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2014/08/05 06:10:46
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Australia has many creatures that can kill you. As does India, America, Thailand and a few others. But would you believe that the UK does too? No?
Read on, and prepare to never look at Cows in the same light again….
Spoiler:
Most people would be wary of crossing a large snorting bull in a field but, every year, scores of people are injured or even killed by other animals in the English countryside.
Many are creatures that may not instantly spring to mind - and have caused injury or terrified people who were otherwise enjoying a rural idyll.
But which animals are dangerous and why do they attack?
Cows account for at least as many deaths as bulls - and can be very unpredictable, particularly when young calves are close by.
Sarah Leonard, a nurse from Sheffield, survived being trampled by a herd of cows while with her dog in North Scarle, Lincolnshire, in November.
She suffered two broken arms, a broken collar bone and several broken ribs and spent five weeks in hospital, two of which were in intensive care.
Ms Leonard said: "I was on a four mile circular walk when I saw the cows coming towards me and I shouted and waved my arms - then I can't remember any more."
She described it as a "terrifying experience" and her ordeal was not helped when during a 999 call she was accused of being a hoaxer.
Lincolnshire farmer, John Stone, who has worked with cattle for 60 years, said people did not realise how dangerous they could be.
The biggest danger is when there are cows with their calves," he said.
"You are talking about a cow which can weigh anything from 650kg to 1,000kg and, quite frankly, she will stop at nothing to protect her young."
Boars have roamed wild in the Forest of Dean, in Gloucestershire, since 2004, when they were reintroduced after an absence of 700 years.
The animals, which can weigh up to 330lbs (150kg), were native to England but were hunted to extinction in the wild in the 17th Century.
Damage to gardens, danger to dog walkers and riders and boar-related road accidents have made them unpopular with some.
Last year, the Gloucester Citizen reported dog walkers in the forest were scared to take their animals out after a rise in the number of wild boar attacks.
One account said a boar chased a dog, before turning on the dog's owner - who scrambled up a tree to get away.
The Forestry Commission said it had received reports of dogs being attacked and horses being spooked by boar in the forest.
" Wild boar really aren't dangerous if they are not put in a situation where they feel threatened," says Scott Passmore, co-founder of the UK Wild Boar Association.
" They are very timid, but like any animal if they are fed they can become tame and that's when you run into problems."
He said boar would have lived in the wild alongside wolves in Britain, so when they see a dog their reaction can be to "stand and fight".
The NHS said about 100 cases of adder bites were reported in the UK every year.
Since records began in 1876 only 14 people have been reported as having died from adder bites and the last was way back in 1975.
Most bites occur between February and October, with the number peaking during the summer.
However, a number of dog deaths have been attributed to adder bites, including a possible case in Nottinghamshire earlier this year.
In 2013, one vet said she had treated 15 animals that had been bitten by adders, including an English springer spaniel whose face "swelled to twice its size".
Jim Foster, from the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, said there were usually three reasons why an adder might bite a human.
"Either a person picks up - or attempts to pick up - the snake, or the person accidentally steps on the snake or puts their hand very close while trying to do something else," he said.
"In all cases, the adder is attempting to defend itself, rather than 'attacking', which is a common misconception.
"Similarly, adder bites on dogs tend to happen when dogs come across the snake and attempt to investigate it."
The UK's most venomous spider is thought to have arrived in England in crates of fruit from the Canary Islands in the late 19th Century, with the first reported sighting in Torquay in 1879.
The spider, which is about the size of a 50p piece, belongs to the same family as the black widow, although its bite is nowhere near as toxic.
The severity of symptoms depends on the amount of venom injected but can include severe swelling, chest pains and tingling of fingers.
Alison Blackburn, from Strood in Kent, was bitten by one in January, while sleeping and she needed hospital treatment to drain the venom from her left foot.
In another incident, Steve Harris, was bitten in his sleep in Devon and had to undergo an emergency operation.
He said: "They had to cut away the area around the bite to get at the poison. I was in agony. I have never had pain like that before in my life."
However, Sara Goodacre from the University of Nottingham's Spider Lab, said there seemed to be a "disproportionate worry" about the creatures.
She said some media reports of bites were not consistent with the effect a neurotoxin - present in a false widow's venom - would have.
"False widow spiders should not be a problem as they are not aggressive," she added.
The UK has about 650 species of spider and of these only about a dozen are capable of biting humans.
It'd never occurred to me that cow grooming would be a thing makes sense if you think about it but ..
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2014/08/05 08:14:39
Subject: Re:Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Clearly we need to remove this threat to society by turning more cows into steaks.
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices.
2014/08/05 11:01:34
Subject: Re:Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Peregrine wrote: Clearly we need to remove this threat to society by turning more cows into steaks.
Agreed. CItizen, Do Your Part!
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
2014/08/05 11:12:38
Subject: Re:Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Peregrine wrote: Clearly we need to remove this threat to society by turning more cows into steaks.
Agreed. CItizen, Do Your Part!
I don't know the American situation, but those damn vegetarians hold high office in the UK government. These cows have rights...and lawyers
"Our crops will wither, our children will die piteous
deaths and the sun will be swept from the sky. But is it true?" - Tom Kirby, CEO, Games Workshop Ltd
2014/08/05 11:32:59
Subject: Re:Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
kronk wrote: Don't cows kill more people each year than sharks?
I might have just made that up, but it sounds right.
That happens when you tip them over onto one self
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
2014/08/05 11:42:49
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
That's not really cows killing people, that's idiocy killing people.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/08/05 11:43:08
Prestor Jon wrote: Because children don't have any legal rights until they're adults. A minor is the responsiblity of the parent and has no legal rights except through his/her legal guardian or parent.
2014/08/05 11:46:03
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Rusty the Tiger, half Caucasian Mountain Dog, half disco love machine, once freaked a young bull. The bull was blustering at us across the fence and Rusty did his bear bark. The bull took off the other way, wanting no part of that.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/08/05 11:47:23
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
2014/08/05 12:49:54
Subject: Re:Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
reds8n wrote: Cows look a lot less dangerous when washed and blow dried
i wonder how that works on Tigers.
n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.
It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion.
2014/08/05 21:02:41
Subject: Re:Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
It'd never occurred to me that cow grooming would be a thing makes sense if you think about it but ..
To quote that one girl from Despicable Me, "So Fluffy!"
Despite the fact it would be trolling, I now want to post that picture in every background debate on Dakka Dakka.
Hello there Kobe
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
2014/08/06 12:27:23
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
I think the other main influence in the 'cows kill more than sharks' statistic is that the average human being is far more likely to come into contact with cows in their lifetime than sharks, so the whole death thing is probably like the 'plane crash vs death-by-trousers' statistic, you know, how you are statistically more likely to die putting on your trousers than in a plane crash but that's because you put trousers on more times than you travel on a plane.
Personally in 26 years I've been on a plane a total of 4 times, but, as common decency (and obscenity laws) dictate, I've put on trousers (or jeans/shorts/etc) more or less every day of my life.
In terms of cows vs sharks, I've been up close and personal with cows many times, heck, I even fed one a slice of bread once. Sharks, well my only encounter with real-life sharks in the 8" long juvenile blue shark that is sitting in a jar of formaldehyde that a relative brought me back as a souvenier from Florida.
So I can see why cows are more likely to end my existance than sharks
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/08/06 12:28:41
And that is why you hear people yelling FOR THE EMPEROR rather than FOR LOGICAL AND QUANTIFIABLE BASED DECISIONS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE MAJORITY!
Phototoxin wrote:Kids go in , they waste tonnes of money on marnus calgar and his landraider, the slaneshi-like GW revel at this lust and short term profit margin pleasure. Meanwhile father time and cunning lord tzeentch whisper 'our games are better AND cheaper' and then players leave for mantic and warmahordes.
daveNYC wrote:The Craftworld guys, who are such stick-in-the-muds that they manage to make the Ultramarines look like an Ibiza nightclub that spiked its Red Bull with LSD.
2014/08/06 12:54:56
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
KalashnikovMarine wrote: How could a pair of trousers kill you? Is death by denim a common occurrence in the U.K.?
Happens more often than you'd think.
Some have suggested it's all in your jeans.
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2014/08/06 13:14:01
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Bdum spssh Yes he's here all week ladies and gentlemen.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
2014/08/06 13:19:20
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Just don't piss off the sheep. They can get maaaaaaad.
Mandorallen turned back toward the insolently sneering baron. 'My Lord,' The great knight said distantly, 'I find thy face apelike and thy form misshapen. Thy beard, moreover, is an offence against decency, resembling more closely the scabrous fur which doth decorate the hinder portion of a mongrel dog than a proper adornment for a human face. Is it possibly that thy mother, seized by some wild lechery, did dally at some time past with a randy goat?' - Mimbrate Knight Protector Mandorallen.
Excerpt from "Seeress of Kell", Book Five of The Malloreon series by David Eddings.
"You need not fear us, unless you are a dark heart, a vile one who preys on the innocent; I promise, you can’t hide forever in the empty darkness, for we will hunt you down like the animals you are, and pull you into the very bowels of hell." Iron - Within Temptation
2014/08/06 18:43:31
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
2014/08/06 18:51:53
Subject: Who said living in the English Countryside was safe?
And that is why you hear people yelling FOR THE EMPEROR rather than FOR LOGICAL AND QUANTIFIABLE BASED DECISIONS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE MAJORITY!
Phototoxin wrote:Kids go in , they waste tonnes of money on marnus calgar and his landraider, the slaneshi-like GW revel at this lust and short term profit margin pleasure. Meanwhile father time and cunning lord tzeentch whisper 'our games are better AND cheaper' and then players leave for mantic and warmahordes.
daveNYC wrote:The Craftworld guys, who are such stick-in-the-muds that they manage to make the Ultramarines look like an Ibiza nightclub that spiked its Red Bull with LSD.