Re: The joy of actual numbers, was Democracy

In comp.os.linux.misc Scott Lurndal <scott@slp53.sl.home> wrote:

Rich <rich@example.invalid> writes:

In comp.os.linux.misc D <nospam@example.net> wrote:

 
 
On Sun, 10 Nov 2024, rbowman wrote:
 

On Sun, 10 Nov 2024 11:18:57 +0100, D wrote:
>

If I moved there I sure would need a .357 Magnum do defend myself
if those cats are loose!  I'd better practice my quick draw!

>
I've had several encounters with cats without bloodshed.  They
have a profile for prey and I don't fit it.  Mountain bikers and
joggers fit the fleeing prey envelope rather well.  Small children
are vulnerable.  The last fatality in this state was in 1989, a 5
year old riding a tricycle.
>
Not to anthropomorphize but in my encounters we made eye contact
and eventually went our separate ways.  My feeling was the cat was
curious about this thing standing its ground and concluded it was
another apex predator best left alone.

 
Wow!  The only thing I remember having heard or read is, if meet
bear, then try to appear huge and make some noise.  Maybe it works
on cats as well?

>
Do keep in mind that outside of African savanna cats, the 'cats' that
someone will encounter backwoods in the US will be quite a bit
smaller than a bear (both in weight and in size).  So a standing
human, holding his/her gound, will appear to the cat to be a possible
'foe' of 2x to 3x their height.

 
A male Puma concolor, commonly found in california, is 5 feet long
and 170 pounds.  About the same size as a smaller adult black bear in
california.

Ok, I was thinking 'grizzly' size, seems Grizzly's do range in the size
I had in mind (306lb to 858lb for males
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly>), and didn't realize we had
some rather big cats in the back-woods..

So that Puma would outweigh a fair subset of hikers, and even for
hikers who would outweigh the Puma, the Puma will win any altercation
with a weaponless hiker.