Let me rephrase that, because anyone who has faced a startled herd of horses will tell you that it is a terrifying experience. Anyone who has been gored by a bull knows that particular 2,000 pound herbivore is one of the most frightening creatures on the planet. And the hippopotamus kills more people on the African continent than any other mammal. So I need to clarify my point.

Nothing herbivorous is horrifying.

Herbivorous animals kill people who attack them or startle them or compromise their territory, and we as humans understand that. We might even sympathize a little. Carnivores kill us for the all same reasons, but some will go further. Some will stalk us. Study us. Attack us while our backs are turned and eat us. And while it's understandable behavior, it goes against everything that we like to believe about ourselves.

We're man. We're the top of the food chain, and with our tools and opposable thumbs, we've set ourselves aside from the natural world. As a human being, I like to think that my world excludes the sensation of hungry eyes drilling into my spine.

But it hasn't always been that way. Just a few centuries ago, people were afraid of lions and tigers and bears ... and wolves, mountain lions, jackals and dingos, just to name a few. These creatures are smart and deadly, a combination that makes the skin crawl. And even though we've managed to wipe out most of these creatures, our skins still remember them. We might even crave their presence in our lives, turning to movies about werewolves, vampires and psychopaths to satisfy the hunger.

So when you turn out the lights tonight and get ready for a good scare, the odds are good you're going to watch a movie about something with big teeth and a thirst for your blood. Something carnivorous. Because herbivores just aren't scary.

Except for bunnies.

Thanks to Tim at http://www.assaultblog.com for putting the Chainsaw Bunny out there for free use!

Little Miss ZomCon

---