When Animals Attack World Leaders

It has been 42 years since a human world leader was eaten by another animal (Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt, 1967, shark). It is a sign of human progress that the percentage of people who have died from assaults by carnivorous animals has significantly declined from, let's say, 10,000 BCE. It is also an indication that more is desired in equality in the distribution of wealth that more of those who tend to be eaten alive by other animals tend to be from depressed rural areas near wildlife areas.

Former French President Jacques Chirac was mauled by his white Maltese poodle Sumo (see photograph above). Amazingly, the injuries are apparently serious enough to send Mr. Chirac to the hospital. "'My husband was bitten quite badly, but he is certain to make a full recovery over the coming weeks", Mrs. Chirac asserts.  The Daily Mail naughtily teases that "[t]he former French First Lady did not reveal where on his body Chirac was bitten."

This story gets even weirder. According to the Daily Mail report, the poodle Sumo was already being treated with anti-depressants even before its assassination attempt on the former French President. That indicates an admirable level of patience on the part of the Chiracs that many outside the Western World will find difficult to fathom. At the same time, yes once again, the rich are different from you or me.