Surviving in the African wilderness means that you must take
precautions to limit encounters with animals like lions, leopards, and
hyenas, especially at night when a survivor in a shelter is nothing more
than a sitting duck.
This is not to say these predators will come after you like man
eaters, but they are curious animals and might investigate for an easy
meal. Their senses are extremely well developed and they will smell your
presence from a distance and see your movements easily at night.
These animals all move very quietly, so it’s not easy to hear
them. The best you can (and must) do is secure your shelter or sleep
ing place, and plan an escape route for an emergency situation. You
can also install an earlywarning system to wake you up when some
thing is moving around the shelter.
Securing your shelter should be planned and done properly,
as you are dealing with powerful and clever predators. If not, you will
have nothing more than a false sense of security, which may end up
as a nasty surprise. Spending a little extra energy securing your shelter
properly will provide a safe place, which will reward you with a good
night’s sleep.Create an EarlyWarning System
When alone at night in a survival situation, you’ll have better peace of
mind if you’ve put up something that will warn you in advance of a preda
tor’s approach. Use a long, thin piece of string or fishing line as a trip line
around the perimeter of your shelter, about a foot and a half (0.5 meter)
off the ground. Connect the line to anything that will make noise when
moved or banged together.
Even a small rock balanced on a piece of wood over a larger rock will
wake you if it’s knocked over in the quiet of the night. You can also use any
number of trapping trigger mechanisms to get a big log to fall on a dry,
thinner log to create a loud cracking sound.
Tips on Dealing with Dangerous Animals
There are numerous theories as to the best way to deal with dangerous
animals, but here are a few tips:
(^260) | Survive!