Comments on: Hippo Cannibals Ruin It For the

Hippo Cannibals Ruin It For the

mcgraw — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 13:42:51 -0800

Cannibalism May Have Spread Anthrax in Hippos

By: mcgraw

mcgraw — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 13:44:00 -0800

"I knew hippos were nasty, but I didn't know they went around eating each other," says anthrax expert Martin Hugh-Jones at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, US. I'd like to see this man's credentials.

By: monju_bosatsu

monju_bosatsu — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 13:47:46 -0800

Martin Hugh-Jones's credentials.

By: milovoo

milovoo — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 13:49:58 -0800

indeed, Africa's deadliest animal.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 13:50:10 -0800

Since anthrax has been most widely studied in farm animals, I think that one could easily become an expert on anthrax without having specific insights into the behavior of hippopotamuses/hippopotamoi/the hippopotamus.

By: milovoo

milovoo — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 13:51:01 -0800

you gotta admit, those are pretty good credentials.

By: me3dia

me3dia — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 14:14:52 -0800

Expert use of the Hungry Hungry Hippos game, mcgraw. Made me smile. Damn, check out them credentials!

By: MonkeySaltedNuts

MonkeySaltedNuts — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 16:39:41 -0800

Not necessarily bloody cannibalism. Many non-carnivores in calcium poor area will eat bones.

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 17:55:34 -0800

Surely, Sidhedevil, you mean hippopotamodes. tee hee hee

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 18:52:05 -0800

No, I don't mean hippopotamodes (though "octapodes" is, indeed, the etymologically correct plural of "octopus"). However, I did mean "hippoipotamoi" rather than "hippopotamoi" above. And I was just being silly.

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:09:16 -0800

I was just being silly. So was I. Anyway, this got me to thinking [cue swelling piano]: Blood, blood, glorious blood, there's nothing quite like it for cooling the mud...

By: davy

davy — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:14:17 -0800

Hippo cannibalism? Isn't that against the law?

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:34:41 -0800

joe's spleen, I knew you were being silly, and I was being pretend-huffy in response to your silly. However, I really did mean "hippoipotamoi". Because I'm just that pedantic. Also, you owe me a new keyboard. The idea of Cannibal Flanders and Swann is making me swoon.

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Mon, 20 Dec 2004 20:31:59 -0800

If the great Ju Ju hadn't meant us to eat people, he wouldn't have made them of meat! Have you been talking to one of your mothers again?

By: emf

emf — Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:09:40 -0800

Beautiful work, Mr Spleen.

By: crake

crake — Tue, 21 Dec 2004 12:34:06 -0800

The newscientist.com link died, so I don't know the details, but: I remember seeing on a few nature shows that hippos, like elephants, seem to show concern over their dead. If they come across a dead hippo, they'll hang around it for hours, nuzzling and licking it, before returning to their routine. I wonder if that's enough to be the "cannibalism" they're talking about. They must ingest small amounts of tissue during the process. That would be reminiscent of that tribe in New Guinea who spread kuru to each other through the ritual cannibalism of dead family members. One group of grieving hippos that was shown stayed with a dead member of their group for hours, until a large pack of hyenas, attracted by the corpse, finally caused the hippos to head back to the water. It was rather touching. Now let's all be glad that humans don't mourn like hippos. "Billy, I don't care if you think it's gross! You'll get in there and lick your grandfather just like the rest of the family!" Brrr.

By: mcgraw

mcgraw — Tue, 21 Dec 2004 13:34:01 -0800

The link works again. Also here (printer-friendly).