On Fri, 12 May 2000, Debby wrote:

> >Of course I'm sure the deer would prefer to be killed quickly by a
> >high-speed bullet than chased, tormented and slowly killed by a pack of
> >wolves.
>
> I doubt the wolves are particularly slow or that they give up and let an
> injured animal get away to die a slow death (or maybe survive a
> bullet)--though
> a deer lost by a rifle-toting hunter may later be found by wolves, cougers,
> other wild cats, and/or other scavengers.

Wolves and other predators can be quite slow in killing.  Often
they eat their prey alive.  Sometimes the prey is so large that
the predators can only maim their prey and then wait a few days
for it to become weak enough to longer be a threat - I've read
accounts of wolves/adult moose and hyenas/rhinos.  They certainly
aren't pretty.  Then there are Komodo dragons who may bite a
large animal.  Their mouths are full of bacteria from rotting
meat so their prey slowly succumbs to fatal infection.

> Oh, and as for plants... they don't have legs, thus no way to escape, thus
> probably don't feel pain or fear (even of fire).

There have been many reports of plants reacting to certain stresses.
As for pain, I read a report stating that aspirin seems to diminish
these stresses.

Julie