Cycle Touring | Health | Dogs, Snakes, Monkeys, Baboons, Bears, and Hippos

Cycle Touring Health & Medical Issues

Cycle Touring Health | Dogs / Animals

Dogs: Pedaling a heavily loaded touring bike
while being chased by a dog on a road with no
shoulder and lots of traffic can be life a
threatening experience. But the alternative of
becoming a chew toy for a rabid canine is not
a great alternative.

Techniques that have proved successful for
some cycle travelers to deter chasing dogs:

Pretend to throw a rock. Dogs in the
developing world have rocks thrown at
them all the time and often give up the
chase when someone cocks their arm.
Of course, this is not an easy thing to do
when you are trying to maintain balance
on a loaded bike.

Stop and bend down to pick up rocks.
Again, easier said than done. We use
this technique when running and it works
almost always. In areas with lots of dogs
Rich often cycles with a few rocks on the
lid of his handlebar bag as ammunition.

Stop and hold your bike between you
and the dog. Sometimes the dog will
give up the chase when you are no
longer fleeing. Sometimes.

Pedal away fast. Often dogs are just
playing or defending their turf. If you get
outside of the area they consider their
domain they will give up the chase. But
fleeing on a loaded bike is easier said
than done.

Yell, growl, bark

Squirt it with a water bottle

Carry a dog stick and give it a good
whack when it gets too close.

Dog Spray, Mace & Pepper Spray: It is
usually illegal to carry these on
international flights. Some countries
(Canada) has outlawed them.

Dog Dazer: An small, battery operated
device that emits an ultrasonic sound
that causes the dog to give up the
chase. We do not have one but we have
heard of some international cycle tourists
who swear by their effectiveness.

Consider getting the Rabies Vaccination

OTHER ANIMALS:

Snakes: When searching for a well-hidden
place for a pee break it is not unusual to come
across a snake. When camping it is not
unusual for a snake to venture near a tent.

Pay attention. Be aware that when
walking on a path or in weeks you may
come upon a snake. Look at the area
before walking. See where you are
putting your hands, feet and other
precious parts before you put them
there.

Most snakes strike in self-defense.

Snakes generally do not run away when
they see a human like wild animals do
and they will generally not chase you.
They will stand their ground, coil in a
defensive position and wait to strike.
They may lunge when they feel
threatened.

It is best to back away slowly and wait for
it to leave, perhaps as long as a half-hour.

Throwing rocks or sticks at a snake will
make it coil up and stand its ground.

If you are bitten by a snake, get to a
medical clinic immediately. If it is
venomous, they must administer anti-
venom quickly.

Monkeys and Baboons: Amanda was bitten
by a monkey in Kenya and attacked by one in
Thailand. Monkeys are mischievous and those
accustomed to humans will often try to steal
things from a campsite.

Do not to let them get too close, throw rocks if
necessary, and avoid tempting them with
food.

Baboons can be downright evil and are large
enough to do serious harm to a human.
Baboons are the animal in Africa that Rich is
most afraid of confronting. Amanda fears
nothing.

The baboons at the parking lot of the Cape
Point outside of Cape Town, South Africa are
particularly mean. The guards try (and fail) to
use a sling-shots to keep them away from
people.

We watched as the baboon in the photo on top
of the blue car crawled close to an Asian
tourist who was eating an ice cream cone.
With a flick of the index finger the baboon
swiped the cone, knocked the ball of ice
cream into the air, twisted to avoid a well
aimed kick from the man, caught the ball of ice
cream, ate it, dodged a sling shot rock from
the car-park guard, and climbed to the safety
of the car (where he know the guards could not
shoot at him) for a nap.

Bears: It is not unheard of for cycle tourists to
see bears while cycling through rural parts of
North America and campsites in the area
generally have bear boxes to store food and
cosmetics. Here are a few rules of thumb for
camping in bear country:

Set up camp far from where you cook,
eat, and store food, cooking gear,
garbage, cosmetics and anything else
that might attract a bear.

Do not sleep in the clothing you wore
while cooking pungent food. Store the
clothing with your food.

Leave human waste far away from camp
and bury it 6" to 8" below ground.

Take all garbage with you when you
leave.

Bears have a highly keen sense of smell
and can be attracted by odors relating to
menstruation.

If you do not have access to a bear box
store anything that might attract a bear
by sealing it in a odorproof bag and
suspending it by a rope at least:

10 feet off the ground
4 feet from any tree or branch
100 yards from camp

W hat to do if you encounter a bear.

How to use bear spray.

Hippopotamuses: Yes hippos! Anyone
camping in hippo country has got to take them
seriously. Hippos kill more humans in Africa
than any other mammal. They are a danger for
cycle tourists who camp along a river.

We camped near rivers with hippopotamuses
in Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa
and the Caprivi Strip in Namibia. Their laugh-
like grunt can be alarming in the pitch-dark
African night.

Hippos leave the water at night to forage for
food. If an unsuspecting tenter gets up for a
late night pee and inadvertently find himself
blocking a hippo's access to the safety of the
river, they could get squashed in the process.

Don't get near the young hippo and avoid
getting between them and the water. Yes,
crocodiles are a possible threat, but not as
great as hippos as they are usually chased
away or killed when they venture close to
human settlements.