Responding to Wildlife Encounters

***The Navigating Mom (and this post) may contain affiliate links. If you purchase from one of these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.****

At The Navigating Mom, we only believe in and promote ethical and natural animal encounters. We do not promote attractions or destinations that use animals as entertainment. For our full wildlife disclaimer, please see our About Page.

Exploring the outdoors with your kids opens the door to endless discovery—but it also means sharing the space with wildlife that calls these places home. I have spent countless hours and trips exploring the outdoors with my daughter and her cousins, and wildlife encounters have been common for us, especially when visiting national parks. 

Knowing how to respond when you are in a situation that could potentially be dangerous is essential for safe outdoor exploration. This is important not only for your own safety, but also for the safety of wildlife and protecting the environment. 

But don’t worry! We have you covered! We will walk you through simple, kid-friendly safety tips that help young explorers feel confident on the trail, understand animal behavior, and learn how to enjoy nature responsibly.

General Wildlife Safety Tips

***Disclaimer: Wildlife encounters involve inherent risks. The information in this post is provided for educational purposes only. Wildlife behavior is unpredictable, and the author is not responsible for injuries or damages resulting from outdoor or wildlife-related activities.***

To start, I want to give you the basic wildlife safety tips that we follow whenever we are outdoors exploring. These basic precautions will help protect you, your family, and wildlife.

Aside from these general tips, it is also important to know how to respond to each individual wildlife species you might encounter. Each species is unique, and therefore your response needs to be unique. We will review several common wildlife species you might encounter below.

1. Always observe from a distance. Use binoculars or a camera to view wildlife from a safe distance. 
2. Stay on trails while hiking, walking, or biking. This helps protect both you, the environment, and local wildlife. 
3. Don’t litter! Ensure all trash is properly disposed of to prevent wildlife from ingesting food or trash that they shouldn’t. 
4. Leave feathers, nests, and eggs alone. Remember-look, don’t touch. 
5. Never feed wildlife! Feeding wildlife can be dangerous for them and can make them come to associate humans with food. It can also lead them to coming into human areas looking for food, increasing the chance of you being injured or the animal having to be put down. 
6. Always follow all park rules and guidelines for interacting with wildlife. 

Signs of Aggression to Look For

Although each animal will respond differently when they feel stressed and/or threatened, there are some common signs to look for that may indicate an animal is getting ready to attack:

• Ears Going Back
• Tail Flickering
• Raised Fur 
• Loud Calls or Hissing
• Rigid/tense Body Posture
• Direct Staring
• Lips Curling Back
• Pacing, Lunging, Circling

Watch for these and if you notice any, remove yourself from the situation if possible. If you can’t, you will need to take the next appropriate actions based on the type of wildlife you are encountering.

What To Do During Wildlife Encounters 

Each form of wildlife requires a different approach. Knowing how to respond is essential for your safety and theirs. Before heading out for your hiking or camping trip, be sure to research the type of wildlife you might encounter and how to respond to them.

Remember- do not villianize wildlife. They are not out to harm you, they usually just want to be left alone. They may be startled by you or feel threatened, and their natural instincts will kick in. You should prepare yourself and learn how to respond in each situation to prevent harm to wildlife and/or yourself.

Responding to Different Types of Wildlife Encounters

Bear Encounters

Bear encounters are common, especially when visiting state or national parks. While encounters are common, bear attacks are rare. An attack usually only results when a bear is feeling threatened or defensive of food/cubs.

When going for a hike or exploring an area known to have bear activity, you will want to make noise, travel/hike in a group, keep a safe distance between you and any bears (300 ft.), keep all food secured, carry bear spray, and know how to respond to each type of bear.

If you encounter a bear, you want to stop, stay calm, and back away. Never turn your back, walk slowly backwards and to the side (non-threatening to the bear).

If you encounter a brown bear you will want to leave your backpack on and play dead. Lie flat on your stomach and lace your hands together behind your neck. Spread your legs apart (it makes it harder for the bear to flip you). Lie like this until the bear leaves the area. However, if the bear continues to attack you, you will want to fight back with whatever you can get a hold of. Aim for the face.

If you encounter a black bear, you will want to make yourself appear bigger. Make noise and wave your arms around. Use whatever you can get a hold of to fight back, such as rocks or sticks.

 Mountain Lion Encounters

Mountain lion encounters are rare, they generally will avoid human contact, but it is important to know what to do in case you encounter one. Mountain lions are found mainly in the Western US and Western Canada. 

If you encounter a mountain lion, you want to stop. Never run, this may trigger their natural instinct to chase and attack. You want to maintain eye contact with the animal. Raise your arms above your head or swing a jacket above your head to make yourself appear larger. Slowly back away from the mountain lion while talking firmly. 

If you have small children with you, always pick them up or move them behind you. In the event that the mountain lion does attack you, stand tall and fight back. Use any available items, such as sticks or rocks, to fight back. Bear spray can also be used. 

Bison Encounters

Bison are commonly found in Western US states, including Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Bison can be unpredictable, and despite their appearance are very fast, being able to run up to 35-40 mph. 

While bison may attack if they feel threatened, cornered, or stressed, some simple steps can help prevent an attack. Always stay at least 25 yards (75 ft.) away from a bison. Do not try to scare them off or chase them away.

Know what the signs are that a bison may be becoming upset, including snorting, tossing their head, raising their tail, pawing at the ground, and making eye contact while fake charging. If a bison attacks you, seek protection behind a car, boulder, or tree. If you are knocked down, protect your neck and head. 

Moose Encounters

Moose attacks are rare, and fatalities from moose attacks are even rarer. But they are not impossible, and therefore you should be prepared in the rare event that you attacked by a moose.

Watch for signs that the moose is stressed, which might include its ears being pinned back, the hair on its shoulders standing up, licking its lip, throwing its head up, or bluff charging.

Oftentimes, when a moose charges it is a bluff. You should always take it seriously though and find cover behind something large, like a tree or boulder. If a moose is charging at you and there is nowhere to hide, run. Moose will not typically chase you very far. 

If the moose knocks you to the ground, you will want to curl up in a ball and wrap your hands around your head. Do not fight back, it may provoke the moose to continue to attack. 

Elk Encounters

Elks may look like nothing more than over-sized deer, but if they are startled or feel threatened, they can be quite dangerous for humans. Elk encounters are pretty common when visiting national parks and exploring the outdoors, but attacks are very rare.

If you do encounter an elk during one of your hikes, make sure you keep a distance of at least 50 ft. between you and the elk. Never feed an elk (or any form of wildlife), make noise when hiking to avoid startling an elk, avoid looking an elk directly in the eyes for too long, and keep all dogs on leashes when hiking.

If an elk feels threatened, they may attack you. If an elk is approaching you, you will want to back away slowly. Do not turn your back to them. Try to put a large object between you and the elk. If you are attacked and knocked down, curl up into a ball, use your hands/arms to protect your neck and head, and remain still until the elk leaves.

Snake Encounters

Snake encounters are not rare, but getting bitten by one is, especially if you don’t know what to do. The rule of thumb for snakes is to keep your distance and give them space.

If you encounter a snake while hiking, slowly back away and look for an alternate route that gives the snake plenty of room. The most important thing to do is to keep your distance, never try to mess with a snake (or any other type of wildlife!).

Do not make any sudden or quick moves, you want to avoid startling the snake. Always find an alternate pathway, do not attempt to cross by a snake.

If you are bitten by a venomous snake or one that you are unsure is venomous or not, you will want to limit activity to prevent the spread of the venom and seek medical attention immediately. Do not try any home remedies, the only way to treat it is to receive anti-venom from a medical professional.

Alligator Encounters

If you are visiting a Southeastern US state, there is a decent chance for alligator encounters. Alligators are native to this area, and found in fresh water environments like swamps, marshes, rivers, and lakes.

To avoid an alligator attack, keep your distance of at least 30-60 ft. from the alligator. You will also want to stay 20-30 ft. from the water’s edge in places where alligators are active. Never feed alligators, avoid swimming, kayaking, or being near water at dawn/dusk when alligators are most active, pay extra attention for signs of a nest, and be extra cautious during mating season when alligators may be more aggressive.

If an alligator does lunge at you, run away quickly in a straight line. Alligators are fast, but only for short distances. If an alligator latches on to you in the water, fight back. Punch it wherever you can, in the nose, arms, etc. Seek higher ground away from the water, alligators are more dangerous in water.

Sharks

Shark encounters are rare, but they do happen. When shark attacks do occur, it is most likely that the shark has mistaken the person for prey (fish or seal). There are some simple things that you can do to minimize the chances of a shark attack. Swim in groups, avoid murky waters, avoid traveling too far from shore, avoid being in the water after dark, avoid wearing bright colored swim suits/clothing, avoid shiny jewelry, and avoid swimming in areas where people are fishing or seals are around.

When a shark bites, it is testing if the object is palatable. If not, the shark will spit it out and move on. If a shark does bite you, try not to pull away to minimize damage. Instead, try to grab/hold on to the shark to limit movement. Try to get out of the water as soon as possible.

***Disclaimer: Wildlife encounters involve inherent risks. The information in this post is provided for educational purposes only. Wildlife behavior is unpredictable, and the author is not responsible for injuries or damages resulting from outdoor or wildlife-related activities.***

At The Navigating Mom, we only believe in and promote ethical and natural animal encounters. We do not promote attractions or destinations that us animals as entertainment. For our full wildlife disclaimer, please see our About Page.

***The Navigating Mom (and this post) may contain affiliate links. If you purchase from one of these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.****