Taser International , the Arizona based stungun maker , todaylaunched a refreshing versionof itsoftencontroversialnonlethal artillery : but it ’s one gear for vanish wild animals like Ursus arctos horribilis bears , rather than police suspect or airport detainees .
The purpose of the gadget is to give parking area rangers , hunters and hiker the ability to handicap bears , elk and moose that ravage their camp situation – perhaps giving them fourth dimension to get to the safety of a railroad car or trail lodge . As the arm has been made waterproofed ( and even saltwater proof ) even fisherman in the wilds will have the chance to settle a bear , too .
Taser say that it designed the arm – theTaser Wildlife Electronic Control gadget ( ECD ) – in reply to reports from wildlife managing director who have often turn to unconstipated tasers in extremis to cope with certain situations . The weapon is a variant of the firm ’s three - shot semi - automatic shooting iron but with its electromotive force waveform modified to knock out tumid wight .
“ It is designed to incapacitate larger creature more efficaciously and safe than current animal ascendance creature , ” says Rick Smith , CEO . “ It will serve wildlife professionals protect wildlife by extend another puppet to help settle human - animal conflict . ”
Taser cites anumberofnewspaperstoriesin which hoi polloi had to use veritable tasers to subdue animals . Some practice theanimal rights argumentsagainst such use . The target area animals vary from elk to moose , cervid and Ursus arctos horribilis .
This would be nonsensical if it was n’t so obviously fell . Taser has a period – a very small-scale one – in that some bear ’ lives might be saved if fishermen and other adventurers in grizzly nation replace the small-arm they sometimes use to defend themselves from attack with Tasers .
But research about bears shows thatthey are seldom aggressive , and most serious coming upon are the avoidable result of human stupidity orbears ’ desperation , rather than rogue beast inure to humans .
As for other animals – like bison – there’splenty of visual evidencethat it ’s the hoi polloi who are the instigators , not the beast .
My worry ? That this weapon , despite its mellow ( almost $ 2000 ) price tag , could promote a new breed of ugly , empty - headed tourer behavior : will people approach animals they should keep away from knowing that if they have an animate being - fell Taser they can get away with it ?
Given the way even Tasers have been misused – with their use sometimes a first resort and then being used to render repeated stun stupor to bring up – it ’s unvoiced to see how this hardware could boost a in effect relationship between people and animals .
trope by PhotoBarmaley / ShutterStock
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