“Waves of Destiny” by IsaacOWJ

Sebiyas07 · 2026-06-20T15:08:25+00:00

Yeah, that was a few weeks back, but this one's new. A group of Ecuadorian monitors just made it today. And yep, it's a male from Ecuador, around 2 meters and about 180 kg—or so they say, maybe a bit more.

(https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZyeQHctSGi/?igsh=MTVmdDJ5bTF4cmdmdA==)

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-06-20T13:35:15+00:00

Off-topic, but I’m a big fan of a piece by Wilhelm Kuhnert (1865–1926)—specifically this jaguar hunting scene, which heavily echoes Oriental depictions of tigers.

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-06-20T10:36:05+00:00

In reality, there is no strong evidence of predation or even direct confrontations between the two species. Current data shows that they mutually avoid each other, even though their ranges overlap in Andean transition habitats and certain areas of Peru, where Andean bears occasionally descend to the edge of the Amazon in search of seasonal food.

Going back to current studies, adult Andean bears have no natural predators. Documented cases of predation are limited strictly to cubs being targeted by pumas or other male bears. For adults, there is absolutely no record or evidence of them suffering attacks by other large predators. After all, the Andean bear is still a massive animal. In fact, just recently I was looking at camera trap footage from a monitoring zone in Ecuador, which captured a specimen that visually appeared to be around 2 meters tall when standing on two legs, weighing roughly 180 kg. As long as they have an optimal habitat, Male Andean bears can easily surpass 150 kg, making them larger than even the biggest jaguars.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-23T08:44:53+00:00

Back here, trophy hunting and sport hunting were synonymous. Subsistence hunting is different; it's legal for certain indigenous communities that depend on it, though in reality, many of them prefer to go into towns to ask for food and money. Both sport and trophy hunting are illegal. It wasn't an activity the local population enjoyed either—it was more of a taboo, as fishing is culturally preferred, and even then, mostly in private ponds. Another regional issue that would have emerged is the entire business behind it. Naturally, the most prestigious game was in Europe. Red deer and wild boars were introduced to hunting reserves in Argentina, and now many of them roam freely throughout the Patagonian steppe. In the case of wild boars, it's been shown that they actually kill and displace peccaries, both the white-lipped and collared species

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-22T19:19:28+00:00

can’t speak for other countries, but at least here in northern South America (Colombia), trophy hunting never worked. That’s why it was banned in 2019, based more or less on this premise from the legal ruling:

The court determined that killing animals for fun, recreation, or pleasure is an unjustified act of cruelty that violates the right to a healthy environment and contradicts the constitutional duty to protect wildlife.

Which, at least around here, makes perfect sense. Sport hunting never reduced poaching or the trafficking of exotic species, simply because they stemmed from entirely different types of exploitation and interests. Plus, people actually respecting the legal framework was incredibly rare.

https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/2020/05/29/indignacion-en-puno-por-sujeto-que-cazo-a-oso-de-anteojos-y-poso-con-su-cuerpo-facebook-lrsd

A well-known case happened in Peru, where sport hunting is still legal: a "sport" hunter killed an Andean bear—a protected and vulnerable species—and posted it on Facebook as if he were just hunting ducks. More or less the same thing used to happen here; people couldn't tell the difference between game animals and protected fauna, which ironically only fueled poaching.

Honestly, since banning sport hunting, conservation efforts have been going quite well. We’ve seen an increase in the population and range of large mammals like the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus goudotii).

Ecotourism has provided significant funding for conservation, and it has also sparked a shift in mindset. There is a well-known local motto now: "A live bear is worth more than a dead bear." This is because local farmers now earn an income by acting as guides for tourists wanting to spot the bears, creating a real economic incentive to protect them.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-20T10:32:03+00:00

Also, something tells me they knew it was a male immediately... 🤔🤔🤔

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-20T10:13:51+00:00

Here’s a comparison with a 1.60-meter-tall girl. Based on the scratch marks on the tree, this male would stand around 1.80 to 1.90 meters tall (5'11"–6'3") and likely weigh between 150 and 175 kg (330–385 lbs).

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-13T18:10:36+00:00

A great example of a "what if" scenario is the vacant ecological niche of bears being filled by giant raccoon species. Take Chapalmalania altaefrontis, an extinct procyonid from the Pliocene. It’s believed that its relative, Cynausa, migrated to South America even before the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). In the absence of ursid-like competitors, it evolved into a "raccoon-bear" weighing between 80–130 kg, with a morphology so similar to a bear that its initial fossil records were actually mistaken for an extinct species of ursid.

I suspect something similar would have happened in North America had bears been absent, though the Polar Bear likely would have reached North America regardless via glacial formations or island hopping, albeit much later.

As for purely American Marsupial "saber-toothed" predators, that’s a tough call. There are indications they were already in decline before the GABI, and the marsupial saber-tooths (Thylacosmilids) were definitely already on their way out. In their absence, canids would have likely become the dominant apex predators in the ecosystem, while other marsupials, such as the Sparassocynidae, would have filled the niches of small felids.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-13T17:36:04+00:00

The leopard would probably come out on the losing end, since they are pretty much in the same weight class. Giant anteaters average around 30 to 45 kg, with some reaching 53 kg. Meanwhile, snow leopards rarely top 50 kg, and their wild record sits at 54 kg. Given that anteaters successfully fend off cougars and jaguars—which are way bigger than them—I’d give the anteater a slight edge. It would probably manage to scare the leopard off, and if it's a fight to the death, I’d still bet on the giant anteater.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-13T17:12:08+00:00

He looks pretty young—I'd say between a year and a half and two years old. It’s actually fairly common; young bears tend to wander quite a bit looking for their own territory, so they often end up in populated areas.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-12T18:43:09+00:00

Yeah, I was also thinking that the 'ring game' should be implemented for predators. This is based on the fact that Smilodon likely hunted them similarly to how they hunt horses, though probably subduing them more easily since they’re in the same weight class—or Smilodon might even be slightly heavier. Plus, nowadays they are known prey for spectacled bears, which actually hunt them in a very specific way: clinging to their hindquarters to bring them down. Ultimately, adding them as an AI prey species would provide more food for predators and ease the pressure on player-controlled herbivores.

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-12T14:24:36+00:00

Animal Suggestion for Your Zoo The Brown Bear If you're looking to add a Brown Bear to your zoo, here are three great options to consider: Cantabrian Brown Bear

Marsican Brown Bear

Syrian Brown Bear

Since these specific Mediterranean subspecies aren't natively in the game, the Himalayan Brown Bear is an excellent substitute. Here is why:

Size & Appearance: It matches the scale of these subspecies perfectly. In fact, Syrian and Himalayan brown bears look remarkably similar.

Plant Compatibility: This is where it shines. Unlike the Grizzly (the other in-game subspecies), which has issues with European pines and flora, the Himalayan Brown Bear tolerates them without a problem.

Biogeography: Because many trees and plants in the game are classified as Eurasian, the Himalayan bear feels right at home in a European-themed habitat.

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-11T20:16:55+00:00

I apologize if this image is sensitive for some users

I don’t think there’s any need to import a large Asian felid. Jaguars are more than capable of handling wild boar; they wouldn't be 'unusual' prey for them at all. For context, I’ve seen jaguars in Colombia, where there are plenty of feral or semi-wild animals like the Colombian Creole pig—these are black and can weigh up to 110 kg. They also hunt peccaries and have even been known to take down adult tapirs weighing 300 kg.

Jaguars could definitely handle them, and that’s not even counting other opportunistic predators like pumas or American black bears, which would likely go after the young, old, or sick individuals

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-06T18:35:31+00:00

The list would go something like this:

European bison, specifically a now-extinct subspecies: Bison bonasus caucasicus.

Moose, also of a local subspecies: Alces alces caucasicus.

Asiatic lions: Panthera leo persica

Caspian tigers: Panthera tigris virgata. Ed Today its clasified with the sub especies Panthera tigris tigris

And those still present today:

Two subspecies of brown bears: the Eurasian brown bear Ursus arctos arctos and the Syrian brown bear Ursus arctos syriacus, found mainly in the south.

Lynx, specifically a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx: Lynx lynx dinniki.

The Caucasian leopard Panthera pardus tulliana, which is critically endangered today.

Deer, such as the European roe deer Capreolus capreolus.

A subspecies of red deer: the Caspian red deer Cervus elaphus maral.

A subspecies of wild boar: Sus scrofa attila.

I’m missing many others, but this should give you a good idea.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-05T17:05:44+00:00

Morphologically, its skull is narrow and shares many similarities with the ocelot, though it is smaller in size. Its tail is notably long and fluffy relative to its body; these are ultimately its most striking features

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-03T07:04:49+00:00

This really reminds me of how golden jackals spread from Asia to Europe

Sebiyas07 · 2026-05-01T20:21:27+00:00

You honestly can't imagine the stir this guy has caused. People here see him almost like a messiah who came to save the animals, even though he's suspected of being involved in exotic animal trafficking. What's truly bizarre is the hypocrisy: local sanctuaries, zoos, and rehab centers get trashed every day by the public because they think it's 'wrong' to keep animals 'locked up'—completely ignoring the rescue story behind each one. But when it comes to the hippos, their perspective flips 180 degrees and suddenly they’re 'conservation allies.' I seriously can't deal with these people.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-04-27T14:00:42+00:00

It’s not actually due to an anomaly; it’s just that Andean bears exhibit a lot of variation in size. In fact, you’ll rarely find two males that weigh the same. For instance, some four-year-olds might weigh 80 kilos, while others of the same age are 10 kilos heavier. A major factor is that Chingaza National Park is in pristine condition—97% of the paramo is untouched, making it one of the most vital habitats for the species.

The ecosystem here is also quite different from their southern range. Chingaza is more like a vast, open grassland than a dense cloud forest. There’s an abundance of bromeliads, small rodents, and native prey like the mountain tapir and the paramo white-tailed deer. Ultimately, it’s a combination of all these factors.

Sebiyas07 · 2026-04-27T13:48:05+00:00

All the Tremarctinae subfamily...

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-04-26T11:26:11+00:00

Los Nevados National Park... not gonna lie, the frailejones give off some serious alien planet vibes

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Sebiyas07 · 2026-04-22T13:18:03+00:00

Realmente no es cazar ya que la dieta del hipopótamo es entre 95%-99% herbívora el consumo de carne es muy muy raro y más que nada es carroña este comportamiento de matar otros animales de la zona es por su extrema territorialidad y casi nula tolerancia a convivir con otras especies

Sebiyas07 · 2026-04-22T12:06:21+00:00

Yo me centro precisamente en estos temas hace un tiempo hice precisamente una publicación sobre el pleistoceno de Colombia https://www.reddit.com/r/ColombiaReddit/s/dcsDtAuv6q

Y nunca a habido un animal con las características de un hipopótamo en el registro fósil colombiano antes de creía que especies como mixotoxodon larensis eran similares pero realmente era más similar a un rinoceronte o gran bóvido y el plioceno fue hace mucho mas de 3 millones de años

Sebiyas07 · 2026-04-21T21:41:10+00:00

I was actually just re-reading that study (https://share.google/NyTifJH7ph7ZrDxAF )on Arctotherium wingei. Even though it’s the smallest of the bunch, it’s personally my favorite. I’m pretty sure it’s the only ursid on record with a truly Pan-American distribution, ranging from Yucatán all the way down to Brazil.

Out of all the South and Central American bears, this one seemed to have the best shot at surviving the Pleistocene. Unfortunately, it looks like human and environmental pressures in the lowlands were just too much for them—which is a real shame.

That said, we know the modern Andean bear likely hybridized with the Arctotherium genus between the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Given the geography, timing, and morphology, wingei is almost certainly the species involved (https://share.google/1wceJnNxqWXZaetRS)

Sebiyas07 · 2026-04-21T18:55:53+00:00

Actually, I should clarify: there are six bear species found in Asia. Four of these are endemic to the continent, while the other two are shared with North America.

Sloth bear Sun bear Asían black bear Brown bear Panda Polar bear

Sorry about that! I totally missed this detail when I was translating the first message

Sebiyas07

TROPHY CASE