Based in Franklin Lakes, NJ, Donato Marinelli spends time raising cancer and heart disease research funds. In his free time, Donato Marinelli enjoys staying physically active through skiing and hiking.
While hiking is a great way to experience nature and observe wildlife, hikers must avoid direct contact with animals for their sake and that of the animal. There are several steps hikers can take to this end.
To start, hikers should never hike alone. Larger groups are less likely to face unsafe animal interactions. Human noise will scare off most animals long before hikers know they are there. In the exceedingly rare instance of an animal viewing hikers as potential prey, predators will be less likely to approach a group of humans than one or two hikers on the trail.
While making noise is an excellent way to let animals know that humans are in the area, hikers must also remain vigilant for signs of wildlife. With this in mind, hikers should refrain from wearing headphones while hiking. Headphones prevent hikers from using all their senses to monitor the surrounding environment for potential dangers, including animal encounters. In some cases, animals, such as rattlesnakes or wasps, use sound to scare off potential threats; hikers wearing headphones will not receive these warnings.
Finally, hikers should reconsider hikes at dawn or dusk. While the rising or setting sun can make for a beautiful backdrop, animals are most active at these times of the day. Hikers in areas associated with large predators like bears and cougars should be especially wary of hiking at these times.
