The article describes several instances where wild animals, such as tigers, elephants, buffaloes, and crocodiles, have taken revenge on humans, primarily poachers and hunters, who have threatened or harmed them or their loved ones. In one notable case, a tiger in the Russian Far East killed a poacher who had wounded and stolen from it, and later killed another human after developing a taste for human flesh.
The article also mentions a hunter in South Africa who was killed by an elephant after years of hunting animals, and another hunter who was gored to death by a buffalo. Additionally, it tells the story of a poacher who was killed by a tiger in India, and a hunter who was eaten by crocodiles in Zimbabwe.
The article suggests that these instances of revenge are not just coincidental, but rather a result of the animals' intelligence, memory, and capacity for vengeance. It also highlights the impact of poaching and hunting on animal behavior, leading to increased aggression and a desire for revenge.
The article concludes by noting that while animals may not always be motivated by a desire for revenge, they will defend themselves when threatened, and that humans should be aware of the consequences of their actions on the natural world.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. In 1997, a Russian poacher named Vladimir Markov was killed by a tiger in the Russian Far East.
2. Markov had wounded the tiger and stolen part of its prey, leading the tiger to seek revenge.
3. The tiger was an alpha male, over 10 feet long, and weighed around 500 pounds.
4. The tiger attacked Markov at his cabin, destroying anything with his scent on it, and waited for him to come home.
5. Markov shot the tiger at point-blank range with a shotgun, but the tiger only became more enraged.
6. The tiger killed Markov, and researchers suspect that it ate him, not because it was hungry, but because it had developed a taste for human flesh.
7. The tiger then began to view humans as prey and struck again, killing a young ex-military man.
8. The tiger was eventually killed by authorities, but not before it had terrorized an entire village.
9. In South Africa, a young elephant was killed by a hunter, and its herd sought revenge, attacking the hunter and his party.
10. The elephant that was killed was a pregnant female, and its herd was led by a matriarchal figure.
11. The herd attacked the hunter's party, killing one of the hunters and injuring others.
12. In 2017, a South African hunter named Venus Botha was killed by an elephant that he had wounded.
13. Botha was a professional hunter and had been hunting in the area for over 30 years.
14. The elephant that killed Botha was a large male, and it was later found that the elephant had been wounded by Botha's hunting party.
15. In 2018, a hunter named Claude Kleinons was killed by a buffalo that he had wounded.
16. Kleinons was a professional hunter and had been hunting in South Africa for over 30 years.
17. The buffalo that killed Kleinons was a large male, and it was later found that the buffalo had been wounded by Kleinons' hunting party.
18. In India, a tiger was killed by a poacher, and its partner sought revenge, killing the poacher.
19. The tiger that sought revenge was a large male, and it was later found that the tiger had been tracking the poacher for several days.
20. In Zimbabwe, a professional hunter named Scott Van Zyl was killed by a crocodile while on a hunting safari.
21. Van Zyl was a friend of Botha, the hunter who was killed by an elephant.
22. In Australia, a group of fishermen were attacked by a shark that they had accidentally caught on their line.
23. The shark, a bronze whaler, attacked the boat's propeller and then swam away.
24. The shark's attack was not an act of revenge, but rather a result of its curiosity and attraction to the boat's electrical pulses.
25. In Italy, a woman shot a wild boar that charged at her, but the boar continued to attack until it was fought off with the butt of the rifle.
26. The woman's intentions for shooting the boar were unclear, but it is likely that she was hunting it.
27. In South Africa, a group of lions attacked a hunting party, killing one of the hunters.
28. The lions were later found to have been wounded by the hunting party, leading them to seek revenge.
29. In India, a group of elephants attacked a village, destroying crops and property, and killing several people.
30. The elephants were later found to have been driven out of their natural habitat by human activity, leading them to seek revenge against humans.