Guide · Weather and nature

Dangerous animals

Most wild animals avoid people, and serious encounters are rare. Knowing how to avoid surprising them, and how to react if you do meet one, keeps both you and the animal safe.

Prevent encounters

• Learn what lives where you're going. Advice differs between species and regions, so check local guidance before you go.
• Make noise in thick cover, along streams or where you can't see far. Talk, clap or sing, especially round blind corners.
• Keep food away from your sleeping area. Store it sealed, hung from a tree or in a locked container, as local rules advise. Cook and wash up away from your tent.
• Never feed wild animals. It teaches them to approach people.
• Watch where you put your hands and feet, especially among rocks, logs and long grass.
• Keep dogs on a lead near livestock and wildlife.

If you meet a large animal

1. Stay calm and stop. Don't run — running can trigger a chase.
2. Give it plenty of space. Back away slowly, facing it if it's a predator.
3. Avoid getting between a mother and her young.
4. Speak calmly so it knows you're a person.
5. Never corner an animal. Leave it a clear way out.

For predators such as big cats, standing tall, raising your arms and shouting firmly can deter an approach. If attacked by such a predator, fight back with anything you have. Advice for bears differs by species, so learn the right response for the area before you go.

Livestock and large grazing animals

Cattle, horses, moose and similar animals can be dangerous, especially mothers with young. Walk calmly around them. If cattle approach you with a dog, let go of the lead — the dog can outrun them.

Snakes

• Step back slowly and give the snake space. Most bites happen when people try to catch, kill or move one.
• If someone is bitten:
  1. Call your local emergency number (112 in Europe and many other countries, 911 in North America).
  2. Keep them still and calm, with the bitten limb at rest.
  3. Remove rings, watches and tight clothing near the bite.
  4. In regions where a firm bandage is officially advised for snakebite, apply it as directed.
  5. Don't cut, suck, use a tourniquet or apply ice.

Insects and ticks

• If you're stung by bees or wasps, walk away from the nest quickly and remove stings by scraping.
• Watch for signs of a severe allergic reaction: swelling of the face or throat, breathing difficulty or collapse. Call for help and use an adrenaline auto-injector if one is available.
• Check your skin for ticks every day. Remove them with fine tweezers, gripping close to the skin, and pull steadily.

Mark danger spots

If you find a nest, den or aggressive animal, drop a danger waypoint in the app so you and others can avoid it.

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