Your wild animal encounters

[durbster]

We arrived in Broome, north west Australia, and found a perfect, shaded spot under a big tree to put our tent up. That evening as the sun went down, a group of us were sitting around having a few beers, chatting and relaxing.

A large rustling sound stopped the conversation dead, and a massive Goanna emerged from a nearby bush trotting towards us. It obviously wasn't expecting to see us and hesitated for a moment.

Then, with a burst of speed, it charged at the group.

It was heading towards me and I started to move out of the way but it was too close and too fast, and before I had fully grasped what was happening it had navigated around my chair and disappeared into the base of the tree.

Thankfully, in a break from the tradition of Australian fauna, he wasn't coming to kill me. It seems we'd inadvertently pitched up in his back garden and I just happened to be the one sat between him and his home.

What unexpected encounters with the world's wild creatures have you had?

[anonymous-user]

Next door's cat is an absolute bd. It's fking huge for a start, and seems to have no fear at all, and if you turn your back on it it starts creeping forward and then attacks. Even chasing it off with a super soaker only works for a few seconds. Problem is the fker keeps attacking our cat and pinning it into the corner behind the bins or similar with the accompanying wailing and screeching. I hate that cat. It doesn't even move when its sitting in the road and you drive up to it. I'm always tempted to just flatten it, see if you can take on a toyota you cocky little furry fker.

Sorry, that's not really a wild beast, but I hate that fking cat.

[Pothole]

I dated a girl from Toronto for a while.

[dudleybloke]

I strangled a shark with an eel.
Honest.

[sc0tt]

I killed a 5ft roo in Western Australia driving through the outback at dusk. Wrote of a RAV4 from no birds and lost my $50 deposit.

[sc0tt]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Agreed with TN you don’t want to meet a drop bear. My friend james was walking his dog in perth and came in to contact with a drop bear.

Killed his dog.

[Zarco]

I shared a pavement with a badger once.

[ApOrbital]

I use to feed badgers by hand in my garden all 15 of them.

[NoVetec]

sc0tt said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Agreed with TN you don’t want to meet a drop bear. My friend james was walking his dog in perth and came in to contact with a drop bear.

Killed his dog.

Mick Taylor breeds them so I've heard.

[PositronicRay]

ApOrbital said:

I use to feed badgers by hand in my garden all 15 of them.

I used to collect badgers, I stopped when I had the sett.

[alorotom]

Numerous pit vipers, king cobras, water monitors and Siam crocodiles in Thailand (plus numerous elephants and mischievous macaque monkies.

Seen a few rattlers in Death Valley and red rock canyon. Shed loads of elk at the Grand Canyon plus one shy (or just not hungry) cougar.

Millions of rats in New York City!

[ApOrbital]

PositronicRay said:

ApOrbital said:

I use to feed badgers by hand in my garden all 15 of them.

I used to collect badgers, I stopped when I had the sett.

Was it a full sett

Edited by ApOrbital on Sunday 10th February 21:54

[soad]

Mountain Lion!!

GTA V.

[Jasandjules]

Used to meet the odd rattler or bull snake coming from home school but you just give them a wide berth. Got bitten by a bob cat when I disturbed him by mistake - I still have the scar and it was 30 years ago!

School trip had a Grizzly come to visit the cabins but the teachers were armed and a couple of shots in the air soon got rid of him..

I've had a 6ft or so nurse shark clip my head as she swam over me - just the tip of her tail I am guessing but it was a bit of a clunk !

[J4CKO]

At Jackson Hole Skiing and went from one Piste to another and nearly collided with a Moose, an American woman was screaming from the chair lift, Moose had young one with it but behind it, didnt seem bothered by my presence but glad I wasnt between it and its baby.

[ApOrbital]

Jasandjules said:

Used to meet the odd rattler or bull snake coming from home school but you just give them a wide berth. Got bitten by a bob cat when I disturbed him by mistake - I still have the scar and it was 30 years ago!

School trip had a Grizzly come to visit the cabins but the teachers were armed and a couple of shots in the air soon got rid of him..

I've had a 6ft or so nurse shark clip my head as she swam over me - just the tip of her tail I am guessing but it was a bit of a clunk !

I had a shark swim with me in mexico not sure what sort but he/she was in a good mood.

[magpie215]

Not me but a friend

He told his wife she was starting to look a bit old........does that count?

[durbster]

sc0tt said:

I killed a 5ft roo in Western Australia driving through the outback at dusk. Wrote of a RAV4 from no birds and lost my $50 deposit.

I always thought Kangaroos were soft, fluffy things until I saw one. They're absolute units. I wouldn't fancy hitting one.

[Europa1]

I did one of those overland expeditions across Africa in my year off (not sure if they're still possible as we went through places like Zaire).

One morning in the Serengeti we woke up to find a lion on the edge of the camp. Zipped the tent back up pretty sharpish, because obviously that made me a lot more safe...

Other than that...going to see some elephant on foot in Mali was, in hindsight, rash. Luckily they didn't kick off.

The most amazing encounter was planned though - going to see the mountain gorillas in eastern Zaire. Just incredible to sit there for an hour in the rainforest, a couple of dozen feet from these amazing creatures, seeing them get on with their family life. And the realisation that the silverback could rip you into small pieces without you being able to even give him pause for thought.

[Saleen836]

Met this chap on his way to the bar while I was on the Florida Keys, tight git wouldn't buy me a drink though