What happens in the forest. Forest dangers. Why should forest areas be conserved? What causes deforestation

According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), every year the area of ​​​​forests on the planet is reduced by 13 million hectares. However, in Russia, the forest area has not only not decreased, but even slightly increased over the past decades. That is, deforestation does not threaten us, despite the impressive scale of clear-cutting in many regions.

Why?

First of all, due to the high capacity of forests temperate zone to self-healing. Most clearings are quickly covered with young forests. The quality of these forests is, of course, much lower than what used to be noisy here, both in terms of their ecological value and in terms of timber resources. Pine forests, spruce forests, oak forests are replaced by commercially less valuable small-leaved young forests (birch and aspen), and artificial reforestation, if carried out, its quality and volumes are low and practically do not change general situation degradation of the species composition of forests. Nevertheless, these are forests, albeit of low value, and there is practically no overall reduction in forest area in the zone due to timber harvesting.

However, in addition to deforestation, forests are subject to other types of impact, often with truly devastating, irreversible consequences. These include fires, industrial emissions, cottage development in green and recreational areas, hydro construction, laying roads, oil and gas pipelines, power lines, etc.

Large fires cause the greatest damage to forests in our country. After catastrophic natural fires, forests regenerate very slowly, as not only the main canopy is destroyed, but also the tree undergrowth, as well as most of the seeds in the soil. When the areas of burnt areas increase to several thousand hectares, this significantly complicates the natural restoration of trees due to the great distance from the preserved edge of the forest.

Here it is appropriate to recall the sad results of the 2010 fire season: many citizens of our country think that forest and steppe fires then covered the most big square behind last years. However, it is not. According to experts from the Institute for Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Forestry. V. N. Sukacheva, in 2010, about 6 million hectares were covered by fires in Russia, while in 2002 this area amounted to more than 11 million hectares. In general, over the past decade in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2009, the area of ​​forest fires annually exceeded 2 million hectares.

As a result, according to experts, the area of ​​burnt areas in Russian forests is three times the area of ​​clear-cut areas. Moreover, the main causes of fire disasters in Russia are the destruction of the forest protection system, the constant lack of funding and the irresponsible handling of fire by people, and not the weather at all. Thus, financing of forest fire activities in our country at the state level is 15 times less than in Canada, and 30 times less than in the USA, although the forest area in these countries is less than ours. Therefore, forests in vast areas burn down every year. Thus, the number one enemy for our forests today is not logging, but catastrophic fires.

The most serious scourge of densely populated areas is the reduction of forests for development. So, in the Moscow region over the past two decades, 58 thousand hectares of land have been built up, of which only 8 thousand hectares are in the forest park zone. It seems that the figure is not so big, but in reality these are the territories of the most ecologically and socially valuable plantations (located near settlements and reservoirs, in sanitary protection zones, in places most attractive for recreation of the population). This already exceeds the limits set in 1992 by the government of the Moscow Region for the reduction of the forest area of ​​the forest park protective belt.

It is worth mentioning the construction of roads and other linear structures in the forests, as well as the construction of hydraulic structures. The fight against the construction of a high-speed highway through the Khimki forest has already riveted the attention of a significant part of the public, including the world. So Khimki is the most famous example. But across the country there are dozens of situations where the authorities find no other solution than to build a road through the forest. The fate of these forests is sad: as practice shows, the laying of the route is always followed by the construction of adjacent areas, the clearing of forests by hook or by crook.

As for the construction of hydraulic structures, one cannot fail to recall the Boguchanskaya hydroelectric power station. Here it gets flooded113 thousand hectares of forests. Contrary to the approved government bodies standards for the preparation of reservoirs, the bed of the Boguchanskaya hydroelectric power station is being prepared for filling without deforestation and cleaning of cutting areas in full. After the station is launched, 9 million cubic meters of forest may be under water, the water will be poisoned by decaying wood for many years, forming a man-made "dead sea".

WWF Russia does not call for a radical reduction in the area and volume of timber harvesting. It is impossible to imagine modern civilization without wood. Moreover, rational, sustainable wood harvesting is much more environmentally friendly than the production of many other materials that can replace it - concrete, plastic, aluminum, etc.
Nevertheless, WWF calls for the exclusion from logging of the most valuable ecological and social relations forest areas and plots, among other measures to implement sustainable forest management, in particular, to conduct FSC certification of forests and forest products supply chains. It is necessary to take the most radical measures to ensure the prevention and control of forest fires, to protect the most valuable forest areas from losses as a result of building and laying linear structures, as well as to a more responsible attitude towards hydropower development plans.

Tatiana YANITSKAYA
Photo by Anton ZHURAVKOV

The season for picking mushrooms and berries is already open and the voices of lovers of the gifts of nature are increasingly heard in the forests. Most of us consider hiking in the woods in our latitudes completely safe, but the relentless statistics do not agree with this. Every year, hundreds of people are fatally dangerous situations arising during mushroom trips or just walking through the forest.

Since there are many hiking enthusiasts among our readers, we decided to remind you that the forest is fraught with hundreds of different dangers, but we have chosen only those that are especially likely to meet.

Since ancient times, the forest has provided man with food, shelter and clothing. Despite this, he always remained a source of many dangers, which our ancestors never forgot.

Urbanization modern society led to the fact that people no longer treat the forest with respect and take seriously the threats associated with it. Therefore, the forest continues to kill, and not only accidentally lost children, but also well-equipped adult travelers become its victims.

1 person

It is not at all surprising that the greatest danger in the forest comes from humans. You should not assume that on the path in the thicket you can only meet a kind old woman from a fairy tale, a cheerful tourist with a guitar, or a noble lumberjack. The most terrible maniacs in history preferred to operate in forest belts and large parks.

As an example, we can cite the Bitsa monster Alexander Pichushkin and the cannibal Andrei Chikatilo. The latter, by the way, skillfully pretended to be a mushroom picker, thus misleading not only his victims, but also the police. That is why every person you meet in the forest should be treated with the utmost caution and it is better to go to nature only in company.

2. Ticks

Of all wild dwellers human forests are sincerely happy to see only mosquitoes and ticks. If flying insects are an inevitable, but not too dangerous evil, then it is better for mushroom pickers not to fall into the wide embrace of a tick.

IN summer time there is a chance to encounter ticks in the forests of all regions of the country without exception. These arthropods carry encephalitis, borreliosis, tularemia, rickettsiosis, Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Q fever and other "charms". Despite advances in modern medicine, some diseases, such as encephalitis, can be fatal.

Going into the forest, you should wear things made of dense fabrics with cuffs with elastic bands. It is also important to systematically examine each other for ticks, and if they are found, remove the tick correctly and consult a doctor.

3. Mushrooms

For lovers " silent hunting» Mushrooms themselves are the most dangerous. Going into the forest, it is better to stock up on a good guide to edible and poisonous mushrooms. But this does not give a complete guarantee of security. In this regard, it can be advised not to take mushrooms, the edibility of which is in doubt, or at least show them to experienced mushroom pickers before eating them.

It must also be recalled that even porcini mushrooms can be dangerous to humans if grown near the city limits or near large enterprises. They are able to accumulate heavy metals and toxic salts in dangerous concentrations for the body.

4. Tetanus

Any damage to the skin in the forest poses a serious danger to humans due to the high chance of infection of the wound. The undisputed record holder for the number of victims is tetanus bacillus, which enters the body through animal bites and stab wounds. This infection prefers an anaerobic, that is, airless environment.

The mortality of this disease is 17-25% even if tetanus was detected on the very early stage. This serious danger can be avoided by being careful and timely contacting doctors for vaccination after receiving stab wounds in nature.

5. Snakes

Of all the reptiles of our latitudes, snakes pose the greatest danger to forest guests. These representatives of the fauna shy away from humans, but due to their invisibility, accidental contact is always possible. The most dangerous poisonous snakes in our area are vipers, which are represented by several species.

It should be noted that the bite of a viper is not as scary for an adult as it is usually shown in films, but its consequences can be felt for several months after an unpleasant incident. When bitten by any snake, you need to provide the victim with traditional first aid in such cases and take care of his quick delivery to a medical facility.

6 Rabies

In modern cities, there is a chance to meet a rabid animal, but it is relatively small. Another thing countryside and especially forest zone- these places account for the lion's share of all cases of attacks by sick animals on people.

Mortality in the case of rabies is almost 100%, so if you bite any animal, you need to be vaccinated no later than a day later. It must be remembered that rabid animals lose their sense of fear and approach the person themselves. Therefore, in the forest you need to avoid any "friendly" mammals, from hedgehogs and squirrels to foxes and wolves.

7. Poisonous Plants

It is strictly not recommended to eat and even pick up unfamiliar fruits, tubers, flowers and other parts of plants in the forest. Appetizing berries can turn out to be a deadly "crow's eye" or "wolfberry", and juicy stems and leaves can be shoots of hogweed that burns to blisters.

8. Hunger, thirst and cold

It may seem strange, but those who get lost in the forest are always more likely to die from hunger, dehydration or hypothermia than from attacks by wild animals or as a result of natural disasters. Many inexperienced tourists believe that food in the forest lies just under their feet, and thousands of trees around are guaranteed to provide fuel for a fire.

These statements are relevant only for experienced travelers who know how to survive in extreme conditions without food, water and warm clothes. Most deaths in the forest are due to the fact that a person is not familiar with the elementary rules of survival in wild nature.

9. Drowning

On a hot summer day, swimming in a picturesque forest lake or river can seem incredibly tempting. But forest reservoirs are fraught with many dangers that threaten even an experienced swimmer. The lake can have a swampy bottom and be bottomless in the full sense of the word. also in forest rivers often there are deep pools, and under the water column divers lie in wait for snags and dense thickets of aquatic plants.

An even greater danger is represented by shallow rivers with a rocky bottom and a strong current. From the shore it is difficult to assess the force with which the water moves, so when you try to ford the stream, there is a risk of being carried away by the current and breaking on the rocks.

10. Wildfires

Fire - terrible disaster, threatening not only man, but also all the inhabitants of the forest. In dry windy weather, the flame spreads at a speed of up to 70 km / h and it is almost impossible to escape from it.

If you are in the zone forest fire, then it is recommended to look for a reservoir, road or clearing as soon as possible. You need to move perpendicular to the line of spread of fire, if possible towards the wind.

Summer is the time for picnics in nature and trips for mushrooms and berries. For a city child, a trip to the forest is both a holiday and an outlandish unknown. But such a campaign is fraught with not only a series interesting discoveries but also many unexpected dangers. And it does not matter that you are going to the forest, where predatory animals and snakes have not been seen. Unpleasant surprises can lie in wait for a baby even in a forest park.

Branches. Crazy from the abundance of space, the baby flies forward without understanding the road, and can stumble upon branches sticking out in all directions. If you only warn him about it once, he will definitely forget and, at best, get ripped off, but I don’t want to talk about the worst. Therefore, constantly remind him of this trouble.
Take wet wipes, cotton wool and hydrogen peroxide with you to the forest so that you can disinfect abrasions and cuts if they could not be avoided.

Pits. By themselves, they are not dangerous, but if you run around without looking under your feet, you can fall painfully. Warn the child that running in the forest is not allowed (and, of course, do not forget to remind him of this once again).

Not edible mushrooms and berries. Strictly speaking, everything that a child can find in the forest is inedible. Even if it is an ordinary strawberry. Before the baby puts it in his mouth, an adult needs to confirm the origin of this berry, and rinsing it with water will be useful. Keep in mind that children can call strawberries any berries, including wolf berries. So don't take their word for it. Honestly warn the kid that there are many poisonous plants, berries and mushrooms in the forest, and therefore, no matter how beautiful the fly agaric and the bush sprinkled with purple berries are, tearing and tasting anything is strictly prohibited.
Remember both your own safety and the example that you set for the children: if you doubt some kind of mushroom or berry, feel free to throw them out of the basket. And there is no need to convene a “council of experienced mushroom pickers” and lick the mushroom on the cut. The banal truth is ingenious: health is more expensive.

Insects (mosquitoes, ticks and Co.). When going to the forest, generously smear the child with mosquito repellent, put on cool, but closed clothes (t-shirts and shorts will not work), sneakers instead of sandals, and be sure to wear a hat. It is better for girls to collect their hair in a ponytail or pigtail and hide it under clothes. Explain to your child that ticks live on the branches of trees and shrubs, so if he shakes or tears these branches, the ticks will be on him. For the same reason, thickets of tall grass should be avoided.
When you return home, do not forget to inspect the body and clothes of the child, comb his hair. If a tick is still found, smear the bite with oil or a greasy cream and wait until it falls off on its own. If this does not happen, do not tear it off yourself, as this can only come out halfway, but contact the clinic.
In general, visiting a doctor is the most the best option in such a situation, as the child may need to be vaccinated.

Danger of getting lost. Well, what can I say? In no case do not lose sight of the child, because children, even in two pines, may well be lost. But if you get lost with your child in a really deep forest - do not panic. Try to get to the road, power line or water (river, stream) and use them to get to locality. If this fails - place yourself in the parking lot, kindle a fire, use food and water sparingly and wait for rescue.
It’s bleak, but you have to be ready for anything, so when going to the forest even for a short time, dress warmer and take a knife, matches, a supply of water and some provisions with you.

Do not be afraid of the forest and scare a child with it, but we must not forget about the dangers that may lie in wait for you on such a vacation. Knowing certain rules of behavior in the forest, all these troubles can be completely avoided and you can get not problems from a walk, but such a rare and useful pleasure for an urban person.

Your attention is invited to a lesson on the topic " forest hazards". On it we will consider what dangers can lie in wait for a person in the forest. This knowledge will be useful to you when you are going to rest in the forest, as it will allow you to find out which of the animals living there are dangerous, which plants should not be eaten.

Theme: Health and safety

Lesson:forest hazards

Many people go to the forest to relax, because there you can pick mushrooms and berries, breathe fresh air and observe the life of animals. While in the forest, you need to follow certain rules.

Sometimes vipers can be found in a swamp or in a forest. They can be of different colors, but they always have a zigzag stripe on their back. Sometimes snakes are so dark that the stripe on their back is almost invisible. Distinguish harmless common grass snake from poisonous viper possible according to specific yellow spots on the head.

The viper prefers places where the ground is covered with moss, there are old stumps and heaps of brushwood lie. If not provoked, she does not attack people. The bite of a viper is very dangerous, especially for young children. If a person is bitten by a viper, you must immediately call 112 and report the incident.

Another danger in the forest is wasps. If a person accidentally or deliberately damaged a hornet's nest, angry wasps can sting him in any part of the body. The sting of the wasp does not get stuck in the body, like the sting of the bee, because the wasp can sting several times in a row. The wasp has poison near the sting, because of its impact, the stung place swells quickly and strongly, and wasps can sting small animals to death. If they are not disturbed, the wasps will not pay any attention to the person. The main thing is not to make any sudden movements, then even a wasp crawling on your arm will not sting.

You can see a lot in the forest different plants: some have beautiful foliage, others have a wonderful smell, others bloom beautifully. If a person does not know anything about a plant, in no case should it be touched, because it can be dangerous.

The raven eye is a beautiful plant. It has a tall stem, four leaves at the top and a single flower that turns into a blue berry in autumn. This plant is very poisonous, especially the berry and rhizome.

Another plant is wolf's bast. This shrub is sometimes confused with sea buckthorn. They can be distinguished by the fact that sea buckthorn has yellow or orange berries, while wolf's bast has red berries. If a person eats only 10 berries of a wolf's bast, fatal poisoning will occur. In no case should you tear the flowering branches of this plant for bouquets, because it has a very poisonous bark.

Rice. 7. Wolf bast inflorescence ()

Everyone knows the lily of the valley with beautiful white flowers.

This is also a poisonous plant, most often poisoning occurs with its berries. The person begins dizziness, nausea and even loss of consciousness.

Hemlock. Its stem is high, up to 1.5 meters, and at the top there are white umbrellas of flowers. The plant blooms for a long time - from May to the end of autumn. Sometimes it is confused with parsley because of similar leaves, or with cumin because of the similarity of fruits. Hemlock is a very poisonous plant, if a person is poisoned by it, it will be difficult to save him.

Rice. 10. Sosnovsky's hogweed ()

Sosnovsky's hogweed is a very tall plant; a person sitting on a horse can hardly reach its inflorescences. This plant is dangerous with its beautiful carved leaves, they can burn a person so that the scars remain for life.

Rice. 11 and 12. European spindle tree () ()

European euonymus is a small shrub, up to three meters tall, its flowers are inconspicuous, with an unpleasant odor, but in autumn the plant becomes very attractive - red boxes hang from the tree, which are very poisonous.

Belena is black. She has a thick, hairy stem, dark green leaves, in place of the flower appears a box with a lid, which contains seeds resembling poppy seeds. Children confuse them, and the plant is very poisonous. A person after poisoning may begin insanity, loss of memory, he begins to do unreasonable actions. Therefore, among the people there is even a saying about a person who behaves inappropriately: "I overate henbane."

Another danger in the forest is the tick. Ticks are intelligent creatures and know how to hunt. They ambush on the blades of grass and on the branches of the bushes that grow along the paths. As soon as a person or animal passes by, the tick stretches out its paws, clinging to the victim. On its paws, it has claws and suction cups, which allows the tick to hook firmly. No wonder there is a saying "clung like a tick." When a person goes to the forest, he must dress properly. Clothing should be with a tight-fitting collar and cuffs, trousers tucked into shoes, hair tucked under a hat or scarf. You can use special repellent sprays against insects. After walking through the woods, be sure to carefully examine the body. If a child finds a tick on the body, he should turn to adults, remove it carefully so as not to crush it. The saliva of the tick may contain an infection, so it is better to consult a doctor.

Mushrooms appear in the forest in summer and autumn. But in order to collect them, one must learn to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones.

Fly agaric red - found both in conifers and in deciduous forests from July to October.

Another species is the panther fly agaric. His hat is gray or brown. The dots on the hat are arranged in even rows.

There is a smelly fly agaric, its leg is covered with scales, and it smells unpleasant. These mushrooms are deadly poisonous.

False foam is sulfur-yellow - its plates are greenish, and the flesh is yellow with an unpleasant odor. This mushroom is deadly poisonous.

Rice. 20. Talker whitish ()

Whitish talker - deadly poisonous mushroom. It can be confused with a load, but the talker does not have milky juice.

deadly poisonous and death cap. She looks different: white, grayish, brown, but she always has white plates under her hat, white ring on a stalk and a torn pouch at the bottom of the mushroom. It can sometimes be confused with champignon, which has pink or purple plates, and there is no bag at the bottom of the leg.

When collecting edible mushrooms, do not shoot down those that remain in the forest. The forest needs everything that grows in it. Amanitas eat moose. Hogweed is a delicacy for a bear. poisonous plants people cure many diseases. In nature, everything is interconnected, and the extinction of some living beings entails the disappearance of others. Each person should live in such a way as not to harm nature, but to help it.

1. Pleshakov A.A. The world around us: textbook. and slave. tetra. for grade 2 early school - M .: Education, 2006.
2. Bursky O.V., Vakhrushev A.A., Rautian A.S. The world around.- Balass.
3. Vinogradova N.F. The world around us.- VENTANA-GRAF.

1. Survival Encyclopedia ().
   
2. Velotut.ru ().
   

1. Read p. 28 - 29 of the textbook Pleshakov A. A. "The world around us" and give answers to questions 1-3.
2. Draw some dangerous forest animals or plants, sign them and give a short description.
3. Having gathered according to all the rules, take a walk through the forest. After the walk, write down everything you saw. What new did you learn from practical research?
4. *Make a small crossword puzzle by encrypting in it several animals, plants, mushrooms, insects that can be dangerous to humans.

Those who love to travel and actively spend time in the wild, especially in the forest, must know that the forest is primarily a complex set of relationships that have evolved over millennia between plants, animals, soil, sunlight and night haze, air and water. And man has always been a guest in the forest. With the advent of civilization, more and more moved away from the forest. Especially now, this difference is very noticeable. Many modern residents of megacities, except for nightclubs, expensive handbags, strawberry margaritas and pink smoothies, do not know real life, some (even I have such distant acquaintances) have never been in the forest at all in their lives. And of course they do not know how to behave in the prevailing difficult situations, being, for example, in the forest, and stumbling upon dangerous animals or insects. It can be assumed that such situations are very rare, but this does not make it easier for those who got into them.

From personal - when traveling to one of tropical countries, none of the participants in the tour expected any emergencies, the route is "hackneyed", the jungle, although impassable in places, but there are tracks on all sides a few kilometers away, it seems to get lost there is not realistic, wherever you go in an hour you will go out onto the road. But nevertheless, one couple of "urban fashionistas" turned off the main path for a minute and fought off the excursion group. We searched for them for about two hours ... When I saw them after returning, I realized how much people were not ready for such a turn of events. In these two hours they managed to meet a snake, it’s good that they noticed in time, they were bitten by mosquitoes and stumbled upon a hive of wild bees or wasps, got off with just a couple of bites. But wild bees and wasps guarding their hive can attack people and animals, even if they are not allergic to their bites, a few dozen bites can cause shock and even death.
A person in the forest is a guest, but from the point of view of forest, wild animals - an uninvited and uninvited guest, often not at all. knowing the rules behavior. From this arise accidents, emergencies, injuries, fears. Also legends and
myths associated with both exaggeration and downplaying the danger that the forest is fraught with.

Any wild animals living in the forest can pose a danger to humans. The types of dangerous animals are very diverse and their behavior is different when they meet a person, but nevertheless, several general patterns can be noted:

Wild animals, especially birds and mammals, are better than a man adapted to life in the forest. They have more advanced sense organs and are almost always the first to notice a person by smell and sound. Its smell for a wild animal is a strong signal of danger.

One should not exaggerate the widespread opinion about the fearfulness of animals, especially large predators. For some of them, such as the bear and the tiger, a very common behavioral trait is curiosity, which can sometimes turn into unprovoked aggression. In most cases, they want to avoid "communication" with a person and, having sensed and heard you, they leave, but this does not mean that they are afraid of you. It is wild animals that are in the forest on their territory, so they regard the appearance of a person as a violation of the border with all the ensuing consequences. Yes, a predator can leave when he hears you, but only if he is not hungry, does not protect his territory and young. But here exclusively dangerous predator, a connecting rod bear, the sounds of a human voice can, on the contrary, attract.

In the animal world, in contrast to human society, the concepts of "alien", "unknown", "dangerous" often coincide, so you should not count on a friendly attitude from the forest dwellers.

Wild animals, to a greater extent than people, try to avoid danger: mobile animals go as far as possible from a person, inactive ones use various ways passive or active protection and disguises. forest animals
good masters of disguise, they know how to use all sorts of shelters.

The behavior of many wild animals (especially large ungulates and carnivores) changes significantly during certain periods of their life cycle(reproduction, migration, etc.). Animals become much more aggressive, and the danger to
person increases dramatically. For example, a shy elk during the breeding season becomes not so shy, but aggressive, and it is better not to stand in the way of such a one.

Any, even widespread species of wild animals prefer certain habitats, and here the probability of an accidental meeting with dangerous animals of this species is higher. In order not to become a victim of a deadly animal, and even an ordinary fox that has bitten you (foxes can be carriers of rabies), you need to remember two rules. It is necessary to have an idea about the habits of animals and birds, as well as to be attentive and careful when moving through the forest.

Forest emergencies involving dangerous animals can be divided into two groups: active attack - when dangerous beast, without a clear reason for a person, begins to actively attack accidents that occur as a result of careless or illiterate handling of an animal, which in a normal situation is quite neutral towards a person.

Dangerous animals of Russia and neighboring countries

In the main zone of settlement in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, situations of the first type (active attack of an animal) are most often associated with large predatory and ungulate animals, bear, wolf, elk, wild boar, deer, and cats. Attacks that are not provoked by a person are quite rare. According to statistics, for example, a tiger rushes at people for no reason in about 4% of all cases. Usually, the animal attacks: in self-defense, during hunting, being caught near prey, when a person carelessly invades its territory, during the mating season (the so-called rut; animals during this period are especially aggressive), protecting offspring, with persistent pursuit of a wounded animal or just when chance meeting with a person, with sudden close contact.

According to many experts, the most unpredictable large forest predator in terms of behavior is Brown bear. Most of the sudden encounters with this animal end in its swift flight. However, cases
unprovoked attacks on a person in the European part of Russia are noted almost annually. Unexpectedly, "go out to the bear", as a rule, pickers of mushrooms, berries and tourists. Sometimes a bear shows aggression and may even chase a person, but then quickly stops the pursuit and runs away.

However, much more serious incidents are also known, when the beast besieged a hunting lodge for literally several days, not letting people out of there. Often there are cases of aggression of a bear disturbed in a winter den. However, this is easy to avoid, knowing the favorite bearish places in given forest and bypass them.

A serious danger for an unprepared person is fraught with a meeting with a wolf, although this predator will almost always prefer to hide than attack. In recent years, experts have noted that people encounter wolves in the forest zone more often than
earlier. Fans of forest walks, and especially long-distance routes, should be careful.

Perhaps the most serious danger is a sudden encounter with a wolf or a fox that is sick with rabies. Here the attack is almost guaranteed, and it is almost impossible to avoid it. A sick animal can be recognized by its angry eyes, sharply aggressive behavior, immediate, literally on the move, attack. The animal sometimes seems to spit; there is often foam in the corners of the mouth. These animals are dangerous even when they are already dying and, snarling, cannot move. In no case should you approach them, they may have time to bite, and then a long treatment will be necessary.

Animals with rabies are not found everywhere, and before going to the forest it would be useful to get information from the SES about the foci of the disease. In case of a bite, you should immediately consult a doctor, because only the correct and, most importantly, timely treatment started and carried out guarantees a complete recovery.

Regular for European forests wild ungulates, elks, wild boars, deer, roe deer are much more shy and cautious than predators, and, as a rule, leave people. However, during the mating season, these animals are characterized by increased excitability and aggressiveness and can pose a significant danger.

How to avoid meeting wild dangerous animals?

The best way to avoid dangerous animals is to avoid visiting their habitats. This does not mean that we should be afraid of the wolf and not go into the forest. Choosing a travel destination in advance, you can find out about dangerous places densely populated by predators and not go there. If you still went on a hiking trip, be extremely careful and careful, especially at night. The presence of predators or dangerous ungulates can be indicated by a variety of signs: footprints on the soil, crushed grass and undergrowth, peeled bark on trees, droppings from feeding places, and sometimes, remains of prey.
Wolves, the first to smell a person, make specific sounds (snorting, howling, sonorous barking), warning other members of the pack, and especially young animals.
Boars during the rut or feeding behave so noisily that it is quite easy to notice and hear them.
Animal paths, impassable, overgrown with bushes and littered areas of the forest, windbreaks should be avoided. In such places, there is a high probability of meeting an animal, and besides, it is extremely inconvenient to retreat here. Going to the forest
be sure to tell us where you are going to go and when you plan to return, because in addition to predators, you can just get lost in the forest.

What to do if you meet a dangerous animal in the forest?

First of all - don't panic! The beast feels when a person is afraid of him, your fear will only spur aggression, that is, the instinct of an attack on a weaker opponent may work in the animal. No sudden movements and piercing screams - at least at the first moment, until you are sure that you can really scare the animal in this way, and not attract it. However, sometimes the scream actually frightens the animal and even puts it to flight. But this is an extreme case and it is very unlikely that such a "ride" with a bear.