‘I saw a big set of white teeth coming towards me’: the people who survived wild animal attacks

Although, mercifully, still rare, there are signs that wild animal attacks on humans are increasing. Research from the scientific journal Nature found that, as our urban areas further expand into the territories of carnivorous animals, attacks on pets, livestock and sometimes humans have been on the rise. In Kashmir, local wildlife departments have been reporting a marked increase in attacks, with almost 200 people killed and more than 2,000 others wounded in man-animal conflict in the region since 2011.

From a British citizen attacked by otters in Singapore, to monkey attacks in Thailand, squirrel attacks in New York, and a man who fought off a crocodile with a pocket knife in Queensland, these encounters capture our imaginations. But how does it feel to survive such an ordeal – and how does it affect your life?

Read the feature in the Guardian.

[This piece was published on 04/01/22]