the top 10 tips on how to survive wild animal attacks

the top 10 tips on how to survive wild animal attacks

nature’s creatures are best appreciated from a safe distance but  some things are beyond your control, for this list we’re looking at tactics strategies and tips that might help should you get closer than comfortable to wild animals

gorillas

be small and diminutive, the chances of encountering a gorilla in the wild are slim to none but should you be out  on a wilderness adventure lose your group and stumble into one your next move might just save you a world of pain, gorillas are territorial and when you invade their personal space they tend to take it as a challenge they’ll likely begin to make noises pounding their chests and posturing you however should make yourself look as small as possible by crouching low avoiding their gazes and slowly backing away should you fail to convey a submissive attitude the gorillas next move is likely to be an attack

Lions

be big, be loud, let’s get this straight, you should do everything possible to avoid getting up close and personal with a lion in the wild unless under the guidance of a professional should you find yourself under threat however it’s crucial that you take the opposite approach to the one used with gorillas if you come across as weak around the lion you become potential prey instead you should make yourself appear as large and confident as possible by standing up tall and speaking loudly eye contact and noise like clapping is crucial as it shows confidence doing all of this slowly back away don’t run

Hippos

climb a tree with lions climbing the tree is the last thing you should do given that they’re definitely better at climbing than you hippos on the other hand not so much it might look cute cuddly slow and docile but in reality hippos can be quite vicious in fact they’re actually considered to be the most dangerous large land mammal in Africa if not the world claiming roughly 500 lives per year extremely territorial and protective of their young they will give chase and are surprisingly fast you’re unlikely to outrun them so getting out of reach by climbing a tree can save your life

Elephants

don’t run find a barrier these beautiful unique creatures are often depicted as gentle giants in popular media a reputation only worsened by tourism that allows you to get up close and personal with them in captivity make no mistake though in the wild an elephant will attack you if it feels threatened and when they decide to they can really move if you run it will likely continue to charge after you instead use their size against them and calmly get behind something like a large rock or vehicle where it will be difficult for them to get to you and where you can also obscure yourself

Jellyfish

don’t pee on your leg this is one of the most enduring popular myths in all of the animal kingdom but it’s a myth nonetheless not only does urine not neutralize the pain of a jellyfish thing but it could actually exacerbate the problem by encouraging the barbs to release additional venom instead rinse the affected area with the same liquid from which the jellyfish that stung you likely came from the ocean salt water helps to deactivate the pesky nematocysts while fresh water or the urine of a well-hydrated person will only aggravate them, more importantly, give jellyfish a very wide berth to avoid getting stung in the first place

snakes

don’t suck the venom getting bitten by a snake can be absolutely horrifying not only is the attack itself painful and terrifying but also because the average person can’t identify a snake on site meaning that the possibility of venom often remains a foreboding question mark though you might be feeling desperate to get the venom out all those old westerns have led you astray sucking the venom won’t help tourniquets are also a bad idea you’re much better off keeping your affected limb below heart level to slow blood flow bandaging the wound and getting medical attention ASAP while avoiding strenuous activity

kangaroos

Cough and backup, it might sound silly but coughing can get you out of a losing fight with a kangaroo a low cough or a grunt leg sound is a sign of submission between kangaroos that you can easily imitate while backing away from an aggressive kangaroo like with many other animals running is likely to encourage chase so avoid and instead take the recommended path of submissive slow retreat you can help your cause by getting low and avoiding eye contact if it’s too late curl into a protective ball rather than fight back the kangaroo should lose interest once it no longer perceives you as a threat

alligators

run, we’ve got bad news for you if an alligator has caught you off guard your chances aren’t great the key is to get away before they have the chance to clamp their powerful jaws down on you, forget the zigzag escape plan run fast and run in a straight line forcing them to pivot while following you isn’t as useful as it’s been made to seem you’re just complicating your own retreat and putting less distance between you and the alligators if they’re already on top of you aim for their vulnerable parts the eyes and snout if you get a window, run

 sharks

go for the eyes and gills despite their reputation sharks don’t attack humans nearly as often as you’ve been led to believe not even great whites if they do confuse you for prey however you need to keep your wits about you because panicking and frantically swimming away will only make you look more like prey face the shark and slowly swim backwards away from it should it come in close and attack aim for the eyes and gills the two most vulnerable areas on the shark the more you make it clear that you’re no easy meal the quicker and more likely the shark is to leave you alone

grizzly

bears play dead there’s a lot of conflicting advice about surviving bear encounters in part because there are so many types of bear Grizzlies are large and arguably the most dangerous if one gets near you don’t try to intimidate it talk calmly while acting submissively then try to slowly back away if it does attack get in the fetal position and play dead if the bear is committed to the kill and isn’t losing interest fight for your life if however the bear you encounter is a black bear you should try to intimidate them by standing up tall and making noise while carefully backing away do you agree with our picks check out these other great clips from WatchMojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos