Suicide by Lion

JOHANNESBURG — A man was eaten by lions after running
past guards into Kruger National Park at dusk just as the gates were
closing, park officials said yesterday.

Park spokesman Raymond Travers
said guards and rangers searched for the unidentified man in the dark
after he ran into the park on Thursday, but failed to find him.

He was
found after dawn yesterday as the lions ate his corpse.

”We have no
idea why he ran in," Travers said. ”We suspect the man was mentally
deranged. No one in their right mind would run into the bush at Kruger
at night. It’s far too dangerous."

Kruger National Park is home
to between 4,500 and 5,000 lions spread across an area roughly the
size of Belgium. Rangers shot one lion as he devoured the body and were
looking
for a female lion, he said.

The only thing that bothers us about this whole story
is that they shot one lion and are looking to kill another.  For
what? These are wild animals who have no choice but to act acording to
their natural instincts, which are to hunt and eat other animals stupid enough to come into their territory. The classic rationalization is "Well,
once a lion gets a taste for human flesh, they can’t eat just one." But
has this been scientifically established as being true in every case?  Has
anyone tried therapy, de-conditioning or dietary substitutes? These beautiful
and endangered animals should not have to die because some moron bounded
on to their dinner table…..

from Reuters