Student_Voice : A dangerous dog, a ferocious boar, a slithering mamushi and a dive-bombing hornet

An Hamin

The author is a student at Seoul Ilwon Elementary School.

I was entering a park with my two friends after school, talking about Roblox and other video games and so on… until we heard a growl. A big dog with dark yellow fur was blocking our path with its teeth bared. 

As the dog growled deeply again, my friend threw a stick a little to the right of it, hoping to create a distraction. But its snout didn’t even twitch. The friend on my left pointed at two long, sturdy-looking sticks nearby and a broomstick. We picked them up and held them like spears, trying to keep some distance from the dog. We stood there for about five minutes, growing increasingly unsure of what to do, then we looked at each other and hoped for the best and charged —

Did we make the right decision? When you confront a wild or dangerous animal, you only get one chance to react. You have to be sure you know whether to run, freeze or fight back. Guessing wrong can cost you your life.

My father once encountered a venomous snake, a short-tailed mamushi as long as a katana, during his military service. It suddenly appeared slithering in the sand in front of him. He used a heavy steel ammunition box to protect himself, pinning the dangerous snake below it. If a mamushi crosses your path, you probably won’t have a steel box like my father did. The good news is that you don’t need one. Most dangerous snakes like the mamushi are only interested in self-protection. They bite defensively, not aggressively. They usually want nothing to do with you. If you see one, just calmly back away.

Unfortunately, my father once met a more aggressive creature — a wild boar. He had the high ground when he saw the boar. He and his two companions instantly froze. Then, slowly, one of the men climbed a tree, while the other crouched low. My father also crouched as low as he could and waited until the boar had passed. They watched in fear as the wild creature charged toward the trash bins at the border of the camp. It rammed into the bins, crushed them and dug around in the trash as it searched for food. In this situation, the best move is to climb a tree or just try not to be seen and wait until the boar passes. If you encounter one, the worst mistake is to scream. This can trigger a charge.

In my fourth year of elementary school, a hornet appeared at the window and started making a figure-eight sign. The girl in front of me clamped her hand over her mouth, trying not to scream. The teacher said, “Stay calm!” while more hornets gathered on the screen, trying to find a way inside. We looked up and saw that right above the window, there was a hornet nest. In a situation like this, you might not be separated from the hornets by a window. If you encounter a hornet, don’t swat. Sudden movements can provoke an attack. Watch for warning behavior, like when a hornet flies in a figure-eight pattern. Back away immediately. If you have to, run or walk briskly away for at least 20 meters. Most hornets will stop chasing once you’re far enough from the nest.

Now, what should you do if you’re in the park with your friends… and you hear a savage growl? Don’t do what we did (charge screaming at the dog). In this case, we were lucky. The dog realized it was outnumbered and retreated. If you find yourself facing a wild dog, use these simple steps. Grab a long object like a stick. Hold it in front of you to separate yourself. Back away slowly as you hold the long object to keep the animal at bay. That’s what we should have done.

The next time you cross paths with a dangerous dog, a ferocious boar, a slithering mamushi or a dive-bombing hornet, you’ll have to make the right choice. Now, do you know what to do?