Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my riding buddies sent me these pics. They are too amazing not to share....




Needless to say, I have a whole new respect for the mule and I already admired them greatly. I'm trying to get the story (behind the pics) from my friend.
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

he was the most docile animal in the world .. but lemme tell ya .. all the dogs in the neighborhood feared that mule like you wouldnt believe .. lol .. turns out those dogs were trying to attack it one night.. and the head dog .. was killed by the mule according to some neighbors i had that lived next door.. which was like a block away ..lol .. they said the mule stomped on the dog to death .. i must say .. you really do have to respect these animals .. i sure as hell do .. and after lookin at these pics ? i do even more .. lol
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NO BEAUTY LIKE THE BEAUTY OF A TRUE REDTAIL !!

Obviously it looks like a hunt as you can see the dogs in the backgroun dof one or two pics and the cougar was probably already shot and killer before the mule started "playing" with it
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"Quality isn't Quality without customer service so I guess I sell quality"

Almost everyone here that rides "out" in the wilderness, usually take dogs along. I don't see any blood from a gunshot wound and the lion certainly appears to be alive in the first pic. I have heard of mules and donkeys attacking/chasing mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, etc......just never saw pics of it. Donkeys are especially aggressive and will chase any wild critter out of their pasture that they don't want there. Lastly, I doubt that the mule would be inclined to "play" with a dead carcus.
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

I can assure you it was not killed by the mule. it would be a very noteworthy event, i can actually see it portrayed as "mule saves owner from moutnain lion attack, but the dogs int he pics are hunting dogs , and the other possibility is they were on a hunt in rough terrain where a donkey was used , and the hunter shot the cougar which wounded it and the mule started messing with it,
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"Quality isn't Quality without customer service so I guess I sell quality"

The dogs are wearing hunting collars which might even have tracking devices(good hunting dogs are prized psoseions) as you can tell by the not a normal box shaped thing on the collars. Also if you look at the first pic there is plenty of blood, it doesnt gush out everywhere if you hit the animal right. The first pic looks like the mule just grabbed it by the tail, and the weight, gravity of the pull makes it look alive. It clearly isnt if you look closely, it has a pain stricken face of death and blood around the mouth and chest area.
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"Quality isn't Quality without customer service so I guess I sell quality"

I`ll extend you the same invite as the other guy,you clearly prove you have no working knowledge of a mule.Mules are ruthless and extremely savage once they peg the pissed off meter.They can can kill a horse more then twice their size.

Just stick to snakes and you`ll be alright.

>>I can assure you it was not killed by the mule. it would be a very noteworthy event, i can actually see it portrayed as "mule saves owner from moutnain lion attack, but the dogs int he pics are hunting dogs , and the other possibility is they were on a hunt in rough terrain where a donkey was used , and the hunter shot the cougar which wounded it and the mule started messing with it,
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Money Only Wished It Had The Control Over The World That FEAR Does !

..........

No offense intended, but I have to agree with MNR. In the first pic the couger is too limp to be alive. It is not turning to defend itself. In the other two pics it is definately dead.

It was definately shot. The hunting dogs in the background (Treeing Walkers by the look of them)and the fact that if you look at the saddle on the donkey you notice an EMPTY rifle sling are pretty good indication to me. I've only hunted for 25 years so I'm good at picking things like that out.

I know that a donkey can kill a couger, and just how agressive they can be. I also know that a couger can take out a donkey. However, the empty rifle sling and the the hunting dogs make this definately a hunt. Feel free to argue though.
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Travis Rose
(859) 582-7310
0.2 Normal Columbian
1.1 100% DH for Snow Columbians
0.2 66% DH for Snow Columbians
2.7 Kenyans (1.3 Anerys, 0.1 het for anery, 0.3 Possible hets, 1.0 normal)
0.3 Ball Pythons
0.0.2 Blue Tounged Skinks
0.3 Dogs (1 Full Pitbull, 1 Pit/Husky, & 1 Bernese Mt. Dog cross)
0.3 Cats (1 fat, 1 old, and 1 insane)
1.0 Ferret
0.1 Very understanding wife

.
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Here in the Southern California coastal area, I frequently hike in mountain lion country. Over the years there have been many attacks, some ending in death of hikers and bike riders.

I've only seen tracks, which at the time is scary enough. I've always felt somewhat safer with my dogs being along. After seeing those images, I'm convinced a mule my truly be man's best friend. Wow!

>>One of my riding buddies sent me these pics. They are too amazing not to share....
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>>Needless to say, I have a whole new respect for the mule and I already admired them greatly. I'm trying to get the story (behind the pics) from my friend.
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>>Linda Hedgpeth
>>lindafh@frontiernet.net
>>Sierra Serpents
>>
>>"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

Poor cat I hope that wasn't in Florida...

-cat
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Lower Ground Reptiles

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

np
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"Quality isn't Quality without customer service so I guess I sell quality"

Just amazing.
Thanks for sharing.
John
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

I hate seeing native wildlife being killed by introduced species that don't belong here. Just more evidence of man ruining his surrounds. I'm a cat lover, just makes me a bit sad. Not a flaming response....no offense intended.
eliot stone
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1.1 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1 Suriname Red Tailed Boas
and always looking for more!

obvious from the pics-hunting dogs in the background (one of them SITTING) that the thrill was over (for the dogs at least.) If the cat was still alive those dogs wouldn't be chillin' on the sidelines. I have no idea what the Donkey was doin'. Maybe confronting his fears!

You Sir clearly know nothing of what you speak !
Come to Texas sometime and I`ll show ya how well trained pack dogs "WORK",muchless a mule kicking a dent in a Cougar's asstray.
Its a rare instance no doubt,but the pictures tell a story of life outside the city life you have most likely never left.
So please dont be raiseing the BS flag unless you have a flag to begin with.
Hopefully an extra portion of cubes was given to the mule.
Well Done.
GREAT Pics BTW

My $.0¼

>>obvious from the pics-hunting dogs in the background (one of them SITTING) that the thrill was over (for the dogs at least.) If the cat was still alive those dogs wouldn't be chillin' on the sidelines. I have no idea what the Donkey was doin'. Maybe confronting his fears!
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Money Only Wished It Had The Control Over The World That FEAR Does !

I admit to knowing nothing about mules but I have witnessed & read many animal behavior studies from undergrad to doctorate and I have never seen a herbivore kill anything with its mouth by thrashing. Even if the mule did kill the lion it would not have thrashed it around in its mouth like that. That is an instinct seen in hunting/carnivorous animals. A four legged herbivore would have more likely kicked and stumped an enemy. When is the last time you saw a rodeo rider get flung around in a horse’s mouth, but they get kicked often. So regardless of how the lion died it is most likely dead in the pics and the mule is merely “messing” with the body. Did the mule kill it before hand? Who knows. But what kind of healthy feline gets caught by a mule?

I don't know exactly what happened in these pics, I do know that here in NE CA, mountain lions are a very real threat when riding in the mountains or in the high desert. Because of drought, lack of natural prey, etc., they will attack a horse and rider. Most all of us ride armed. Those of us that ride horses and find ourselves confronted by a cougar, may end up getting dumped because a horse WILL FREAK OUT. When he dumps you, he will run away FAST. That's when a gun may be needed. Mules are not "normal" herbivores. They are a mutation and for whatever reasons, their instincts are different from other prey animals. I believe they will flee as an option, but they will stand and fight. This behavior is known amongst mule owners. They will savage a predator even after it is dead.....lest it rise up again and kill them...or perhaps it is a crazed adrenalin thing in the moment of battle. I have seen horses chase, attack and savage dogs who threatened them. I have seen horses pick up a dog with their teeth and shake or throw them. My Arabian gelding will attack a dog. I have seen him chase them with ears back and teeth bared. His mother would do this as well. Mules and donkeys are even more hardwired for this sort of behavior. I don't know why.....it just is.
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

.

Yes I have owned horses and been around mules for 30 years..you are very correct. My own horses will use teeth to attack each other and sometimes humans. Mules are considered by some to possess a more steel trap mind than a horse..totally different.
Once something is done or learned whether a vice or a good habit...it is never forgotten...they will not go where is is unsafe no matter what urging ..where a horse can be made to. I feel this mule could have killed the cat. Their jaw power can be very destructive.
Nancy
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Some of my best friends are snakes
Snakes Rule

When I was like 2, something like that(getting dumped, horse feaking out) almost happened to my mother when riding up in the mountains where we lived at the time.. Cougar ran across the path a few hundred yards ahead.. Horse spazzed, bolted, and wouldn't respond.. Almost ran them both off a cliff.. LOL
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"Land of the Free, because of the Brave"

DarkWave Exotics

Currently keeping:
1.1 southern scrub pythons
1 green tree python
1.1 reticulated pythons
1.0 albino burmese python
1.0 irian jaya carpet python
0.1 sumatran blood python
1.0 green anaconda
1.0 emerald tree boas
2.2 colombian redtail boas
1.0 sonoran boa
1.0 cancun boa
1.2 normal and albino whitewater rosy boas
1.1 albino and het chinese beauty snakes
2.2 taiwan beauties
1.0 cave beauty snake
2.1 western hognose
1.1 eastern blackneck gartersnakes
0.1 anery plains garter
1.0 christmas albino plains garter
1.0 sonoran gopher snake
1 tiger leg monkey frog
2 colorado river toads
1 bearded dragons
9 leopard geckos
1.1 central american banded geckos
1.0.3 tucson banded geckos
0.1 nile monitor
1.0 savannah monitor
0.1 russian tortoise

And various Fish, Exotic Mammals, and Birds..

Equines are pretty smart animals, and I have personally witnessed horeses killing snakes, one killing a Nor Pac rattle snake.. If raised outdoors, especially in a herd enviroment, equines know a threat, and will protect themselves or others from it, killing it if they have to.. I personally do think that cougar was mortally injured already(think I see an arrow sticking out of the side of the cougar in the first pic), but mules will TRASH things, including other animals. They can be pretty ornery(I grew up on a working ranch with several pack mules, as well as a herd of horses).. Like I said, I do believe the cougar was pretty much dead already, but it doesn't suprise me AT ALL that a mule would attack it like that.
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"Land of the Free, because of the Brave"

DarkWave Exotics

Currently keeping:
1.1 southern scrub pythons
1 green tree python
1.1 reticulated pythons
1.0 albino burmese python
1.0 irian jaya carpet python
0.1 sumatran blood python
1.0 green anaconda
1.0 emerald tree boas
2.2 colombian redtail boas
1.0 sonoran boa
1.0 cancun boa
1.2 normal and albino whitewater rosy boas
1.1 albino and het chinese beauty snakes
2.2 taiwan beauties
1.0 cave beauty snake
2.1 western hognose
1.1 eastern blackneck gartersnakes
0.1 anery plains garter
1.0 christmas albino plains garter
1.0 sonoran gopher snake
1 tiger leg monkey frog
2 colorado river toads
1 bearded dragons
9 leopard geckos
1.1 central american banded geckos
1.0.3 tucson banded geckos
0.1 nile monitor
1.0 savannah monitor
0.1 russian tortoise

And various Fish, Exotic Mammals, and Birds..

I

omg, i wonder if that mule has a mountain lion tag
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tree boas all the fun none of the venom

I haven't yet been able to find out who took these pics or where they were taken. They have been passed from one horse person to the next and my friend sent them to me.

Mules have always been the butt of jokes because of their goofy appearance - the big head and long ears and the tendency to balk - and many people, even some experienced horse people don't know a lot about them. Actually, the mule is an exceptional creature in that it possesses extremely strong self-preservation instincts. A mule will make decisions for itself and will not always go along with what we humans have planned....if it thinks those plans are not in it's best interest. Mules, and hinnys too I believe, cannot be trained exactly like one would train a horse. A horse can be bullied and intimated into doing something by a heavy handed trainer. A mule will not stand for that kind of treatment and end up being a trustworthy mount. A mistreated mule will eventually retaliate. A horse can be ridden until it literally drops dead from metabolic crisis. A mule will not allow this and WILL stop before his/her health is compromised. They are remarkably intelligent and are very trainable, but the training goes easier when it is reward-based. Those that raise, train and ride mules say that they much more surefooted than horses. They tend to watch where they are going more, probably due to their strong self-preservation instincts. Many people who own mules and donkeys (who are the parent on one side) have seen them fearlessly chase predators out of their pastures. One well-placed hind kick or strike from a front hoof will kill instantly. They definitely recognize predators, like mountain lions, but unlike many other herd prey-animals who respond by flight first, they will stand and fight. I can't imagine a mule "playing" with a dead cougar. The mule in the pics has his ears back, which is a sign of anger, and he is not playing. He is making sure this cat is dead with his front hooves and teeth. People who run herds of sheep, goats, alpacas, lamas, etc. will often put a donkey in with the herd for protection against predators. They work as well as dogs in many situations, especially because they can live with the herd 24/7 and graze the same land.
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

Just watch the video (warning midly graphic)....
Donkey Video

The extended version of that video is pretty funny,it shows the donkey trying to "hump" more then that guys leg. LMAO !!

>>Just watch the video (warning midly graphic)....
>>Donkey Video
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Money Only Wished It Had The Control Over The World That FEAR Does !

np

then we'd have a Darwin awards candidate.

np

They will work together to corner and trample a threat. Donkeys llamas and dogs can be used together to protect valuable sheep and alpacas.

I noticed the rifle sheath flat, bent, otherwords empty. Rifle most likely in hand. Even if it was shot first the mule still may have killed it. If the biggest danger is to be bucked off in front of a lion a saddle gun does no good, a holstered side arm would be best. I think he was hunting.

I'm glad it's illegal to hunt my namesake here in CA, but if I start an alpaca ranch and I see one in my pasture, I have the right to protect my property.

np
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Travis Rose
(859) 582-7310
0.2 Normal Columbian
1.1 100% DH for Snow Columbians
0.2 66% DH for Snow Columbians
2.7 Kenyans (1.3 Anerys, 0.1 het for anery, 0.3 Possible hets, 1.0 normal)
0.3 Ball Pythons
0.0.2 Blue Tounged Skinks
0.3 Dogs (1 Full Pitbull, 1 Pit/Husky, & 1 Bernese Mt. Dog cross)
0.3 Cats (1 fat, 1 old, and 1 insane)
1.0 Ferret
0.1 Very understanding wife

.

Honestly, from the looks of the 4 pictures, particularly the 1st one, the cat looks dead. Whatever happened before that is only known by the hunter. The rest of this is speculation. However, in the mules defense, I've seen stranger things. I've seen a video of a White Tail Deer in which the deer beat down a rabbit. After it was dead, gave it a few nibbles and actually ate portions of it. If the mule did the deed to the cat, that cat wasn't worth its salt.
Matt Schubarth

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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"