Killer Animals: Shocking True Stories of Deadly Conflicts Between Humans and Animals
Behind the happy picture of animals as pets and friends of humankind, there lies a fearsome and often hidden reality of animals as killers. It is this darker side of our contact with animals that Edward R. Ricciuti explores in Killer Animals.With a wealth of documented reports from hundreds of zoologists and field biologists, Ricciuti examines the human-beast conflict as it pervades modern life. He tells of: animals' revenge as they turn on their hunters; pets gone berserk and attacking small children; terrible, gruesome attacks in zoos and circuses; the formidable array of animal-borne diseases that continues to plague us.In addition, Ricciuti uncovers much shocking information on the thriving, modern-day animal underworld of cockfighting, poaching, black-market animal dealers, snake cultists, alligator wrestlers, and much more. He focuses on the hypocrisy, sentimentalism, and commercialization that pervade today's animal "industry," and he ultimately suggests that the darker side of animals is something we bring upon ourselves.