Tips On How to Survive Wild Animal Attacks

Viewing animals in their natural habitats is an incredible thing to experience, but all it takes is one wrong move for a wild encounter to turn deadly. Would you know what to do when faced with an enraged elephant, a mad-looking moose, or an angry gorilla? Let’s find out, as we explore some potentially life-saving tips on how to survive being attacked by the world’s most dangerous wild animals.

Wolves

Wild wolves generally avoid humans, but there are occasional accounts of people around the world being attacked and even killed by them. If you find yourself face to face with these fearsome predators, always avoid escalating the situation into an attack.

Firstly, never stare a wolf down. Wolves see direct eye-contact as a challenge. Back away slowly, with emphasis on the slowly part! If you lose your footing and fall, this may present an opening for the wolf to attack. But whatever you do, don’t run! Doing so may trigger a wolf’s instinct to chase, and seeing as they can run up to 38mph, you only run the risk of becoming fast food!

If it refuses to leave you alone, make yourself as big as possible, shout aggressively, and hurl whatever you can at it. Do everything you can to prove you’re not going to make an easy meal! This may not scare it off completely, but it could give you enough time to make your escape or find a tree to climb.

If it’s still not backing off and there’s no opportunity to escape, it’s time to fight back! Use fists, feet, and objects to hit sensitive areas like its eyes or nose. If it manages to latch onto your body, try using any free limbs to strangle it. It may sound like a crazy move, but it worked for explorer Diamond Jenness when he was attacked by a wolf in 1915.

Kangaroos

From afar, these springy marsupials don’t look too dangerous, but they have powerful hind legs and razor-sharp claws that make them formidable fighters. Using their tails for balance, larger kangaroos can deliver a kick with the strength of 850 pounds-per-square-inch, which is more than enough to shatter bones! So, what can you do if you find yourself toe-to-toe with grumpy skippy here?

If a large male kangaroo is showing aggression, the first thing you should do is let out a low, short cough. It sounds silly, but a human cough sounds very similar to sounds kangaroos make to display submissiveness. It tells the roo that you’re weak and pose no danger, making it less likely to feel the need to attack.

Then, avoiding all eye contact, crouch down slowly and move away, keeping as much distance as possible so it can’t claw, grab, or kick you. Turning your back and running is dangerous, as male kangaroos can bound up to 40 mph and still kick you at the same time. But if you do have to run, run in a zig-zag to make yourself a trickier target to pursue, and try to find shelter behind a tree or fence.

As a last resort, roll up into a ball on the ground to protect your vital organs from any serious blows, with your arms shielding your neck, and call for help. Don’t ever assume that being macho and challenging it to a boxing match will end well. Most likely, the only one of you to hop away unscathed will be the fellow with the tail!

Crocodiles

With the world’s strongest bite strength of 3,700 pounds-per-square-inch, saltwater crocodiles are so powerful that they can bite their way through steel! So, even if you fight one while wearing a full suit of armor, you’re little more than a canned snack!

But there are ways to escape unscathed from an encounter with these prehistoric predators. First, if one starts chasing you out of the water, run like the wind! Their stumpy legs only give them top running speeds of 12 mph, while many humans can sprint at 15 mph! So, assuming you’re fit enough, you can say, "in a while, crocodile!"

But if the croc manages to snag one of your limbs, your next move will be the difference between life and death. When clamped onto a limb, crocodiles rapidly spin to tear it off, in what’s called a death roll. If your limb’s stuck in a crocodile’s mouth, try to grab onto the creature’s underbelly and roll with it. Because this move takes up a lot of energy, it will take short rests before trying again.

If your limb’s still attached, use this opportunity to scratch and jab at the croc’s eyes, ears, and nostrils, as they’re the most vulnerable parts of its armored body. If you’re in the water, you may be able to attack the palatal valve at the back of its throat, which is a small flap of skin that closes up its airway and stops it from drowning. Striking this may cause water to enter the throat, shocking the crocodile into releasing you.

But at the end of that struggle, if you have to cut your losses to save your life, let it have your limb for lunch and scramble away to safety!

Bears

You’ve probably heard plenty of contradictory ways to survive a bear attack, like playing dead or climbing up a tree. But the right tactics entirely depend on the type of bear you encounter! The first step to survival is knowing what you’re up against.

Black bears are relatively common across North America’s forested areas and can be identified by their short claws, straight face profile and tall, pointed ears. They’re generally more curious than catastrophic, but they still kill 1 person a year on average, so what should you do if you find one wandering into you camp?

For starters, don’t run away, as this could trigger an attack response. Keep movements slow and deliberate and try to make yourself look as big as possible by opening any jackets you have on and waving your arms. With whatever you have to hand, make loud, intimidating noises like shouts and bangs to scare them off.

Whatever you do, don’t try to scamper up a tree to get away, black bears are excellent climbers, and can easily follow you up. If all else fails, and it does attack you, fight back! Use whatever you can to land blows on sensitive areas like the snout and eyes while avoiding those claws and teeth.

That said, weighing less than 200lbs on average, Black Bears are less than a third of the average weight of the North American Grizzly bear. Weighing upwards of 700lbs on average, and 1,700lbs at most, these enormous omnivores most often attack humans when they’re caught by surprise or when they feel their young are threatened.

So, if you think there might be a Grizzly nearby, be sure not to startle it. Make plenty of noise so that it knows where you are as you slowly move away. If one approaches you, don’t run, because if it thinks you’re prey it’ll continue to chase you. And seeing as they can reach speeds of 35 mph, don’t even try unless you can outrun Usain Bolt!

If it charges at you, its speed will make it difficult to out-maneuver, so drop into the fetal position and play dead. Use your hands to protect your neck, and keep your legs tucked in tight, doing all you can to prevent being rolled onto your back. This will make it harder for the bear to access your vital organs.

Grizzlies usually stop attacking when they sense the threat has been eliminated, so you’d better sharpen your acting skills to appear dead. But even if it starts to move off, don’t immediately get up! Keep still until the coast is completely clear, as Grizzlies often stick around at a distance for a while to make sure the job’s done.

But as terrifying as they seem, Grizzlies are like teddy bears in contrast to Polar Bears. Found across arctic territories, Polar Bears can reach over 1300lbs, and thanks to their opportunistic, carnivorous diet, playing dead will just make you an easy meal! If you see this type of bear approaching, first try to deter it by making a lot of loud noise. Make yourself look as big as possible and stand your ground, as this challenges the bear to back down.

Arm yourself with whatever you can, and if your threats aren’t enough to deter an attack, fight back with everything you have! Gouge at the sensitive eyes and snout, while avoiding those huge deadly claws. If you have a weapon, always aim to kill, as merely wounding it can make the bear even more aggressive! And with the slim chances of survival you already have, that’s the last thing you need.

Dogs

Every year, in the USA, around 800,000 dog bites require medical attention. But whether you encounter the gnashing jaws of a wild, domesticated, or guard dog, the tricks to avoid being attacked are all the same.

Firstly, frightening dogs with abrupt or unexpected movements can result in aggressive behavior, so try and stay calm. Like their wolf cousins, dogs can perceive direct eye contact as a provocation or challenge, so keep your gaze pointed downward too. If a dog starts to approach you and looks aggressive, distract it by giving it something like a jacket to bite instead of your limbs!

But if that doesn’t work, it’s time to fight back, like this guy was caught doing on CCTV in Kenya.

Kenyan Man Defends Himself from Guard Dog Who Got Off Leash | Active Self Protection by Active Self Protection

After a guard dog gets free of its leash and hurtles towards him, he tries to back away without success. He then levies a series of kicks against the vicious animal, wisely keeping it at a distance. After sustaining several blows, the dog appears to decide it’s not worth risking another, and the man begins yelling and stomping, encouraging the dog to back down. Maintaining dominance, the quick-thinker moves slowly in the direction of safety so as not to trigger a chase.

Jellyfish

Unlike most predators, Jellyfish can’t actively pursue their prey, due to their lack of eyes, muscles, and brain. But none of that matters if you’re stung by one. Species like the box jellyfish have incredibly potent venom with toxins that attack the heart and nervous system, often resulting in a watery death.

No matter the species, if you’re stung by a jelly, the first thing you should do is get out of the water. Once on dry land, no longer at risk of drowning, you can try to deactivate the venom. You’ve probably heard that peeing on a jellyfish sting can help, but that’s not just unhygienic; it’s also untrue! In fact, urine has the potential to aggravate jellyfish stingers into releasing even more venom!

Instead, douse the area with vinegar. This stops the stingers releasing more venom as you delicately remove any lingering tentacles with tweezers. Then, apply heat. This permanently deactivates the venom and helps stem the pain while you await emergency services if needed.

Moose

Weighing up to 1,800 lbs and measuring over 7 ft in height, an adult moose is certainly nothing to mess with. Despite being herbivores, they can become aggressive if they feel threatened by your presence in their territory.

If you encounter a moose and its ears are flat against its skull, it’s constantly licking its lips, or you can see the whites of its eyes, you could be in trouble. These are all signs of distress and aggression, and if it starts to approach you, back away slowly. If it charges, though, RUN for cover!

The moose will usually back down once it’s driven you far enough away, but if it’s still coming, find protection like a large rock, tree or building to duck behind. But if it catches up and knocks you down, curl into a ball to protect your vital organs and hope for the best outcome from one hell of a stomping!

Hippo

If you had to take a guess, what do you think is the world’s deadliest large land mammal? Lions? Tigers? Bears? No, none of them can compare to the herbivorous Hippopotamus, which kill about 500 people every year in Africa.

Weighing between 3,000 and 9,000lbs, with a bite force of 1,800 pounds-per-square-inch, they can easily chomp or crush a human to death if they feel threatened. So, to defend yourself, don’t even think about fighting head on! Find a large object that they won’t be able to jump over and get it in between you. Even better, climb a tree and stay out of its reach until it eventually moves away.

But if you find yourself in the jaws of an aggressive hippo, like Paul Templer did back in 1996, staying calm is essential to survival. The hippo thrashed Paul back and forth and swallowed parts of him three times. But Paul gripped onto the hippos giant tusks to keep himself from being totally consumed, all while intermittently holding his breath as he was repeatedly dragged underwater. Eventually, it let him go and he was pulled to safety, but he lost an arm and was covered head to toe in over 40 bite wounds.

Lions

Big cats like lions can be serious trouble if you find yourself face-to-face with one in the wild. These flesh-eating felines kill approximately 250 people a year, so if you want to avoid being part of that statistic, here’s what you should do.

First, you must fight the fear of being faced with claws that can reach up to 1 ½ inches long and a jaw that can crunch around 1,000 pounds-per-square-inch! That’s because running away won’t get you very far, as lions can run up to 50 mph! It’s vital to stand your ground and make a lot of noise, so clap your hands, wave your arms, scream, and shout. This makes you appear like less easy prey, but it doesn’t stop the threat entirely.

A lion may charge at you with a deep growl, but don’t run! Initial charges are usually bluffs, and running away is what normal prey would do. Instead, move back slowly to a place of safety, if possible, but avoid trees. Lions are excellent climbers, and clambering up a tree is only likely to lead to a very literal dead end!

Gorillas

Gorillas, the largest primates in the world, can weigh up to 500lbs and stand up to 6ft tall. They’re usually a relatively peaceful species, but dominant males aren’t afraid to use their strength to protect their troop and territory. Chest-thumping and grunts are intimidation tactics designed to assert dominance and scare away any intruders.

The last thing you should do if confronted with chest-thumping is go full Tarzan and return the favor, as gorillas will see this as a direct challenge. Instead, slowly crouch down and make yourself as small as possible while avoiding all eye-contact. These behaviors tell the gorilla you’re not a threat, though their success varies.

If you’re charged regardless and attacked, double-down on your submissive efforts. Don’t scream or try to fight back, as this may be interpreted as a further threat, and could result in an even more severe beating! And most importantly, if you want to get out alive, don’t mention Harambe.

Elephants

They may look like gentle giants, but elephants around the world kill approximately 500 people a year. Weighing up to 7 tons, being squashed by these creatures would be like having 35 large refrigerators dropped on top of you! But if one ever begins to charge at you in the wild, fight the urge to run and stand perfectly still. Most elephants’ charges are bluffs, like this one in the clip below:

Elephant bull stand-off (Triple header). by Lowveld Trails Co.

As bluff charging is a threat display to test you, running away will usually encourage the elephant to chase you further, as it’ll perceive you as an easily-eliminated threat. But what if there’s a stampede of them running towards you?

In this scenario, a herd has likely been startled or is trying to escape a threat, so you should do everything you can to get out of their way! They can hit speeds of 15 mph, which is about the same as a sprinting human, so trying to outrun them will likely leave you tired and trampled.

Assuming they aren’t directly chasing you, use large objects to your advantage, like ducking behind a big rock or climbing a sturdy tree. Even in a stampede, elephants try to avoid running into structures and potentially injuring themselves. But if there’s absolutely nothing around you, and you’re out of stamina, lie down in a prone position and cover your face.

According to The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, elephants tend to instinctively avoid stepping on a prone human, even when stampeding. It seems like an utterly insane claim, but stampeding elephants have regularly been observed avoiding stepping on other ground-dwelling things like tortoises.

Snakes

Snakes really seem to love variety. While many can take down a person with a venomous bite, others can crush their victims to death! With so much to contend with, what should you do if you find yourself at the mercy of one of these nope-ropes?

Let’s start with venomous snakes, which kill approximately 100,000 people a year. Most attacks can be avoided by wearing protective clothing in high-risk areas and staying vigilant, but sometimes, even that’s not enough to avoid a bite. You’ve probably heard that sucking the site of a snake bite wound can draw the toxins out. As cool as it looks in movies, this is a total myth!

Venom is absorbed into the surrounding body tissue in a matter of moments, and meddling with the wound just risks doing more damage. The same goes for using a tourniquet to stop the venom from spreading through the body.

Venom is comprised of toxic substances that breakdown cells and tissues, leading to internal bleeding, muscle necrosis, and sometimes paralysis. A tourniquet will stop this effect spreading, but it will also concentrate the venom at the site, rapidly destroying the cells there, and will make antivenom less effective!

However, not all hope is lost. You can use a method called pressure immobilization to help effectively stop the venom spreading without the secondary damage caused by tourniquets. This involves wrapping a pressure bandage around the affected area and the wider areas around it like this in the clip below and immobilizing it. But even with a handy bandage, your best bet for survival is to call for help and get to a medical facility as soon as possible!

First aid treatment for snakebites - use of Pressure Bandages with Immobilisation by HOT NORTH

Fatal fangs aren’t the only weapons snakes can use against you, though. Species of constrictor snakes, like pythons and anacondas, use their powerful bodies to coil around their prey, cutting off their blood supply and suffocating them. So, if you’re wrapped in a deadly embrace, how can you stop the snake from squeezing the life out of you?

If possible, uncoil it from the tail end, as it’s relatively weak compared to the core of its body. If that doesn’t work, submerge its head under water. If it can’t breathe, it’s less likely to continue its attack and should let you go. But if you’re in a tight spot that just keeps getting tighter, you may need to break the snake! Bending its tail back into a U shape and applying pressure should be enough to snap the tail bone, which can cause enough of a shock for the snake to release you.

But if that doesn’t phase it, and you’re still in serious trouble, it’s time to kill or be killed. Aim your attacks at the constrictor’s head with whatever you can. Killing it will relax the coiled muscles, saving your life, even if it does feel somewhat cold-blooded.

Sharks

Even though you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than be attacked by a shark, there were still 140 shark attacks worldwide back in 2019.

When most people spot a shark in the water, their instinct is to swim away as fast as possible. But rapidly and noisily swimming away from a hungry shark is the worst thing you can do! As with many predators, fleeing could trigger the shark to chase you, so instead, stay as still as you can, making yourself look as big as possible.

You should also orient yourself vertically, as most shark prey, such as seals, appear horizontal in the water from below. However, if a shark is actively attacking, it’s time to act! If you have any long items to hand, try aggressively nudging the shark off-course, making yourself appear too tricky to be a worthwhile expenditure of energy.

But even if you find yourself in its jaws, don’t think playing dead will help, because most of the time, to an attacking shark, you’re not a threat to be neutralized; you’re food! Try as aggressively as you can to counter the attack by punching and jabbing at sensitive areas like the eyes, snout, and gills.

If you’re lucky enough to be released, get out of that water quickly! While many sharks won’t go in for a second attack, it’s better to play it safe, in case its friends smell blood and feel like joining the party. Trust me, that’s not the kind of shindig where you want to be the guest of honor.

I hope you were amazed at these tips on how to survive wild animal attacks! Thanks for reading.