- May 9, 2012
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In Corbett's account there is a reference to woodcutters.
A large scale clearing of land operation involving a very large camp.
I don't recall exact estimate but a thousand /couple thousand workers.
My thought was of the destruction of land/habitat firstly. With understandable empathy when a maneater is about.
Corbett explains multiple causes for cats preying on humans. Which mattered little to those knowing or being victims.
Letters are documented as well. From citizens. And from political figures.
They were not promoting trophy hunting. They were seeking relief. (And Corbett passed on cats too. His purpose was not to eliminate the specie. Rather those in it actively causing harm to citizens and thier well being.)
His reason for responding was his seeking mankillers. Not cats in general. One cat he writes of watching grow over time. Had he wanted to kill it he would have. But it was not a targeted as a problem cat.
Not just an isolated case of woodcutters and one cat.
But villagers cutting fodder, attempting to harvest or work crops. Or even travel far from their doors. When hundreds of mortalities are involved , it's not a harmonious live and let live relationship that follows.
Then there was the preying on livestock. A single cow or buffalo might mean little to you or I.
But it did some people.
Humans have been prey long enough that a portion of them will seek relief from attack.
A portion here are willing to counter deadly force with deadly force.
Fine if you don't. But don't impose your choice of being easy prey to others.
Corbett was called on for being a portion of those with the means and ability to cat and mouse with menacing aggressors proven to be using deadly force on a vulnerable populace.. And at times it was doubtful which entity was the mouse.
In competition to survive, predators above humans tend to lose. Not always. But over time they get persecuted. Bear for example. A community is not likely to be content with frequent attacks on members and say it's just bear being bear and we need to live in harmony.
A distant community with no bear chewing on it's members can and has insisted bear need to be untouched.
When human predators preying on humans create the condition of a strong defense being desired to counter them , guns are one tool some employ.
Not everyone is efficient with a stick. For varied reasons. One of which is felon class people having access to guns from multiple sources. Even South America's Southern doors.
Sticks don't counter such predators on a balanced scale.
Paranoia is unjustified unwarranted delusion. And far removed from a person being armed to counter deadly force directed at them.
Ones ability to defend ones self is dependent upon ones self.
Those killed without being able to defend themselves might agree. Even if pacifists.
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