tanknut Posted September 4, 2007 Posted September 4, 2007 Are large wild animals, mega-fauna I guess you can call them, (particularly large wild predators) ever taken into account or considered when planning or executing operations in combat zones (such as patrols in the countryside in Iraq, Afghanistan or other countries if you are from another armed service deployed in another hot zone). I believe officially Cheetahs and Persian Leopards and possibly Brown Bears range into parts of Iraq (in Northern Kurdistan and the border with Iran) and mountain Snow Leopards in Afghanistan. Have you ever glimpsed, seen, or heard stories from people who have encountered these animals and if so what happened? My father was just telling me about an uncle or relative in the army that was on patrol, training in the Southwest United States in the Rocky Mountains and he separated from his unit to take a dump and he heard something above and looked up to see a huge Mountain lion jump from one side of the cliff to another at the top of the gorge he was in, a 30-foot leap! Biologists have measured a leap by a leopard once over a cliff from one side of a chasm to another that turned out to be 49-feet wide so by no means is that a record but still an alarming and impressive sight!
Mk 1 Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Only predator stories I've heard to come out of Iraq or Afghanistan so far have involved this bugger. Not quite a mega-fauna.... http://www.snopes.com/photos/bugs/camelspider.asp
KingSargent Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Is it time for another run-through of the Suphi's Elephant story?
Guest JamesG123 Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Coming into Ballad with a convoy late on night (or early one morning) our scout truck crew swears they saw a small group of pigs (wild boar) off to the side of the road. While most of us chalk it up to a misidentification of the scruffy local dogs, it did touch off a debate that lasted about a month about IF there were pigs in a Muslem country would they be safe because no one could eat them?
Olof Larsson Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Coming into Ballad with a convoy late on night (or early one morning) our scout truck crew swears they saw a small group of pigs (wild boar) off to the side of the road. While most of us chalk it up to a misidentification of the scruffy local dogs, it did touch off a debate that lasted about a month about IF there were pigs in a Muslem country would they be safe because no one could eat them? Well they do have wildboar in Tunisia and Turkey.European (and american I guess) pays to hunt them.Employed locals (in Tunisia) works at least as drivers/beaters,while managment seems to be mostly european. I would guees that the turks run a larger proportionof the enterprice themself.
Typhoid Maxx Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Well they do have wildboar in Tunisia and Turkey.European (and american I guess) pays to hunt them.Employed locals (in Tunisia) works at least as drivers/beaters,while managment seems to be mostly european. I would guees that the turks run a larger proportionof the enterprice themself. Wild boar is big on the tourist menu in Tunisia. Also, as far as Muslim countries go, Bosnia's Muslim population seem to "disappear" a large number of pigs and alcohol.
120mm Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 (edited) During OIF I, 4ID soldiers discovered a wild animal preserve between Balad and Baghdad. Being soldiers, they immediately started shooting and eating them. They even ran a story in The Stars and Stripes about it. While taking a shower near the water point in Balad, I saw a desert cheetah chasing the Iraqi version of a housecat across the compound. The guy in the shower next to me saw it too, and took off, leaving his clothing and weapon in the process. I merely enjoyed seeing a little "life and death" drama played out before my eyes. BTW - the desert cheetah appeared to be about mid-thigh height and maybe 40 pounds. Not a big cat at all, and built lightly to boot. Don't know if it ever caught the cat. Edited to add: Found the species. AKA Caracal. Click the link to find out more!http://www.indiantiger.org/wild-cats/caracal.html Edited September 5, 2007 by 120mm
RETAC21 Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Not in Iraq, but a friend of mine had an unexpected encounter with a wild boar while on maneuvers. At the time he was in a rather embarassing position, but didn't keep him from running away holding his pants in his hands.
Hellfish6 Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 I got chased by a boar at Hohenfels. Rammed itself into the back of our 113 too.
Marek Tucan Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 My dad found a pack of wild pigs one nice morning when he looked for the first time after waking up from his radio truck - he actually managed to take pictures, standing right under the truck's rear doors and ready to jump in and close doors if any of the pigs made some "funny" move
tanknut Posted September 6, 2007 Author Posted September 6, 2007 I thought this took plac ein Afghanistan, but it was just inside the Pakistan border I guess.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4672125.stm Still, it took place in Kashmir so it was "operating" in a war zone.Too bad it didn't "run into (and made a quick meal of)" Osama when he was up in the Mountains after fleeing Tora Bora.
Sikkiyn Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 a.. Ran into a bear while patroling Srpski Babus.b.. Ran into many boars on the FYROM border.c.. Anywhere you go you can find a pack of feral dogs.d.. Some of the natives would fit in the criteria for wild beasts: Kurti comes to mind.e.. One mountain-side LP/OP invaded by a herd of wild deer.f.. The literal cloud of black-birds I have seen go into mad flight around sunset at KFOR Main, aka Film City.
Bluelight Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 I thought this took plac ein Afghanistan, but it was just inside the Pakistan border I guess.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4672125.stm Still, it took place in Kashmir so it was "operating" in a war zone.Too bad it didn't "run into (and made a quick meal of)" Osama when he was up in the Mountains after fleeing Tora Bora.Beautiful animal, sad it couldn't coexist with us.
Jim Martin Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 Beautiful animal, sad it couldn't coexist with us. Article says it was getting old. It seems fairly common that aging predators, unable to catch other prey, overcome their reluctance/fear to approach humans, since we're such easy prey--slow, weak, vulnerable.
Bearded-Dragon Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 I seem to remember watching some wildlife programme on TV where it was claimed that in WWII a large number of Japanese soldiers were forced to retreat into a swamp somewhere and were nearly all eaten by Crocodiles. I wonder if this is true?
Typhoid Maxx Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 d.. Some of the natives would fit in the criteria for wild beasts: Kurti comes to mind.? Kurti? pray tell?
CV9040C Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 (edited) One of these were encountered at Camp Clara, Liberia:Western Green Mamba I saw it crawl through the grass, about 1,5 m long, thin, green. The EOD-section leader disposed of it using his shotgun. A magnificent animal when alive, I preferred it dead. A rifleman claimed to have seen a snake with two horns on its head. This is unconfirmed though. EDIT: Or is there such a snake? Edited September 6, 2007 by CV9040C
Daan Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 A rifleman claimed to have seen a snake with two horns on its head. This is unconfirmed though. laugh.gif Such snakes exist: i.e. Rhinoceros viper: Another snake with horns is the desert horned viper. Other species have eye lashes that look like small horns, such as the Usambara mountain bush viper: Perhaps someone dumped his or her exotic pet in the Finnish woods.
G.Hebert Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 On an OP in A'stan my gunner swears he saw a leopard or similar beast through his thermal, it was spotted several other times usually late at night prowling between our strongpoints, we would hear "LigerReps" on the net at times as well.
Olof Larsson Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 I seem to remember watching some wildlife programme on TV where it was claimed that in WWII a large number of Japanese soldiers were forced to retreat into a swamp somewhere and were nearly all eaten by Crocodiles. I wonder if this is true? Ramree island of Burma.When the brittish landed and outflanked a japaneese stonghold,the surviving japaneese soldiers (900-1000) tried to break contactand head of to another garrison on the other side of the island. They tried to do so by wading throu a 1o mile wide mangrove swamp,what the brits managed to encircle.When the brits later searched the swamps they found 20 survivors.The remainders might have sneaked out throu the brittish lines and/or died of stavation and/or thirst and/or crocs. It is believed that 500 of the 900-1000 managed to sneak out,and that most of the remainders died of thirst and starvation.The crocs probably took a few healthy men, and anyone dead or weakthat couldn't stay out of the way of the crocs. A bit like the sharcs and USS Indianapolis I guess.
Rubberneck Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 There were supposed wolf skin and mountain leopard skins for sale in the bazaars of Kabul, wouldn't be terribly surprised to see them. Saw some scorpions there, they were pretty small, and I've heard the smaller they are, the more deadly the posion. Saw lots of camels, wild dogs, huge effing goats, and J-Lo sheep.
tanknut Posted September 7, 2007 Author Posted September 7, 2007 They made a (bad) movie of this bad boy: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2520815.stmOf course the movie was a loose adaptation but still...He was taking advantage of the Chaos and killing in the countryside of Burundi. There was no real goverment control in the rural areas because of the Hutu insurgents and most of the armed parties in any case were too busy fighting on another to worry about the big ole reptile getting some side action out of all the killing.
Sikkiyn Posted September 7, 2007 Posted September 7, 2007 ? Kurti? pray tell? Left you a message so as to not high-jack the thread.
Archie Pellagio Posted September 9, 2007 Posted September 9, 2007 Given that snow leopards are endangered species, seeing one would be more a privelidge than a danger. And yes their pelts, hats and what not are avaliable in kabul's bazaars on the south side of the river. I'd imagine in Nuristan and the likes bordering Chitral and the like where its all green and forest it might be likely for a surprise... That said i'd be more worried about "Jack" - An american i met in Chitral, with no baggage (he lost it down a ravine in the kalash valley) who armed with his sword, goes to the area to hunt Osama, using his bible to locate him. Apparently he found two lieutennants of OBL and had his sword ready, but tracked them (and thus lost his bag, passport etc...)
exT70 Posted September 10, 2007 Posted September 10, 2007 South African National Defence Force doing border patrols in the Kruger National Park (and other border areas) in northern South Africa very often deals with the local fauna, ranging from lion to elephant, rhino, hippo, hyena etc. Hippo most problematic. The rest can be mostly avoided (not allowed to interfere with wildlife). Lion takes quite a number of illegal immigrants trying to cross the border. One of our company commanders tells a story of, as young section leader, having a MAG gunner in his section late at night in a temp base/bivvy getting involved in an argument with a hyena. Half a belt of 7.62 v. hyena apparently not a fair fight.
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