Here is the question:

Would you rather fight a Ostrich or a Camel?

Details: 30ft by 30ft square room. no weapons, chosen animal is a female Camel/Ostrich (no outside organs to attack), Animal is full grown and in the mindset that they are gaurding their young.

Please let me know which you would rather fight to the death and why or at least how you would go about defending attacking.

I know its an off the wall question but i need to settle a debate.

WTF?!

I would walk away.

I don't believe in animal cruelty.

So whybis this in science and philosophy? I don't remember decartes asking anything that had to do with fighting animals.

I don't really know much about either of these animals, but just from what I do know I'd choose to take on the ostrich.



My reasoning goes as follows:

I have no tools or weapons. Thus I see no easy way to bring down something as large and sturdy as a camel.

The smaller bird seems like it would be an easier victim in hand-to-hand combat.

My reasoning is based solely on the idea that I could actually do something to the bird to take it down (mainly by breaking it's neck or legs).

It has a long slender neck which it must bring within grabbing distance if it is going to attempt to bite me. Birds bones are delicate and usually hollow to allow for a lightweight frame to enable flight. Thus breaking the neck of the ostrich would be my goal.

I realize that the ostrich also has quite sharp talons too. But it has no forearms to hold me with whist it rips me apart with it's talons. So my goal would be to avoid the talons and that vulnerable neck broken.

I wouldn't be looking forward to that battle as it wouldn't be pretty I know that ostriches can be one tough aggressive bird.

But when it comes to the camel I just see no easy way to bring it down. It would outweigh me and be far more sturdy than the ostrich. I couldn't easily break any part of it's body.

Even with the ostrich, if I had to deal with its talons its legs are also thin and constructed of lightweight bones so breaking a leg of an ostrich would seem far more feasible then trying to break the leg of a camel.

So that's my reasoning. And it's mainly due to the fact that I see no easy way to bring down a camel in a bare-handed fight to the death. I used to own horses and if camels are as tough as horses they'd be extremely difficult to bring down without tools or weapons. If you can't bring it down it will eventually exhaust you and kill you (I'm assuming that it intends to kill you since this is a fight to the death)

Camels are too big, i dont think id beable to hurt one enough before it spat in my face and trampled all over me.

Ostrich's are tough too, and bigger than me. But you might get a lucky strangle hold on its thin neck. Id probably try to jump on its back so it couldnt kick me.

That would be my first choice too.

But just to entertain the question imagine that you have no choice. The Romans toss you in the 'Camel pit' or Ostrich pit' and the animal is highly territorial and intends to kill you.

You have no choice but to fight or be killed.

Which animal would you want to take on?

It's just a hypothetical question. No one is asking you to actually do this this in reality.

I caught a photo of Dan taking on the Ostrich!

I wondered who that was lurking in the bushes!

If I absolutely HAD to fight for my life...my first instinct would probably be to mount the Camel and trample the Ostrich to death.

The Ostrich will gut a human in an instant...ever been kicked by either?

I have been kicked and bitten by a camel...and it isn't pleasant, I have also been attacked by an Ostrich, on a farm here...scariest thing in my whole life!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give me a camel any day...it may be to my death....but a mammal wins hands down in my choice.

Who would have thought someone here would have had a fight with both an ostrich and a camel!

Only on Mingle.

Friends of mine have a Camel Safari business called "Camelot" at a place called Ruhl's Beach...I have wandered around their calves, their bull and heifers...(camels)..on and off for years...they do kickm they do spit, and they do bite... cantankerous things that they are...but nothing compared to a GIANT prehistoric like overgrown chicken...as tall as a camel, in height, but fierce, they kick you, as in stomp you into the ground, and gut you with their claws...REALLY scary!!!!!!!! well, for me it was.

Why would it be 'Only on Mingle' that someone has been attacked by both a camel and an ostrich.

I've been tangled with wild pigs, water buffalo, dogs, horses, a zebra and a spider monkey,-(when I worked for Ashton's circus in the late 70's early 80's) cattle, goats, snakes, attacked by birds, chased by an emu...I live and have lived in rural Australia, and a large part of that was in the outback working as a Jillaroo, or 'wrangler' I think you guys call them.

No, never with a croc, seen heaps, but never up close and personal.

An ostrich is scary fast!!! I wouldn't mess with that. I'd try the camel. Maybe jump on it's back and gouge out it's eyes.... not a pretty mental picture but if it can't see you I'm sure it'd be a lot safer in that little room.

thanks to everyone's input. I have to say that at this point Jesse's first hand knowledge of both a camel and an ostrichs attack trumps most all the other opinions.

Priceless, can anyone beat Jesse's accounts?

My mother is a camel, my father an ostrich, many night I saw this drama play out . . . my poor scared childhood.

I would pick the camel. An ostrich can kill an elephant with one kick.
They are probably descendants of prehistoric dinosaurs like most other birds.

Ever own a parrot? Parrots can be mean and cantankerous and jealous little creatures. My sister had to get rid of hers because anyone who hugged her would get attacked by a flying parrot.