Man-eaters of Eden December 20, 2007
Posted by Clarissa Hughes in : Animals, Books , trackback
When I first learned of Robert R. Frump’s book called the “Man-eaters of Eden” I have to confess I groaned inwardly. Thinking of the Hollywood version of the man-eaters of Tsavo (Michael Douglas in the Ghosts of Darkness) I didn’t want to hear more demonizing of a perfectly natural phenomenon – predators eating prey.
I was pleasantly surprised. Robert Frump not only tackles the issue without hysteria but does so in good journalistic fashion – attempting to get all sides of the story.
He details the history of man and lions and how we’ve gone from seeing these iconic animals as competitors and vermin to applauding, and even insisting on, their presence during photographic safaris. But none of these perspectives is from the position of being on the receiving end i.e. being the hunted, the prey.
Having spent much of my adult life in the African wilds I know there are frequent instances of humans being preyed upon by wild animals. And, although objectionable and tragic, it is regarded as part of life. Westerners, and indeed Robert Frump, find this indifference astonishing. Yet it is no different to pedestrians being killed by vehicles in Western cities. It happens. We try and make rules and change behavior to mitigate this, but it still happens. In fact, the book describes well the changes that park wardens and the Mozambiquans themselves have taken to lessen the numbers of people being killed.
People in Africa get eaten by crocodiles, trampled by elephants and consumed by lions and hyaenas fairly regularly. But before we throw up our hands in horror and with a Western mind immediately ask “What should be done about this?” let’s pause for a moment and put everything in context.
With the Bali conference just concluding and the wake-up call the West is facing regarding the natural environment, we surely need to reassess our inclinations to subdue nature. Robert Frump talks much about paradigm shifts and asks (but not answers) that question of all questions: “Is a human life always more valuable than a lion’s?” The human race now finds itself before the monumental dilemma: when do humanity’s obligations to the planet we call home, kick in? (Perhaps theologians will call this godliness?) Indeed the challenge to embrace a more intimate relationship with Mother Earth can first be tackled by understanding that all creatures are not demons. And that living a “natural” life, where the risk of being eaten is as prevalent as the risk of being run over by a bus, is where acceptance of the immutable can take root.
While on the subject of lions, humans and literature I recommend Joseph Kessel’s extremely well-written book “The Lion” for an emotive, and somewhat dated, version of the question of our time.
Comments»
Hi,
Thanks for the good review. The South African edition of this book is available from http://www.justdone.co.za/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/31
John