Rob cleared his throat and leaned toward her, grinning.
"Doesn't the wildlife eat your wildlife?"
She laughed. "Well, they haven't yet. Mostly they stick with the original wildlife."
Aaron glanced at Rob and then back to Carmen. "I read that there aren't any mountain lions in Arkansas."
Carmen nodded. "It seems I read that somewhere too. I think someone forgot to tell the mountain lions where the borders were. They have them in Oklahoma and Missouri." She smiled. "I think what they are actually saying is that there have been no confirmed sightings of animals other than feral ones."
Rob laughed. "That's a relief. If I get attacked, I'll be 90% sure it's someone's long lost pet."
Gerald's smile was wry. "Or a foreigner."
"Will we be safe on horseback?" Aaron asked, his expression sober.
"The animals are used to seeing us, and the horses often graze with them, so I don't think we will have any problems with the safari animals or the natural wildlife. However, I do carry a rifle for emergencies."
He nodded. "What's the most dangerous animal out there?"
Gerald gave him a sour look. "Man, I think."
Carmen laughed. "I do believe you're right about that, although I hope not on this place."
Rob snorted and looked at Aaron. "She says that, but who's carrying the rifle?"
Aaron smiled, but was obviously waiting for a serious answer. She sobered.
"Normally I might say the Bison. They are the biggest thing out there, but actually, under the right circumstances, any animal can be dangerous. We have a few peccary out there and they can be pretty scrappy. Then again, look at the number of people in the world who are killed every year by mosquitoes. If we narrow it down to the US, the most people are killed by bees and wasps. If we get into mammals, the biggest killer of humans is dogs - and horses. You can't really measure which is most dangerous. Even deer have killed people. The thing to remember is that the potential to kill is always there."
Aaron quietly digested the information and then nodded. "That's true." His gaze rested on her face, still sober. "Is it bison or buffalo? What's the difference?"
"Bison," Rob interjected. "Buffalo are a different species - like the water buffalo."
Carmen nodded. "Right. I think the consensus is that they were called buffs by Europeans because of the color of cured hides and that evolved to buffalo. I don't think anyone really knows, but bison is the correct term. I have to admit that I called them Buffalo for a long time - still do when I forget."