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wild dogs / wolf study
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Scalden- 1897 - via Internet Archive
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Blockhead Beagle
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The Beast that Bothers
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UM WE FORGOT THE OTHER TWO
tumblr when a new pathetic man drops
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Growing up I lived in an area with a lot of cattle farming and I was very scared of the cows. Do you have any cool facts that will make me either more or less afraid of cows?
oh hmm let me think on that!
facts related to how to interact with cows so all parties feel and stay safe:
- they have a very prey herd animal mentality. they want to move with their herdmates. they want to watch any potential threats like people and move away from them. they don't like loud or unfamiliar noises (they're sensitive souls. sometimes if i visit a dairy wearing waterproof coveralls where the cows are only used to people wearing cotton coveralls, just the whisper of waterproof pants rubbing against each other can spook them) or abrupt movements or going into areas they can't see well (and they have difficulty with depth perception due to their wide-set eyes for 300 degree vision, and with high-contrast, so going from sun into shade or vice versa can look like stepping into a white or black void for them and they don't like it)
- based on this, we know the keys to low-stress cattle handling are consistency in how you interact with them, calmness (small movements, quiet words to let them know you're there), moving cows in groups big enough to have friends but small enough you can control the whole group without them milling around or the ones in front stopping and causing a traffic jam, and slowly moving them by just barely getting in their "bubble" of "whoa, you're a little too close for comfort, i'm going to move in the other direction" without ever getting into their "YIKES RUN AWAY FROM THIS THING" bubble
- the last point involves understanding pressure and flight zones and point of balance:
- from Mississippi State University Extension:
- from grandin.com (highly recommend as a source of information about animal behaviour and welfare!!! temple grandin my idol since i was like nine i love her so. and i tear up when i think about how much she's done for millions of animals ;_; she's a genius and no lie revolutionized low-stress handling):
- pet cows that get doted on enough to bond with people may not see people as a threat so the normal ways we use pressure zones to iinteract with cows don't necessarily do anything for them. you would lead them more like a horse, using a halter. or lure them with treats.
- beef cows typically have little contact with people, often just processing (vaccines, preg checks, quick exam for any health problems) a couple times a year, so they can be very wild. doesn't mean they're aggressive, the overwhelming majority are non-aggressive but they have very large flight zones, so if you don't recognize that and approach too quickly, getting deep in their flight zone, that can get you into a dangerous situation where they get aggressive as a last resort. that said, they do usually still choose flight unless their calf is with them. "never get between mom and baby" applies as it does with any species
- dairy cows are in between beef cows and pet cows. they interact with people regularly, several times per day, and it's respectful but not doting. kind of a business relationship with their handlers. they're not terrified of people by any means, but they haven't been, like, hand-fed treats to get over their instinctive wariness of potential-predator-like animals, and they know sometimes handling results in unpleasant experiences like medical treatment or pregnancy checks, so they avoid touch and have a flight zone, though it's small (and sometimes they'll calmly let you walk right up to them unrestrained, or approach you and lick you out of curiosity). very very rare to have an aggressive dairy cow (as in, one that attacks you instead of moving away when you're bothering them a little. really bothering them and ignoring body language when they can't move away is much more likely to get you kicked)
- bulls are not docile. not every bull will be aggressive, but you should assume that every bull has the capacity to become aggressive with little provocation, and always keep a respectful distance and know your escape route if you have to be in a pen or field with them
- cows love exploring with their tongues. any time you're in a dairy barn there's gonna be at least one friendly girl mlem mlem mlemming who won't leave you alone
- adding on to the above, there is a slight caveat that you still have to be a LITTLE wary of friendly cows. 99% of the time they're just friendly but sometimes cows in heat will try to mount people. you don't have to be scared of friendly cows but if they're right next to you just keep them in your line of sight so you can move away if they make like they're going to mount. again, not common, never happened to me, but something to be aware of
- signs of a happy, relaxed cow: lying down, chewing cud or eating, tail hanging down relaxed, moving slowly with her herd
- signs of a slightly wary cow (you have entered the "pressure zone"): standing still/stopping what she's doing, turning towards you, ears turning towards you (watching the ears is a very good way of knowing what she's paying attention to), tail swishing or raised a bit away from body
- signs of a distressed cow: vocalizing (they also moo for other reasons though), tail swishing, fidgeting/pawing/looking like she wants to move but doesn't know where to, freezing up and intermittently making erratic movements (back away a little)
- signs of an aggressive cow: head down with attention on you, pawing ground, turning to show you their broad side. (turn sideways and calmly but swiftly walk away diagonally)
nocticola reblogged
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i am obsessed with rabbits as always so let's make a rabbit together
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any time i see someone say “Pikuach Nefesh” i read it as “Pikachu Nefesh” and i can’t stop 😭
PikaJew
[image: pikachu edited to have a talit, peyot, and a black hat. End id]
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moomin is the one fandom i really love seeing on tumblr even though i know nothing about it. i have no idea who those funky lil dudes are but they radiate happiness and love
The thing about moomins is that it can get quite dark and dramatic, but usually with a sense that everything will be all right. Our house has been flooded - so we moved into a floating theatre. There’s a terrifying monster that freezes everything she touches - but she can totally be thawed by a lamp and some friendly dancing. We get sucked up by a vacuum cleaner, but then we manage to escape and go home, and Moominmamma makes juice for us. There’s a whole story about a creature who’s terrified that some big disaster will come over here, and then when a tornado comes and sweeps her house away, she realizes that she always hated that house and all the obligations that came with it, and that she’s finally free.
The attitude is that the world is a dangerous place, and wouldn’t it be boring if it wasn’t? Like a child who comes back after a picnic with shining eyes and exclaims: “I climbed the TALLEST TREE IN THE WORLD!”
It’s very much the books of a woman who voluntarily lived on a tiny island in the middle of the Baltic Sea.
Plus, you know, some of the characters are literally based on her and her girlfriends, so there’s that. :-) (Tofslan and Vifslan are Tove Jansson and her then-girlfriend Vivica Bandler, Too-ticki is her later life partner Tuulikki Pietilä.)
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I would have had it go higher, but I ran out of room. I'm genuinely just curious because I think I had sex for the first time very young but I'm not actually sure.
reblog for a larger sample size (or don't, it's your life!)
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We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.
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23 April 2024 - 15 Nisan 5784
Yes, today is the first day of Passover!
Passover is the week-long festival which celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Some will have a second Seder tonight.
Throughout the days of Passover, many Jews will abstain from eating “chametz,” defined as any food containing wheat, oats, rye, barley, or spelt, save for the unleavened matzos bread. Some also refrain from eating “Kitniyot,” including corn, rice, and beans.
Additionally, the Counting of the Omer begins tonight at nightfall.
The Counting of the Omer is a verbal count with a blessing of each of the seven weeks (49 days) between Passover and Shavuot. The purpose of this is to stand in anticipation of the Torah.
Tonight: Count 1
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Whatever the case, feel free to write long-winded explanations in the tags, I WILL read them!