit in your eye and blind you, or worse a blind a baby. If there were a number of breeding pairs released i would agree entirely, but one bird hardly constitutes a material risk to our indigenous wildlife. It doesn't matter if it is one or 100 read the W & C Act I can't give you an answer why it had not been caught, I am fairly certain there were lots of people trying, but after 5 weeks with no reported harm done, was there a significant increase in risk, or was it just unlucky that it fell within range of the hero with the gun. They weren't trying very hard, a bird that size lost for over a month! Personally I think that it is sad that people would wish to despatch this beast on the basis of a specious argument about public safety with no real quantifiable risk. If it was trapped in a shopping centre, public gathering place, school play ground then fair enough, but roaming across golf courses and farmland!! Read the W & C Act, and again, why didn't YOU and all these tree huggers go and find it then, don't whine about it being shot now, you and everyone else had 4-5 weeks to be heros and find it? I recall a similar thread on this site about someone thinking they saw a large black cat, again lots of people thought that should have been shot on sight as it was a dangerous animal, despite reported sightings of large black cats nationwide for 30-40 years with no reported instances of babies/children being slaughtered. If they were out there they need shooting immediately, why do you think they keep them behind bars at Zoos/Wildlife parks etc, why don't they simply let them wonder around and mix with the general public? I am being a bit provocative in my responses, but i hate this nanny state approach, of being for the public good/safety, to justify the actions of someone. As above. If he came out and said i saw it, it was in range and I could safely despatch it so i shot it then at least he would be standing behind his actions, instead of some contrived nonsense about preventing a potential RTA. You believe every word you read? ? ? It might well be the local plod asked neighbouring gamekeepers to shoot the animal as the whole episode was becoming farcical, but they should come out and say so. Whichever way you want to look at it, as I said in #32 ............ you can't have it both ways, its either harmless and not an issue or needs stopping. Although as non indigenous there is no debate that it needs capturing or stopping 100%. If the authorities has done their job and captured it before this incident we would not be having this debate... ....................... Edited May 11, 2014 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Look at it another way why should you have to put up with a possibly dangerous bird on your land? The roads round nuthampsted are country lanes and fairly fast, unlit and who can say it wouldn't end up on one. Sheep unlike this are generally possible to catch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Haven't you lot got something better to do on a Sunday evening? He shot the big chicken so what. It's not endangered nor native or illegal to shoot, I suspect it tasted quite nice too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 (edited) Giant flightless rhea that has rampaged through Hertfordshire for a month has been shot - and will be turned into SAUSAGES Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2624916/Giant-flightless-rhea-rampaged-Hertfordshire-month-shot-turned-SAUSAGES.html#ixzz31R5NrsNq Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook A Hertfordshire Police spokesman told MailOnline: 'Police have received notification that the missing Rhea has been lawfully killed near a carriageway in Anstey, as there was fear of it getting onto a main road and causing a collision. 'The owner had previously given permission for the bird to be dispatched if the situation deemed it necessary, which was the case. 'We have spoken to the owner who is aware Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2624916/Giant-flightless-rhea-rampaged-Hertfordshire-month-shot-turned-SAUSAGES.html#ixzz31R511lyv Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Edited May 11, 2014 by Tam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ordnance Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Why would someone want to shoot it. I would have reported it to the authorities and let them deal with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 (edited) If there anything like emu's there tricky little b uggers to head shoot, and even the body is nothing like the size u think they would be when u skin them. All bushy feathers Edited May 11, 2014 by scotslad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthedark Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 6 posts above where grrclark described this as 'emotional rheatoric' had me in stitches (I know he didn't spell it like that) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delburt0 Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 See Chris is highlighting all the facts... My own opinion there seemed through. The new people glorifying this with selfies etc. The local community seemed not to be bothered about this escaped creature but on the other hand it was a wild animal. Would you want your wife to swerve for this big bird putting your car in a ditch with the possibility of causing a fatality to anyone. Just wish it had not made the news as to no doubt the keeper will be scrutinised over this and no press is good press in this situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Prawn Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 They are undoubtedly dangerous and although someone above said so are lots of other things my personal opinion is due to the novelty value of seeing it perhaps people might be encouraged to approach it and get themselves attacked. Ultimately any escaped, dangerous animal runs the risk of being euthanised in the public interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 6 posts above where grrclark described this as 'emotional rheatoric' had me in stitches (I know he didn't spell it like that) Haha I am so sorry i didn't spell it like that, damn my stupidity. p.s. Dekers I'm not a tree hugger. I think it's a shame it got shot, but what really irked me was the tripe about it maybe causing an RTA. Just a nonsense excuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonseed Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Its a NON indigenous species, it is dangerous and it has now been stopped, the guy deserves a medal not derision! If he had left it and those clawed feet injured/killed someone, or the thing caused an RTA etc., everyone would have said why didn't he shoot it when he had a chance! Spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boromir Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 bet the sausages will taste different Might give them DireRhea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 It was on.. The road to hell.... having been.... On the beach... but... Fool if you think it's over.....but remember, there's only... One golden rule. Right, off to get me coat, feathered or otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 Haha I am so sorry i didn't spell it like that, damn my stupidity. p.s. Dekers I'm not a tree hugger. I think it's a shame it got shot, but what really irked me was the tripe about it maybe causing an RTA. Just a nonsense excuse. Bearing in mind a girl was killed this year a few miles from there in a accident with a deer what makes you think it is tripe? If you've hits pheasant at speed you get the idea what hitting something like 20 of them in one go would be like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 (edited) Bearing in mind a girl was killed this year a few miles from there in a accident with a deer what makes you think it is tripe? If you've hits pheasant at speed you get the idea what hitting something like 20 of them in one go would be like Road accidents with wildlife are very common, and the bigger they get the more damage is likely to be done! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6215022/Campaign-to-stop-road-deer-collisions.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/8830129/Deer-cause-up-to-74000-road-accidents-a-year.html Edited May 12, 2014 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 as I see it some people seem to think that they have the rite to shoot everything is there not enough pests for them to shoot without shooting someones pet slag me off if you want but when I wanted to shoot seagulls the other day it was no you cannot do that but if he could get near to shoot it why not do the proper thing and get someone to dart it and then they could have got it while it slept.. You obviously have no experience with dart guns! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 Some gamekeepers would shoot people for getting close to their stock, let alone large birds... do wonder why he went public though, would have been better a mystery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 And who's going to pay for the dart, the tranquiliser and vet/qualified user? Do u think by the time u got a specialist in it would still be standing in the same area. Do u know the range of a dart gun? Think i would have butchered it or dug a hole When i was in OZ i was warned about emu's when driving, the roo's aren't so bad if u have a decent bar on the front otherwise they make a mess of ur motor, the emu's with there high centre of gravity tend to fly in throu the windscreen and will then kick out with some pretty long claws on the feet. can do some damage, I used to hate seeing them at side of road. Right deep red meat thou. Always thought it looked nice to eat althou none of the locals ate them, we just fed them to the dogs When I was in OZ I received exactly the same warning about emus. Their body is at bonnet height. You skittle their legs and they roll up the bonnet and smash through the windscreen. Emu strikes have killed the occupants of cars. I imagine exactly the same thing could have happened with this Rhea. Kangaroos are worse at night because you don't see them coming. They bound into your path out of the dark like pheasants rocketing out of a hedge. I met a couple of Aussie lads who had driven their pickup at night on a hunting trip. They hit a grey kangaroo mid bounce. It came through the windscreen like a missile and was in a heap on the seat between them. They managed to stop and bail out before the animal came round and when it did it started to kick in all directions. It had kicked out the side windows, wrecked the doors, the seats and the dashboard and broke off the steering wheel by the time they got a rifle out of the back, loaded it and shot it. It wrote the car off. They had to wait half the night by the side of the road till a truck driver came past and took them into town. I hope this woman hasn't got pet kangaroos as well. If you see one, shoot it. Damn fine steaks in a kangaroo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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