Slashdot Mirror
A New Species Of Giant Ape?
jd writes "The New Scientist, The Age (an Australian newspaper), Daily Telegraph (a British newspaper), BBC, and the Discovery Channel are talking excitedly about a strange primate, found in the Congo. Locals say it is notorious for killing fully-grown adult lions. Optimists hope that it is a new species, maybe related to the gorilla. Pessimists claim it's an overgrown chimpanzee. In either case, primates aren't discovered every day, making this a rare find indeed."
Wonderful discovery but, now that we've found them, one wonders how long it'll be before we somehow manage to wipe the species out :(
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If we found something interesting it would attract more investment. People would be more interested in conserving it.
That can't help but make me skeptical -- these people have a compelling reason to hype these reports in order to encourage conservation and protection of the area.
It would be pretty interesting if it's true, however -- my guess would be that a large animal capable of avoiding detection for so long in well-explored areas would be interestingly intelligent...
Disclaimer: I work for a company, but I don't speak for them.
Same category as the 39 foot python I think.
d _3 355000/3355089.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/animals/newsi
These apes have not been 'discovered', they have simply been newly categorised. The idea that they have never been seen before is a nice idea but nonsense.
We may not like to think it, but the world is a small place now. There are no really remote places anymore and the idea that there are big animals roaming around somewhere unseen and undiscovered is a romantic notion which might be reassuring but can't hide the simple sad truth that the number of species is diminishing daily as we trash the planet.
I'm sorry, but your ( and my ) unrelenting consumption is killing off wildlife apace. Don't let stories like this one make you think otherwise.
Most apes are curious creatures , the ones which are more intelligent are more cautious observers than curious imitators.
A strange creature that walks on two feet, carries a metal paddle that kills , and kills adult elephants is a creature to be afraid of (oh, I'm talking about the average african explorer).
Truthfully speaking , any sufficently intelligent species which closely observes humans in actions have everything to be afraid of them . Lions are comparitively innocous compared to a human . Even tigers turn tail and run from humans looking at them (or relatively good facsimilies of a face).
It takes brains, learning and experience to figure that out .Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur
It's interesting how the Animal Planet and Telegraph stories differ to the point of contradicting each other. Animal Planet makes these animals sound docile and peaceful, and only make a single mention about killing lions :
tales that the forests were inhabited by large ferocious apes that could kill lions.
The BBC also only makes one mention about killing lions:
capable of killing lions.
There's a big difference between "capable" and "does". Elephants can kill lions too, but that doesn't make them "Lion Killers", which is how the Telegraph article refers to these chimp-apes:
known to locals as the "lion killer"
Locals told him about giant apes with a reputation for killing lions, New Scientist magazine reports today.
The Telegraph portraits them as violent and aggressive:
The creatures are far larger and more aggressive than normal chimpanzees
they are unusually aggressive chimps
While Animal Planet describes them quite differently:
Unlike gorillas, which invariably charge when they see a threat, these apes turn around and silently slip away into the forest when encountered, Ammann said.
That doesn't sound too aggressive to me, for an animal that is supposed to go around killing lions for sport. Why for sport? Because they obviously don't eat them, according to Animal Planet:
Feces recovered from the nest sites indicated an animal with a diet rich in fruit, which is typical of chimps.
Rather odd to have such an aggressive and competent killer that doesn't eat meat. Either reporters are putting a big spin on this, or researches are trying to pique as much interest as possible to raise funding.
Dan East
Better known as 318230.
Because apes possess many of the characteristics that we consider morally important, and should be extended some basic legal and ethical rights, like not being arbitrarily killed.
Geez. Jump right to killing one, not even considering a tranquilizer dart and a blood sample?
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood
Mmmm. And here I thought Crichton had just ripped off H. Ryder Haggard and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who both used most of the same elements as Congo. What *COULD* I have been thinking.