10,000 wildebeest drown in freak accident

I think you got dugg because of the offensive comparison you made between the wildebeest and the vitims of 9/11. Please edit your entry.

In what way can one compare the events of 9/11 to this? So if there are 10,000 waterlogged wildebeest in the rivers and of those, and 208 crocodiles, storks, and vultures choke to death while eating these dead wildebeest, will the next statement be "208 dead crocodiles, storks, and vultures... that is 4 times the deaths on 7th July!".

And how is the number of 10,000 figured. Hard count? Count of a given area and then multiply?

Don't get me wrong, in it's own way, it is sad that X number of wildebeest died... but that is nature, not an event caused by a screwed up "faith". It is an insult to try and compare or link a wildebeest to human life.

An odd and fascinating incident, no doubt. Still, I have to wonder at your choice of comparisons:

"over three times the life-loss of 911"

???????

How strange to compare the death of 10000 mindless beasts to the murders of three thousand human beings. Can we expect a post in the near future comparing the eradication of an ant mound with Auschwitz?

HA HA!

You are absolutely right, it is a comparing wildebeests to humans is totally wrong. I mean each wildebeest weighs on average 500 lbs. You could easily make 3 humans out of each one so in reality the total death toll is equivalent to 9 x 911.

OK OK, Americans are fat so you could probably only get 2 American's body mass from one wildebeest so more like 6 x 911.

As for calling animals mindless beasts , I am no tree hugging hippi but I really feel it is short sighted to label creatures that have different habits, behavioural patterns and instinctual behaviors as mindless, have you ever been to a rock concert, bhaaa!? Evolution may have taken them down a different road from ours but the reality is their biology is just as adapted to surviving on our planet as ours is.

I like how the Red Queen effect attempts to describe the constant evolutionary race to stay in step with the world around us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Queen

In any case this is a sad event indeed as were those of september 11. One of the virtues of humanity is the ability to feel compassion. Should we restrict our compassion to our own species? If so where will that lead us?

The truly great thing about experience, personal experience, is that it provides context with which to extend our compassion beyond ourselves. How does compassion and parallel of this event to 911 dishonor the victims of 911? I don't see it, however I do see an inability to learn from 911 an inability to use 911 as a catalyst to help humanity resonate with nature, life and peace as greatly dishonoring the victims of 911.

Please don't become so clouded by anger over the 911 events as to lose your ability for compassion, your humanity.

Appreciate your comments guys, I'll look into this more and apologies if the comparison with 9/11 upset anyone

Yeah, its offensive to compare animal life to human life. I realize animals are "beings" as well. but I don't see how a natural disaster (mother earth will do as she pleases with her offspring) involving a supposed 10,000 animals can even remotely be compared to one (much less the thousands of 9/11) single human life taken out of anger/vengeance/anything-but-self-defense.

It paints a poor picture for what environmentalists represent.

People, life is life.

It is not in any way offensive to compare it to human life. They are one and the same.

We value our fellow humans above all else because of the bond we share with others like us, but we are all animals.

Those who take offense to this need to realize that we as human beings have trained ourselves to contantly live a lie... From wearing clothing, to being shameful of our bodily functions, down to issues like this where we disassociate ourselves from the "Animal" world by saying "We're people, they're animals."

You're wrong. Get over it. The author of this article meant nothing sensational by comparing the loss of life here. The facts are the facts.

I myself have caught slack for comparing the deaths suffered in the 2004 Asian Tsunami and 9/11 and pointing out how ridiculous it is that years later 9/11 seems more important than an event where ONE HUNDRED TIMES MORE PEOPLE DIED, yet because most of them weren't First World citizens, there doesn't seem to be a care. The same goes for Hurricane Katrina, which we still haven't been given an accurate number of fatalities, and the War on Terror which MILLIONS of people have died in so far. These are facts. Look them up.

"the problem you two have is the disparity between the value of human life and the life of other animals."

Your house is on fire, and I'm a fireman (fire fighter if you wanna be P.C.). I rush into your burning home and see a mouse and your 2 year old son in a room. I only have enough time to grab one, thus leaving the other to burn to death. Who do I save and why should I leave the other to die?

Human life, even yours, trumps a random animal. As much as it pains me to say this... even some Nazi KKK Amway salesman (salesperson) would be pulled out of the burning house over the mouse (OK, I'll pull that person out s l o w l y or at least toss the mouse out a window to give it a fighting chance).

And yes, author did make the connection, how many wildebeest died compared to how many humans died... these are two different events on all levels. Apples and terrorist and using 9/11 as some sort of bench mark for nature is in poor taste. I'm not saying the author can't say it... they can spew out any more stupid comments they please, but those of us who thing have the same right to call them to the floor for being stupid.

'tis late and I'm going to start watching another MST3K.

Thank you.

opps... those of us who THINK have the same right to call them to the floor for being stupid... a little bit of the kettle calling the pot black there. :)

Oh dear God how small minded some of these previous posters have been. They are however very correct its totally wrong to compare 911 to this accident.

It was 1% of the population that died. Thats what something like, at present, 60 Million people dieing. On a par with world war two not two bloody buildings attacks.

Dont get me wrong. I work in emergency services and think 911 was a very bad thing done by desperate men. But the near religious reverence for it is crazy. It was a terrorist event, stop making it into the subject for a two minute hate.

I called Kenya Wildlife Service kws.org to confirm the details. The PR guy handling this issue said it was 5,000 not 10,000 as wildly reported by the local and international media.
An offical posted a press release on my blog concerning this issue here http://www.africapoint.net/news/10000-wildebeest-dead/

You know what i think? All this publicity that the wildebeest migration in masai mara and serengeti is generating of late needs to be checked so that it doesn't go out of control. Too many visitors might have an effect on the masai mara and serengeti eco system which these wildebeest actually depend on.

Typical of environmentalist's disdain for humanity.