Prepare properly, as if you are expecting an unwelcome visitor.
Do not keep meat or other smelly stuff in or near your shelter. Suspend food
by a rope from a tree branch 50 yards (46 m) or more away.
Do not leave anything outside your shelter, as it will be chewed up and carried
away by lions and hyenas.
Do not build a large fire, as it will attract some animals and insects.
Urinate on the bushes around the outside of the shelter during the day. It can
be smelled from a greater distance than if you urinate on the ground, and the
odor may help to keep animals away.
Do not leave your shelter at night!Angry Ungulates
Despite the bad press animals such as bears, cougars, and lions get, there’s
another group that’s rarely written about or discussed in this vein, and
yet they can be some of the most dangerous creatures you’ll ever cross
paths with in the wilderness (even if they won’t eat you): ungulates, or
hoofed mammals.
In the rutting (mating) season, a bull moose can turn into 1,500
pounds (680 kg) of testosteronedriven rage. They’ve been known to attack
vehicles. Get too close to one during this time and you may never live to
tell the tale. For that matter, all ungulates—even the seemingly gentle
elk—pose a significant danger during the rut.
The females of these species can also be formidable foes when they’re
with their young and can kill a person with one kick of their hooves.
Other Dangerous Animals
elephants: Need I say more?
buffalo, musk oxen, water buffalo: Powerful and very smart, those in Africa are
considered to be the most aggressive animals you will encounter.
hippopotamuses: Surprisingly, hippopotamuses are responsible for more
deaths every year than lions.
rhinoceroses: Nervous and defensive, each of these animals has an ohso
big horn.
ostriches: An ostrich protecting its nest can slice open your rib cage with one
swipe of its claws.Dangers and Hazards (^) | 261