Why Do All Other Mammals Percieve Everything About Humans To Be So Frighteningly Hideous?

Answer 1

They don't.

In fact it seems to be precisely the opposite. All the fear of humans seems to be either learned or an inherited response. There are numerous accounts of people arriving on uninhabited islands and finding the animals quite unafraid of humans. And these were not species that were without any predators, just species without mammalian predators. Consider this account from Darwin describing a scene on the Galapagos Islands.

"In Charles Island, which had then been colonised about 6 years, I saw a boy sitting by a well with a switch in his hand, with which he killed the doves and finches as they came to drink. He had already procured a little heap of them for his dinner; and he said that he had constantly been in the habit of waiting by this well for the same purpose."

Darwin’s work on the Beagle journey has numerous mentions of similar instances where birds would perch trustingly close to humans. And these included birds that had natural predators.

Numerous other authors have noted the same is true of mammals. Of particular relevance here is a quote from Matthew Flinders describing the situation on Kangaroo Island off the southern coast of Australia where the crew of his boat discovered numerous kangaroos and seals sunning themslves on the beaches.

"Never perhaps had the dominion possessed here by the kanguroo been invaded before this time. The seal shared with it upon the shores. but they seemed to dwell amicably together. It not unfrequently happened, that the report of a gun fired at a kanguroo near the beach, brought out two or three bellowing seals from under bushes considerably further from the water side. The seal, indeed, seemed to be much the most discerning animal of the two; for its actions bespoke a knowledge of our not being kanguroos, whereas the kanguroo not unfrequently appeared to consider us to be seals."

What these descriptions show is that without human predators most animals will show no reaction to humans at all, even when they kill other members of the same species.So basically animals fear humans because they have either learned to fear humans or evolved to respond to humans as a threat. It isn’t related to any particular human feature nor to unfamiliarity. It’s just that animals have you marked as a human, and have humans marked as dangerous

Answer 2

Why do you think ALL other mammals think that humans are hideous?
Dolphins, Whales, Housecat, Domesticated Dogs, Horses, Cows, and Pigs all have learned to live with humans, and not be scared of them, unless mistreated.

Answer 3

Hmmm have you ever watched Saturday Night Fever? and you're still asking this question???

LOL many animals do find our scent and noise overpowering. Ever travel by public transportation in the 3rd world? Or watch a large group of Americans in public? We can be very loud and our scent can overpower animals (and other people!) who are more delicately attuned. I think the dead giveaway is that most humans are not attuned to their natural surroundings, and aniamls sense this about them. We are complete outsiders in their world, and it frightens them the same way aliens scare the bejeesus out of us.

However, as other respondents pointed out, many animals are not afraid of humans, and/or have had to learn to adapt to us or be exterminated.

Answer 4

i don't think we have what it takes to percieve anything about what other mammals perceive. especially what they find "frighteningly hideous".

Answer 5

Following the logic of your question, animals fear man because man is the top of the food chain. We are the most threatening animal in the animal kingdom and they all know it. We have been able to make peace with some of the animals, thus domesticating them, but left in the wild, they all fear us.

Answer 6

Fackin ell Pieman, I see wot yeh mean boot this lotta wankers got they pannies in a bunch.

Answer 7

Dogs quite like us...and mosquitos

Answer 8

because we want to EAT them, perhaps?

mmmmmmm...... mammals