Animal Dangers.

[HillBill]

Bats carry Rabies here. Fortunately, folk rarely come into physical contact with them.

The large herbivores are commonly the most dangerous worldwide aren't they?

I know rabies is supposed more or less absent from the UK (I have my suspicions about rats entering aboard ships though) But how prevalent is it on the continent?

I also believe I read somewhere that domestic cows kill more people every year than wild animals.

 

[allrightscud]

Do you know that more folk are injured by sheep or more specifically rams than cows or bulls in the UK. Most sensible folk will avoid large bovines but think its OK to walk amonst fluffy sheep untill the ram takes offence.

 

[cranmere]

In Europe I'm generally not too worried. If you trample around snakes and for that matter most other animals will generally move away from you, I've seen adders on Dartmoor but not often. Keep clear of cattle.

One animal I'm cautious of is wild boar in Spain and Italy and the semi-wild herds of pigs that roam there. Pigs are big, strong, very fast and are not afraid of humans. I've encountered big herds of them and have never had any trouble but I certainly wouldn't provoke them.

I've hiked in northern Scandinavia and although there are wolves and lynxes they are very rarely a problem to walkers outside of deep winter. Brown bears are becoming a lot more common although there are very few reports of problems, so I would take the usual camping precautions of not leaving food or food waste lying around. We don't have the same problems that some of the US has with big organised camp grounds where the bears have learned that there is food available.

I'm probably more concerned about ticks since those can carry several very nasty diseases and are common across the whole of Europe.

 

[JonathanD]

I forgot about wild boar.

 

[Harvestman]

No-one has mentioned that if you are in the south of Europe then you have Black Widow spiders and several species of scorpions, some of which may be harmful to humans. Bites and stings are pretty unlikely unless you disturb a spider in its web or get a spider or scorpion in your clothes though.

Remember also the risk of wasp, hornet and bee stings, which can be serious, especially also in quantity. Wasps and bees kill a lot more people than spiders and scorpions do.

 

[shutupthepunx]

i think we shouldnt worry about whats out there. there is this mentality that the wild is crazy and dangerous place. It's not. ...we are just scared of what we dont know. we know supermarkets and concrete and high streets and we feel safe there.

maybe one person dies every year in a bear attack in the US (and thats most likely hunters who shot it and made it mad)
47,000 die in car accidents every YEAR in the US

sorry for the rough US statistics but you get the point. we dont need to go running out to buy bear mace, or snake bite kits or whatever else capitalism wants to sell us to make us feel safe.

 

[JonathanD]

we dont need to go running out to buy bear mace, or snake bite kits or whatever else capitalism wants to sell us to make us feel safe.

I go everywhere with a snake bite kit. Especially abroad. If you travel to remote environments, it's wise to know the local dangers. In fact it's essential.

 

[sandbender]

I forgot about wild boar.

You may have forgotten about them but they haven't forgotten about you.

Bears and wolves, not worried, not at all, boars though, terrifying, clever, devious and determined beasts. Keep on there good side, which usually means just keep away from where they want to be.

Mrs. S hails from Transylvania, one of her relatives was once chased up a tree by a couple of boars. They sat and waited, and waited and then after about five hours they started to dig up the roots of the tree. Some hunters rescued him when they heard the screams.

 

[JonathanD]

You may have forgotten about them but they haven't forgotten about you, Bears, wolves, not worried, not at all.

Boars though, terrifying, clever, devious and determined beasts. Keep on there good side, which usually means just keep away from where they want to be.

Tell me about it. I encountered one in Dorset two years back.

 

[HillBill]

Never mind wild boars.....domestic ones are bad enough... we have a 350kg boar....he is one big S.O.B..... he can throw me over his back with a quick toss of his head, and i aint little. Luckily.... he likes carrots... so when i have to go in and feed him, its either a case of toss him some carrots to keep him happy, or get knocked out of the way and the bucket of food removed from my possession.

 

[elliott93]

out of curiosity what should one carry in a snake bite kit jonathan? can anti-venom be brought?

 

[santaman2000]

Bats carry Rabies here. Fortunately, folk rarely come into physical contact with them.

The large herbivores are commonly the most dangerous worldwide aren't they?

That's what I was thinking. I was wondering if rabies was more prevent on the continent though?

.....there are wolves and lynxes they are very rarely a problem to walkers outside of deep winter. Brown bears are becoming a lot more common although there are very few reports of problems, so I would take the usual camping precautions of not leaving food or food waste lying around. We don't have the same problems that some of the US has with big organised camp grounds where the bears have learned that there is food available.......

The black bears have learned that about camps; but they also raid residential neighborhoods for the same reason. Brown Bears (grizzlies) on the other hand, have learned to move towards the sound of gunfire as it means there's a fresh killed deer or elk on the ground.

.....maybe one person dies every year in a bear attack in the US (and thats most likely hunters who shot it and made it mad)
47,000 die in car accidents every YEAR in the US

sorry for the rough US statistics but you get the point. we dont need to go running out to buy bear mace, or snake bite kits or whatever else capitalism wants to sell us to make us feel safe.

There are fewer actual human fatalities from bear than that. However bear attacks and maulings are another matter; probably several times that (there were 3 here in Florida alone within the last year, and those were all the relatively calm Black bear attacking people in their residential neighborhoods.

Bear mace? Not for me. A good rifle is far better. And no, there's not been any reported instances of a bear attacking a hunter that was actually hunting said bear. On the other hand, there have been several attacking deer or elk hunters in an attempt to steal their kill (see above post) They even attack the pack horses to get to the meat being packed out.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Lots of interesting responses. Not one has deterred me in my travel plans. Kinda want to take my camera out and see if I can shoot some of the magnificent animals out there.

Thanks everyone

Julia

 

[Bigfoot]

Watch out for processional caterpillars (although not at this time of year).

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Watch out for processional caterpillars (although not at this time of year).

Ok, I'll bite. What are they?, where would I find them?, and what hazard to they present?

Julia

 

[Harvestman]

They are a pest, in that they lead to tree defoliation, and they are fun to play with as they walk in long lines, nose to tail with the one in front.

I'm not aware that they pose any danger though.

 

[British Red]

One we have missed is drop bears. Not native but believed to have naturalised.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear

 

[sandbender]

Ok, I'll bite. What are they?, where would I find them?, and what hazard to they present?

Julia

Here are some..

The hairs will irritate your skin and the resulting rash can stay with you for weeks.

I was walking in France a few years back and sat down for lunch at a set of benches and tables under some trees at the edge of a village. The person I was with got one down the back of the neck and had a small rash for a while, I'd been resting my forearms on the table where hairs had and perhaps bits of caterpillar had fallen. two days later my arms were red and blotchy and itched like hell.

 

[Harvestman]

Here are some..

The hairs will irritate your skin and the resulting rash can stay with you for weeks.

Oh of course, I forgot they are hairy. Hairy caterpillars are always a risk, because the hairs tend to be barbed and toxin-tipped. nasty if you get in the eyes or something. Yes, processionals are known tp be particularly nasty in that regard. Thanks for the reminder.

Best thing to do with them is get them going in a circle!

 

[xylaria]

Cows.

Badly behaved dogs. Ferel dog packs.