How To Survive An Animal Attack
If you needed to outwit a wild foe, would you know what to do? Play dead, fight back… or leg it?
Read on to find out what to do and how to survive certain animals.
How to survive a shark attack
Imagine youโre surfing in the ocean and catching some amazing waves. Itโs so much fun that you havenโt even noticed youโve got company. You feel a tug on your leg and look down to discover, to your horror, that a shark has its mouth around it.
Try to defend yourself with whatever weapon you can (avoid using your bare hands or feet if possible). Concentrate your blows on vulnerable spots; the mantra is: โeyes, gills, snoutโ.
Humans are not natural prey for sharks and once they realise youโre not a seal theyโre likely to spit you out.
How to survive an Elephant attack
Youโre on a jungle trek when, all of a sudden, an aggressive-looking elephant comes running out of the trees in your direction.
Signs that an elephant is in an aggressive mood include pinned back ears, a lowered head, and a curled in trunk. If the elephantโs ears are relaxed, it could be a mock charge, and you have the option of standing your ground, although their size would influence that decision.
Death is much more likely if you turn your back on a charging elephant and run. One ploy that can work is to climb a tree โ just make sure itโs too big to be pushed over. And if Jumbo does attack you, play dead until he gets tired of tossing your body around.
How to survive Killer Bees
If youโre in the Americas youโre in Africanised bee (โkiller beeโ) territory and these are much more aggressive than European bees.
They aim for your nose and mouth first, so pull your top over your lower face and leg it. Run as fast and as far as you can and make sure you donโt give up too soon โ theyโve been known to chase victims beyond 400 metres. If possible, hide in a building or a car.
Despite what cartoons would have us believe, diving into water is a bad idea โ the bees will wait until you come up for air. If a bee bumps into you itโs not an accident, itโs a guard bee sent out by a colony to warn predators away. Run before youโre attacked by the entire hive.
How to Survive a Monkey Attack
Youโre on holiday in India and stop for lunch outside a temple. There are rhesus macaques everywhere and theyโre rather cute โ until one lunges forward, bears its teeth at you and tries to grab your sandwich. What should you do?
Sacrifice your sarnie; theyโre more interested in eating that than you. Failing that, use the โopen-mouth threatโ: make an โOโ with your lips, lean forward, raise your eyebrows and then back away slowly.
If that doesnโt work, call upon the assistance of the nearest large male (monkeys are more afraid of men than women).
How to Survive a Crocodile Attack
Crocodiles are dangerous predators with incredibly powerful jaws; you really donโt want to start an argument with one. However, if you did find yourself attacked by a crocodile and your leg in its mouth, poke it in the eye in the hope that the sudden pain and shock might result in it releasing you. Crocodiles’ jaws can potentially be pried open, but they have such strong neck muscles that they can easily shake off a person who is trying this manoeuvre.
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