![]() It is here, among the ranks of prehistoric predators, where science and science fiction intersect. Many of the world’s famous fossil human deposits, from the collection of Homo erectus bones at China’s Dragon Bone Hill the collection of Homo erectus bones at China’s Dragon Bone Hill the collection of Homo erectus bones at China’s Dragon Bone Hill to the “ First Family” of Australopithecus afarensis in Ethiopia, were created by predators. Since the origin of the first humans over 6 million years ago, our kind has been prey. These creature features are modern tales invented since our species has appointed itself to a position of dominance over nature - part of the point of these “revenge of nature” films is to remind us that our control is not as complete as we might believe - but it has only been recently that we have been able to develop such a conceit. ![]() ![]() Exposed to the dangerous chemical output of our industry, ordinary ants attain enormous size and attempt to claim the world for themselves. This situation is reversed in the formicid films Them! (1954) and Empire of the Ants (1977). Reduced to Lilliputian size by a mix of hydrogen gas and pesticide, housecats and ordinary spiders suddenly become fearsome giants. ![]() Consider the plight of Scott Carey (played by Grant Williams) in 1957’s The Incredible Shrinking Man. If we find monsters in our world, it is sometimes because they are really there and sometimes because we have brought them with us.” Even the ordinary can be a wellspring for monsters. Stephen Asma, in his appropriately titled On Monsters, writes “The monster, of course, is a product of and a regular inhabitant of the imagination, but the imagination is a driving force behind our entire perception of the world. There is no natural category of monstrous things. The tiger stalking in the jungle and the crocodile lurking in the shallows can inspire terror, but monsters are ominous beings which question the rules of existence as we know it. Each is an aberrant creation - something from an earlier age, or something corrupted - that disrupts the harmonious arrangement of the universe. So, as with all wildlife species, it is advisable to keep your distance and do as little as possible to disturb their natural habitat if you encounter one in the wild.What makes a monster? Godzilla, Medusa, Frankenstein’s monster, Fáfnir, the Alien: All these fictional fiends have disparate origins, attributes, and motivations, but they are tied together by their disregard for what we perceive as the natural order. This isn’t to say it wouldn’t or couldn’t happen, in freak circumstances. No records exist of shoebills killing or attacking humans. These dinosaur-like waders are sometimes dubbed “Death Pelicans” – snakes up to 1 m (3.2 ft) in length pose no problem for a shoebill to catch and kill, and crocodiles of a similar size are also among their most common larger targets. They have strong, razor-sharp beaks that allow them to decapitate any prey they catch. Shoebills prey on crocodiles, especially juvenile ones. When visitors do not greet him with a bow, the bird moves away, and will not allow visitors to touch or approach him. When visitors greet Sushi with a bow, the greeting is returned, and visitors may even be able to touch him. Observed behavior at a wildfowl center in Uganda describes what happens when someone bows to their resident shoebill Sushi – and what happens when they don’t. Read on to find out more about these elusive, giant storklike birds and their deadly hunting methods, please do read on. Human hunting contributed significantly to the decline in numbers, and only between 5,000 and 10,000 birds remain in the wild. Shoebills are a vulnerable species with few natural predators. In fact, the opposite is more likely to be true. People are not at risk from shoebills, and there are no records of attacks on humans by these “prehistoric throwback” wading birds. Their powerful bills are used to catch and kill prey – usually fish from the wetlands on which they live – but they are also capable of successfully hunting larger mammals, reptiles and waterfowl. Shoebills are wading birds, native to specific regions of central Africa including Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, and Sudan. However, their strong, wide beak enables them to target some rather sizable prey including crocodiles, lizards and even large antelopes. Keep reading as we investigate whether this is one species that really shouldn’t be judged on looks alone.ĭespite their somewhat sinister appearance, shoebills are generally calm, docile birds that do not pose a risk to humans. Known for their rather intimidating appearance, with dinosaur-like features and a strong, powerful beak, shoebill storks may look highly threatening, but does their behavior match their fearsome appearance? Are shoebills dangerous to humans? What do you do if a Shoebill attacks you?.Signs that a Shoebill is about to attack.Are Shoebills aggressive to other birds?.
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