Attract
Repel
But is Africa coming to you?
What Do Africa and Alaska Have in Common? http://fragilecologies.com/oct11_06.html
“Learning is not compulsory. Neither is survival.”
W. Edwards Deming
"Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
General John Stark
Soooooo - back to the OP. Just why is the "Africa Fire Controversy" a controversy? And between whom?
My entire knowledge base of Africa and lions comes from a series of movies featuring Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O' Hara, so if Tarzan ain't around to protect me from the lions, I ain't going.
some fella confronted me the other day and asked "What's your problem?" So I told him, "I don't have a problem I am a problem"
1. If it's in your kit and you don't know how to use it....It's useless.
2. If you can't reach your kit when you need it....Its useless.
Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours
www.youralaskavacation.com
Tell them Kevin sent you!!
Yes, they do run from flaming marshmellows.
And I have been informed that I can never return to the Cincinnati Zoo.
I don't have experience in Africa and just saw this post (I would love to know why some of us can't see new posts.).
We have natural fires in the Everglades region all the time. In the actual river of grass they let the fire burn. But, in Big Cypress National Preserve they put it out "to protect endangered wildlife".
Last year they finally let a natural fire burn its course with minimal interference from the parks firefighters. Biologists and others got to observe how panthers, deer, and other animals behaved around the fire. Many were observed moving into check out the fire. None were observed fleeing the fire. They easily avoided the fire when need be. They made mention that because of the amount of time since a big burn had occurred it was the first time many of the animals had experienced fire and that where fires occur all the time the animals would just avoid the fire.
Based on those fairly logical observations, I would think that some animals would be drawn toward a campfire out of curiosity if campfires where unusual in the area. Maybe, more so, if camping were more common and they had come to associate the presence of campfires and food.
I will see if I can find the article. I was in and around the area during the fire and shortly after camping and riding Bear Island Unit where most of the fire occurred. Didn't observe any precooked squirrels or rabbits.
Not the same article, but, the information is there. East Hinson Marsh is part of Bear Island Unit. This fire shut down Alligator Alley for days.
http://www.floridapanther.org/update_0609.pdf
While I have never tried it, one of the older guys that I work with talks about his grandfather hunting many years ago up in the big woods of Maine. He said his grandfather would find a good place and build a fire. The deer would sneak in to see what it was and he was able to get them that way.
I dont think it has anything to do with lions but it seems to work with North American animals!
Realisrically, I have seen animals come to my fire many times. Occasionally I have been forced to chase them away. Sometimes they have chased me away.
I was encircled by a pack of ferral dogs back in the '70s, have had coyotes roaming around outside the light and have had racoons come right into the fire circle. I had a bear chase me off the fire and eat my supper one night on the AT.
I am sure if you burned an animal or traped it with fire you would get a different reaction. In the old days they used fire as a drive tool while hunting.
My two cents would have to be both. Every animal has some curious instinct and depending on the size of the fire, whats burning (Scent wise), and if in a camp situation how many people are near the fire..... It would repel, not in a run to the hills sort of repel but keep a distance between the animal and the fire.
A mentor of mine has a son in africa and i will see if she has heard of this and ask him what he thinks.
I've posted on this before but when my son was in South Africa they told him to keep a large fire burning all night to keep the Jaguars away. He was sitting outside a small hut one night when a cat took a monkey just on the other side of the fire. He didn't know either of them were there until the monkey screamed. He spent the rest of the night inside the hut.
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That will teach them monkeys from making friends with them when they are small.
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