Vegetarian lions and carnivorous cows

[Guest guest]

Hello Kerry,

I read your post on the vegetarian lion with great interest

and agree with you that it may well be true. But what does it imply? Take a

look at this news item about a carnivorous cow that ate 48 chickens. Does it

prove that cows are carnivores? Do let me know your thoughts.

Trust you are well and that your campaigns are progressing smoothly.

Best wishes and kind regards,

 

http://www.upperitaly.net/index.php?id=114

Carnivorous Cow Gobbles 48 Chickens

Slipping out for a box of McNuggets

 

Since we entered into some unworthy speculation a few weeks ago about Indian

sacred cows – that was *(here)*

<http://www.upperitaly.net/index.php?id=108>– we feel it is necessary

to follow up with an important piece of news on

the subject that has recently appeared in " The Scotsman " under the

encyclopedic title: " Carnivorous cow gobbles up 48 chickens. "

 

According to the Edinburgh paper –

*(here)*<http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=367932007>,

at least for the moment – " When dozens of chickens went missing from a

remote West Bengal village, everyone blamed the neighbourhood dogs. But Ajit

Ghosh, the owner of the missing poultry, eventually solved the puzzle when

he caught his cow – a sacred animal for the Hindu family – gobbling up

several of them at night. "

 

Anxious to get to the bottom of the matter, Ajit and his brother Gour Ghosh

had staked out the chicken house and, according to Gour: " Instead of the

dogs, we watched in horror as the calf, whom we had fondly named Lal,

sneaked to the coop and grabbed the little ones with the precision of a

jungle cat. "

 

We are of course charmed by the idea of a sacred cow padding about in the

dark " with the precision of a jungle cat " and pouncing hungrily on chickens.

Veterinarians believe all this has to do with some kind of dietary

deficiency, but neighborhood thinkers apparently incline to the theory that

the animal may have been a tiger in a previous reincarnation.

 

The Scottish newspaper's readers, being of course Scots, had another take on

the matter. One wrote: " Mibbe the cow wis pregnant…mibbe it wis a cravin

like eh?....mibbe animals git cravins anaw whin thir preggers….? "

 

 

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1733848.cms?ticker=1

 

Calf chews on raw chicken

8 Mar 2007, 0256 hrs IST, REUTERS

Print<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1733848,prtpage-1.cms>

Email <javascript:openWindowmail('/mail/1733848.cms');> Discuss

Share<javascript:void(0)>

Save <javascript:showdivlayer('1733848','t','close');>

Comment<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1733848.cms?ticker=1#writ\

e>

Text:

KOLKATA: When Ajit Ghosh staked out his small poultry farm to find out

why his chickens were going missing mysteriously, he was not prepared for the

sight that awaited him — it wasn't a dog but his calf that was chewing up

the chickens raw, bones and all. The calf has gobbled up at least 48

chickens in a month.

 

Though veterinary experts say a mineral deficiency could have turned the cow

carnivorous, villagers believe the calf — fondly named Lal by Ajit — was a

tiger in his previous birth. " We were shocked to see our calf eating

chickens alive, " Ghosh said. The bizarre incident happened in Chandpur, a

remote village in Bankura.When dozens of chickens went missing, everyone

blamed the neighbourhood dogs.

 

Ajit and his family decided to stand guard all night on Monday at the cow

shed which also served as his small poultry. " Instead of the dogs, we

watched in horror as the calf sneaked up to the coop and grabbed little

chicks with the precision of a jungle cat, " Gour Ghosh, his brother, said.

 

Local television pictures showed the cow grabbing and eating a chicken in

seconds and a vet confirmed the case. " We think lack of vital minerals in

the body is causing this behaviour. We have examined the calf and asked

doctors to look into the case immediately, " said district veterinary officer

Mihir Satpathy.

 

" This strange behaviour is possible in some exceptional cases, " Satpathy

added. Hundreds of villagers flocked to Chandpur on Wednesday to catch a

glimpse of Lal enjoying his bundle of green grass, for a change. " The local

vets tell us the cow probably suffers from a disease. But if you believe the

villagers, Lal was a tiger in his previous birth, " Ajit said.