From a harrowing fights against apex predators to the lengths at which people are willing
to go to save their pets, today we look at Times Humans Defended Themselves Against Wild
Animals...And Won.
Number 11.
Cassowary Crash When faced with a fight or flight scenario,
the majority of birds will opt for the latter given their obvious winged advantage.
But for creatures like the dinosaur-esque cassowary, fighting can be a much more effective
choice.
So when a man and his family faced off with an angry cassowary while on vacation, he knew
it was unlikely to just run away.
Growing agitated with a nature photographer, the wild bird leapt toward the man, who swiftly
turned around to avoid potential disembowelment by the razor clawed beast.
It kicked him off a 7-foot cliff instead before retreating to the rainforest, leaving the
man with just a handful of bumps and bruises along with an unharmed family.
Number 10.
Python Bite Snakes can be terrifying creatures, and while
pythons themselves aren't venomous, in general a serpent's bite is one of the most frightening
attacks one can endure.
One man, however, had to turn the tables on mother nature in his fight for survival.
In 2009, a farm manager in Kenya found himself in a heap of trouble when he stepped on a
massive, 13-foot python.
The giant snake quickly coiled around him and began dragging him up a tree attempting
to slowly suffocate him.
But the farmer kept his cool, waiting nearly three hours until the snake's tail got near
enough to his face.
Desperate, yet clear-minded, he decided to bite onto the python's tail, alarming the
snake and causing it to loosen its grip.
As it did so, he quickly reached for his cell phone and alerted authorities to his situation.
Thankfully they arrived swiftly and rescued the man from the snake's grasp, just in the
nick of time.
Number 9.
Coffee Cougar Coffee dates are everyday affairs, and millions
gather routinely at coffee shops around the world on any given day.
So when a man headed to a Tim Horton's coffee shop in Alberta, Canada, he certainly wasn't
expecting the surprise that awaited him.
Waiting to meet a friend, the man was lingering outside the shop with his dog when a cougar
suddenly pounced from a nearby forest, attacking the man's faithful hound.
Avoiding the shock of the incident, he struck back at the large cat without hesitation,
punching the cougar and sending it running back to the woods.
The dog-owner didn't sustain any injuries, but his companion didn't get off so easily.
Serious injuries threatened his pet's life, but it eventually pulled through and survived.
Authorities told local news stations that the man's quick response saved his dog's life
in this instance, though they don't recommend anyone attempt to square off with a cougar
if they can avoid it.
Number 8.
Shark Shank In 2007, a diver was enjoying an excursion
off the coast of Australia's Cape Howe [how] in search of valuable abalone with some friends
and family when disaster struck.
A great white shark charged at the man and proceeded to begin swallowing him head first!
Only partially within the maw of the shark, the man frantically grasped his abalone-shucking
knife and began stabbing into the shark, aiming for its eye.
After a handful of quick thrusts, the diver pierced directly into the great white's eye
and was released from its mouth.
He then hurried to the surface as his friends and son helped haul him out of the water into
the safety of their boat.
Deep bite marks tore into the sides of his torso and left arm, and the force of the sharks
bite crushed his facemask and nose.
But after they reached medical assistance, the man made a full recovery and essentially
winning his fight against one of the world's most lethal predators.
Number 7.
Home Invader The majority of these human-versus-animal
stories occur in the vicinity of the wilderness, but for one unfortunate couple, the wilderness
came to them.
After letting their dog out to pass water one autumn night in 2011, the Pennsylvania
couple was shocked when a bear came chasing their pet back into the house!
The dog's owner had been getting ready for work as his wife slept upstairs when the bear
began mauling him in his own living room.
His cries for help woke his wife, who ran downstairs and began yelling at the bear,
attracting its attention.
As the bear attacked her, the man rose up and drew the bear back to himself, and once
more the animal switched its target.
According to the couple, at some point, the bear ceased its onslaught, and took off from
the house back into the nearby woods.
The married couple suffered painful injuries, but spent less than 24 hours in medical care.
Luckily their son had been safely upstairs throughout the attack...where he slept soundly
through the frightening experience.
Number 6.
Divers and Dragons Aggressive, brawny, and equipped with skin-melting
saliva, komodo dragons are among the most terrifying creatures you can encounter in
the wild.
Thankfully for most people, they are sparsely found near civilization.
But for one group of divers, their habitat was apparently not remote enough.
When forced ashore the Indonesian Rinca Island by strong currents, the group had already
outmaneuvered a number of sharks and weather hazards just to reach dry land.
Then they were met by these monstrous reptiles, who quickly began closing in on the divers.
One diver, though, had the bright idea to use their diving belts as makeshift whips,
giving the group a fighting chance as they beat back their would-be predators.
After 10 hours of defending themselves and sleeping in shifts, a rescue boat finally
rescued them.
Somehow, despite the dangerous situation, none of them suffered a bite from the komodo
dragons.
Number 5.
Colorado Cub An environmental consultant jogging along
the mountainous terrain just 65 miles outside of Denver found himself toe to toe with a
cougar in February of 2019.
He first tried to scare it off by shouting and flailing his arms above his head, but
to no avail as the cougar leapt at him.
It latched onto his wrist with its jaws, and slashed at his neck and face, quickly forcing
him to fight for his life.
Using his environment, the man would grab a rock and sticks during the scuffle and attempt
to pry the creature off with strikes from these crude weapons.
But when that didn't work, he had to get crafty, overtaking the wild cat with his superior
size.
Once on top, he was able to position his foot on the cougars throat, forcing it to release
its clamping bite, but strangling it in the process.
Cut up and bruised from the nearly three-minute battle, the man survived the cat's thrashing
with no permanent damage.
The cougar was found to be just 4 to 5 months old, most likely orphaned and overly defensive
after being left to survive in the cruel wilderness.
Number 4.
Elephant Wrangling As lovable as they may seem, elephants can
be fierce creatures and extremely territorial.
So when an explorer was working in the African country of Gabon [ga-bawn] to develop a new
national park, he most likely had gotten a little too close to the female elephant that
instinctually charged him in 2003.
For most, this would mean fatal consequences, but the man was prepared thanks to his knowledge
of the local wildlife.
He first attempted to stand his ground, a common deterrent to steer away angry elephants.
But this tactic flopped and when faced with no other choice as the titanic mammal closed
in, he clutched its tusks with only about a foot separating the two.
The man and the animal tussled for some time, with the elephant trying to shake him off
and him fighting for his life.
After moments of struggling, the tour group he had been leading appeared and helped scare
away the brutish beast.
Marked with serious injuries, thankfully the man survived with no life-threatening wounds
to show for the encounter.
Number 3.
Gator Haymaker The Southern United States is crawling with
some of the most fearsome reptiles on the planet thanks to their vast alligator population.
Seeing one or two while out and about is fairly normal for residents of states like Florida
and Georgia.
But one civilian didn't have the luxury of spotting the gator in time in the fall of
2015, as the hulking beast lunged out from nearby brush, attacking his dog.
A row of terrifying teeth held the dog in the mouth of the nine-foot monster, but the
pet owner refused to back down.
Loaded with adrenaline and panic, the man splashed into the swamp and unleashed a furious
punch right at the alligator's eye.
The gator immediately released his dog and sunk back beneath the surface as the man raced
to get his pet medical attention.
Thankfully, the pet survived with minor puncture wounds and one amazing story.
Number 2.
Raptor Repellant When a pet owner and their dog form a bond,
nothing can get in between them.
Not even an eagle.
A British woman unfortunately had to prove this concept one day while walking her two
dogs in Malaga Spain along some hiking trails.
In the midst of enjoying the scenery, her woodland jaunt was suddenly interrupted by
a golden eagle that descended on one of her pups, looking to grab a quick meal.
Before it could lift off with her pooch, the woman quickly snatched a handful of the eagle's
feather wings causing it to let go of her companion.
It retaliated by biting her on the hand, but she was undeterred as she leashed her dogs
and began pursuing the bird with a flurry of shouts.
The bird eventually fled the scene and the woman and her dogs were free of the apparent
predator, escaping with minor injuries and two perfectly healthy canines.
Number 1.
Gamer Knowledge Elders might try to tell you that video games
rot the mind, but one Norwegian child survived a harrowing ordeal by using what he learned
from the popular World of Warcraft franchise.
While walking home one day with his sister, this boy used his knowledge from the roleplaying
game to protect his sister and himself when they came face to face with a scared moose.
First he taunted the animal to draw it away from his sister, much like a Warrior in the
fantasy game, but as it angrily got close, he relied on the skills of a Hunter.
Reenacting an in-game ability that lets characters pretend to be slain, the boy and his sister
were able to escape the moose unharmed.