Wild Strike! Don't Hit That Animal

Some time back, I wrote an article on how to respond to an encounter with an animal while in the bush.

Of course, not all encounters are on foot, and a good number of accidents are caused by hitting an animal while you are driving – particularly at night. That’s one of the reasons that we fit a bull bar, and fender protectors over the wheel arches. Even at relatively slow speeds, an impact with an animal can prove costly, or even potentially life-threatening for the vehicle occupants.

It is often thought that most accidents are caused either by running head-on into an animal, or by its charging you like a bull charging a red ag. I am not sure what the statistics are; but, from my experience, an animal is more than likely to come flying out of the bush and hit you broadside. Unless, of course, it’s standing in the middle of the road during the hours of darkness, which many animals choose to do.

In two scary instances (one in a 4x4 and another on a motorbike), I was almost broadsided by a charging rhino which came thundering out of the bush just as I passed. Fortunately, on both occasions, I was missed by a gnat’s whisker. So, side impacts, or hitting an animal with the front end as it bolts across the road, are more likely to occur than a direct head-on impact.

As anyone will tell you, an animal’s response to the presence of a vehicle will vary not only from species to species, but from individual to individual. Bearing this in mind, let’s look at some of the more common animal encounters.

Donkeys

If I could nominate the animal which I’ll have to avoid because it is standing in the middle of the road, I’d like it to be a donkey. Having lived in Maun for a couple of years, and even where I’m living now, I’ve learnt that they are predictable animals. Donkeys and roads seem to go hand-in-hand. They just love being in the middle of them... standing, sleeping, or trying to mind their own business.