This is a day...today...
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30 Sep 2014
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11/09/2014
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There are enough people concerned that Robert Minton was thrown to the wolves...scientology...wolves in sheep's clothing ...BAAAAAAAA!
more on wolves...
In fable and literature
One of the earliest written references to gray wolves occurs in the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh, in which the titular character rejects the sexual advances of the goddess Ishtar,
reminding her that she had transformed a previous lover, a shepherd,
into a wolf, thus turning him into the very animal that his flocks must
be protected against. [204] According to the Avesta, the sacred text of the Zoroastrians, wolves are a creation of the evil spirit Ahriman, and are ranked among the most cruel of animals. [205] Aesop featured wolves in several of his fables, playing on the concerns of Ancient Greece's settled, sheep-herding world. His most famous is the fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, which is directed at those who knowingly raise false alarms, and from which the idiomatic phrase " to cry wolf"
is derived. Some of his other fables concentrate on maintaining the
trust between shepherds and guard dogs in their vigilance against
wolves, as well as anxieties over the close relationship between wolves
and dogs. Although Aesop used wolves to warn, criticize and moralize
about human behaviour, his portrayals added to the wolf's image as a
deceitful and dangerous animal. [206] This is mirrored in the Bible, where wolves are referenced thirteen times as symbols of greed and destructiveness. [207] Much of the symbolism Jesus used in the New Testament revolved around the pastoral culture of Israel, and explained his relationship with his followers as analogous to that of a good shepherd protecting his flock from wolves. An innovation in the popular image of wolves started by Jesus includes the concept of the wolf in sheep's clothing, which warns people against false prophets. [208]
Several authors have proposed that Jesus's portrayal of wolves,
comparing them to dangerous and treacherous people, was an important
development in perceptions on the species, which legitimized centuries
of subsequent wolf persecution in the western world. [208][209][210] Subsequent medieval Christian literature followed and expanded upon Biblical teachings on the wolf. It appeared in the seventh century edition of the Physiologus, which infused pagan tales with the spirit of Christian moral and mystical teaching. The Physiologus portrays wolves as being able to strike men dumb on sight, and of having only one cervical vertebra. Dante included a she-wolf, representing greed and fraud, in the first canto of the Inferno. The Malleus Maleficarum, first published in 1487, states that wolves are either agents of God sent to punish the wicked, or agents of Satan, sent with God's blessing to test the faith of believers. [211] Isengrim the wolf, a character first appearing in the 12th-century Latin poem Ysengrimus, is a major character in the Reynard Cycle,
where he stands for the low nobility, whilst his adversary, Reynard the
fox, represents the peasant hero. Although portrayed as loyal, honest
and moral, Isengrim is forever the victim of Reynard's wit and cruelty,
often dying at the end of each story. [212] The tale of Little Red Riding Hood, first written in 1697 by Charles Perrault,
is largely considered to have had more influence than any other source
of literature in forging the wolf's negative reputation in the western
world. The wolf in this story is portrayed as a potential rapist, capable of imitating human speech. [213] The hunting of wolves, and their attacks on humans and livestock feature prominently in Russian literature, and are included in the works of Tolstoy, Chekhov, Nekrasov, Bunin, Sabaneyev, and others. Tolstoy's War and Peace and Chekhov's Peasants both feature scenes in which wolves are hunted with hounds and borzois. [214] Farley Mowat's largely fictional 1963 memoir Never Cry Wolf
was the first positive portrayal of wolves in popular literature, and
is largely considered to be the most popular book on wolves, having been
adapted into a Hollywood film
and taught in several schools decades after its publication. Although
credited with having changed popular perceptions on wolves by portraying
them as loving, cooperative and noble, it has been criticized for its
idealization of wolves and its factual inaccuracies. [215][216][217]
more on sheep...
Flock behavior
Sheep are flock animals and strongly gregarious; much sheep behavior can be understood on the basis of these tendencies. The dominance hierarchy
of sheep and their natural inclination to follow a leader to new
pastures were the pivotal factors in sheep being one of the first
domesticated livestock species. [47] Furthermore, in contrast to the red deer and gazelle (two other ungulates of primary importance to meat production in prehistoric times), sheep do not defend territories although they do form home ranges. [48] All sheep have a tendency to congregate close to other members of a flock, although this behavior varies with breed, [13] and sheep can become stressed when separated from their flock members. [7]
During flocking, sheep have a strong tendency to follow and a leader
may simply be the first individual to move. Relationships in flocks tend
to be closest among related sheep: in mixed-breed flocks, subgroups of
the same breed tend to form, and a ewe and her direct descendants often
move as a unit within large flocks. [6] Sheep can become hefted
to one particular local pasture (heft) so they do not roam freely in
unfenced landscapes. Lambs learn the heft from ewes and if whole flocks
are culled it must be retaught to the replacement animals. [7][49]
Flock behaviour in sheep is generally only exhibited in groups of
four or more sheep; fewer sheep may not react as expected when alone or
with few other sheep. [6] Being a prey species, the primary defense mechanism of sheep is to flee from danger when their flight zone
is entered. Cornered sheep may charge and butt, or threaten by hoof
stamping and adopting an aggressive posture. This is particularly true
for ewes with newborn lambs. [6]
In regions where sheep have no natural predators, none of the native breeds of sheep exhibit a strong flocking behavior. [12]
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Flock behavior
Sheep are
flock animals and strongly gregarious; much sheep behavior can be understood on the basis of these tendencies. The
dominance hierarchy
of sheep and their natural inclination to follow a leader to new
pastures were the pivotal factors in sheep being one of the first
domesticated livestock species.
[47] Furthermore, in contrast to the
red deer and
gazelle (two other ungulates of primary importance to meat production in prehistoric times), sheep do not defend
territories although they do form
home ranges.
[48] All sheep have a tendency to congregate close to other members of a flock, although this behavior varies with breed,
[13] and sheep can become stressed when separated from their flock members.
[7]
During flocking, sheep have a strong tendency to follow and a leader
may simply be the first individual to move. Relationships in flocks tend
to be closest among related sheep: in mixed-breed flocks, subgroups of
the same breed tend to form, and a ewe and her direct descendants often
move as a unit within large flocks.
[6] Sheep can become
hefted
to one particular local pasture (heft) so they do not roam freely in
unfenced landscapes. Lambs learn the heft from ewes and if whole flocks
are culled it must be retaught to the replacement animals.
[7][49]
Flock behaviour in sheep is generally only exhibited in groups of
four or more sheep; fewer sheep may not react as expected when alone or
with few other sheep.
[6] Being a prey species, the primary defense mechanism of sheep is to flee from danger when their
flight zone
is entered. Cornered sheep may charge and butt, or threaten by hoof
stamping and adopting an aggressive posture. This is particularly true
for ewes with newborn lambs.
[6]
In regions where sheep have no natural predators, none of the native breeds of sheep exhibit a strong flocking behavior.
[12]
Religion and folklore
In antiquity, symbolism involving sheep cropped up in religions in the
ancient Near East, the
Mideast, and the
Mediterranean area:
Çatalhöyük, ancient Egyptian religion, the Cana'anite and Phoenician tradition,
Judaism,
Greek religion,
and others. Religious symbolism and ritual involving sheep began with
some of the first known faiths: skulls of rams (along with bulls)
occupied central placement in shrines at the Çatalhöyük settlement in
8,000 BCE.
[154] In
Ancient Egyptian religion, the ram was the symbol of several gods:
Khnum,
Heryshaf and
Amun (in his incarnation as a god of
fertility).
[6] Other deities occasionally shown with ram features include: the goddess
Ishtar, the
Phoenician god Baal-Hamon, and the Babylonian god Ea-Oannes.
[6] In Madagascar, sheep were not eaten as they were believed to be incarnations of the souls of ancestors.
[155]
Jesus is depicted as being "The Good Shepherd", with the sheep being
Christians
There are also many ancient Greek references to sheep: that of
Chrysomallos, the golden-fleeced ram, continuing to be told through into the modern era.
Astrologically,
Aries, the ram, is the first sign of the classical Greek
zodiac and the sheep is also the eighth of the twelve animals associated with the 12-year cycle of in the
Chinese zodiac, related to the
Chinese calendar.
[155] In
Mongolia,
shagai are an ancient form of dice made from the
cuboid bones of sheep that are often used for fortunetelling purposes.
Sheep play an important role in all the Abrahamic faiths;
Abraham,
Isaac,
Jacob,
Moses,
King David and the
Islamic prophet Muhammad were all shepherds. According to the Biblical story of the
Binding of Isaac,
a ram is sacrificed as a substitute for Isaac after an angel stays
Abraham's hand (in the Islamic tradition, Abraham was about to sacrifice
Ishmael).
Eid al-Adha is a major annual festival in
Islam in which sheep (or other animals) are sacrificed in remembrance of this act.
[156][157] Sheep are also occasionally sacrificed to commemorate important
secular events in Islamic cultures.
[158] Greeks and Romans also sacrificed sheep regularly in religious practice, and
Judaism also once sacrificed sheep as a
Korban (sacrifice), such as the
Passover lamb .
[155] Ovine symbols—such as the ceremonial blowing of a
shofar—still find a presence in modern Judaic traditions. Followers of
Christianity are collectively often referred to as a flock, with Christ as the
Good Shepherd, and sheep are an element in the Christian
iconography of the
birth of Jesus. Some Christian
saints are considered
patrons of shepherds, and even of sheep themselves. Christ is also portrayed as the
Sacrificial lamb of God (
Agnus Dei) and Easter celebrations in
Greece and
Romania traditionally feature a meal of Paschal lamb. In many Christian traditions, a church leader is called the
pastor, which is derived from the Latin word for shepherd.
more on goats...
Behavior
Goats are extremely curious and intelligent. They are also very
coordinated and widely known for their ability to climb and hold their
balance in the most precarious places. This makes them the only
ruminant
able to climb trees, although the tree generally has to be on somewhat
of an angle. Due to their agility and inquisitiveness, they are
notorious for escaping their pens by testing fences and enclosures,
either intentionally or simply because they are handy to climb on. If
any of the fencing can be spread, pushed over or down, or otherwise be
overcome, the goats will almost inevitably escape. Due to their high
intelligence, once a goat has discovered a weakness in the fence, it
will exploit it repeatedly, and other goats will observe and quickly
learn the same method.
Goats have an intensely inquisitive and intelligent nature; they will
explore anything new or unfamiliar in their surroundings. They do so
primarily with their
prehensile
upper lip and tongue. This is why they investigate items such as
buttons, camera cases or clothing (and many other things besides) by
nibbling at them, occasionally even eating them.
When handled as a group, goats tend to display less clumping behavior
than sheep, and when grazing undisturbed, tend to spread across the
field or range, rather than feed side-by-side as do sheep. When nursing
young, goats will leave their kids separated ("lying out") rather than
clumped as do sheep. They will generally turn and face an intruder and
bucks are more likely to charge or butt at humans than are rams.
[24]
more on gorilla's...
Interactions with humans
Studies
The word "gorilla" comes from the history of
Hanno the Navigator, (c. 500 BC) a
Carthaginian explorer on an expedition on the west
African
coast. They encountered "a savage people, the greater part of whom were
women, whose bodies were hairy, and who our interpreters called
Gorillae".
[52] The word was then later used as the species name, though it is unknown whether what these ancient
Carthaginians encountered were truly gorillas, another species of ape or monkeys, or humans.
[8]
American physician and missionary
Thomas Staughton Savage obtained the first specimens (the skull and other bones) during his time in
Liberia in
Africa.
[3] The first scientific description of gorillas dates back to an article by Savage and the naturalist
Jeffries Wyman in 1847 in
Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History,
[53][54] where
Troglodytes gorilla is described, now known as the
western gorilla. Other species of gorilla are described in the next few years.
[8]
Explorer
Paul Du Chaillu was the first westerner to see a live gorilla during his travel through western equatorial
Africa from 1856 to 1859. He brought dead specimens to the UK in 1861.
[55][56][57]
The first systematic study was not conducted until the 1920s, when
Carl Akeley of the
American Museum of Natural History traveled to Africa to hunt for an animal to be shot and stuffed. On his first trip, he was accompanied by his friends
Mary Bradley, a mystery writer, her husband, and their young daughter Alice, who would later write science fiction under the pseudonym
James Tiptree Jr. After their trip, Mary Bradley wrote
On the Gorilla Trail.
She later became an advocate for the conservation of gorillas, and
wrote several more books (mainly for children). In the late 1920s and
early 1930s,
Robert Yerkes
and his wife Ava helped further the study of gorillas when they sent
Harold Bigham to Africa. Yerkes also wrote a book in 1929 about the
great apes.
Drawing of French explorer
Paul Du Chaillu at close quarters with a gorilla
After
World War II,
George Schaller
was one of the first researchers to go into the field and study
primates. In 1959, he conducted a systematic study of the mountain
gorilla in the wild and published his work. Years later, at the behest
of
Louis Leakey and the
National Geographic,
Dian Fossey
conducted a much longer and more comprehensive study of the mountain
gorilla. When she published her work, many misconceptions and myths
about gorillas were finally disproved, including the myth that gorillas
are violent.
Western lowland gorillas (
Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are believed to be one of the
zoonotic origins of
HIV/AIDS. The SIVgor
Simian immunodeficiency virus that infects them is similar to a certain strain of HIV-1.
[58][59][60][61]
all of these things can be found on wikipedia
