As the thread title says- in animals that are meant to be kept in large groups, you should be physically able to SAFELY keep them in groups. According to a lot of people right now, African Wild Dogs in particular are downright vicious despite their pack size being increased, and constantly fight to the point of killing eachother. This is absolutely ridiculous.
For one, animals that compete for alpha status do not actively try to seriously injure eachother during fights. It's a show, that's all it is, a display of dominance. The aim is to subdue, not kill or maim. They should not be trying to kill eachother- all they're doing is trying to intimidate the other into submission.
Wolves and African Wild Dogs do not actually have alphas at all in the way PZ portrays it(wolves not at all), and do not fight AT ALL amongst themselves when kept in a proper pack as it would exist in the wild, and even in captive wolves thrown together with strangers, for example, which is where the idea of 'alphas' started- they do not fight to kill. In every situation in which captive wolves fight, there are very rarely any actual injuries. I have seen videos of a captive wolf getting ganged up on by an entire massive group of other wolves, and it did not sustain a SINGLE injury. They were being rough and aggressive, but the aim was never to kill or injure.
Animals that fight for alpha status do not do so by killing eachother, they do so by SUBDUING eachother, fighting until one finally backs down and gives in. It is EXTREMELY rare that actual serious injuries result from an alpha fight, in any species. It's not a fight to the death, it's a show of dominance and that's it. Have you ever seen a bull elk actually KILL another elk in a fight? No, they lock antlers and intimidate eachother. They do not aim to kill. It's the same for pretty much every single other pack/pride/herd/whatever animal species that exists.
Therefore, "fighting for alpha" should not result in serious injury ingame. Ever. If my vets have to be called or the animal dies from an ALPHA CONTEST, that's ridiculous.
I don't think it should happen at all for animals that don't realistically have alpha systems, but if you're going to force an alpha system on us that doesn't realistically exist, then at the least our animals should not be injured from it.
For one, animals that compete for alpha status do not actively try to seriously injure eachother during fights. It's a show, that's all it is, a display of dominance. The aim is to subdue, not kill or maim. They should not be trying to kill eachother- all they're doing is trying to intimidate the other into submission.
Wolves and African Wild Dogs do not actually have alphas at all in the way PZ portrays it(wolves not at all), and do not fight AT ALL amongst themselves when kept in a proper pack as it would exist in the wild, and even in captive wolves thrown together with strangers, for example, which is where the idea of 'alphas' started- they do not fight to kill. In every situation in which captive wolves fight, there are very rarely any actual injuries. I have seen videos of a captive wolf getting ganged up on by an entire massive group of other wolves, and it did not sustain a SINGLE injury. They were being rough and aggressive, but the aim was never to kill or injure.
Animals that fight for alpha status do not do so by killing eachother, they do so by SUBDUING eachother, fighting until one finally backs down and gives in. It is EXTREMELY rare that actual serious injuries result from an alpha fight, in any species. It's not a fight to the death, it's a show of dominance and that's it. Have you ever seen a bull elk actually KILL another elk in a fight? No, they lock antlers and intimidate eachother. They do not aim to kill. It's the same for pretty much every single other pack/pride/herd/whatever animal species that exists.
Therefore, "fighting for alpha" should not result in serious injury ingame. Ever. If my vets have to be called or the animal dies from an ALPHA CONTEST, that's ridiculous.
I don't think it should happen at all for animals that don't realistically have alpha systems, but if you're going to force an alpha system on us that doesn't realistically exist, then at the least our animals should not be injured from it.
