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No. There is a lot of rural walking, but it all is very civilized.Did you meet any dangerous animal
Hi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
Hi B,Hello, Jan -
As with other posters, I never saw an "exotic" dangerous animal. However, despite my being an avid "dog person", there were many of that group in Spain that had not "gotten the memo" . (Perhaps it was a translation problem?)
Big dogs who became confrontational were met by my screaming at them, waving my stick over my head, and charging them. That always sent them off. I am grateful that this experience was limited to the Meseta and a deserted stretch a ways past Ponferrada - - my language was atrocious and appearance likely ridiculous.
Small dogs were encountered on the loop of Galicia from SdC to Muxia and Finisterra. They were sneaky. They would come in quietly behind you and look for the opportunity to rush in and nip. After dodging an attack the first time, I found that letting the tip of my walking stick drag just behind me caused them to lose interest in taking a peck at a peregrino. This particular situation was limited to the small towns or within 100 m of the dairy farms on the outskirts.
I hope that helps a bit.
B
Hi SY,Hi Jan, nice to meet another pilgrim from Prague here ;-) As for your question - No, never. SY
I took my first Camino from. St. Jean to Finnesterre in Sept.and Oct. of 2013. I read some stories of bad dogs before I left. Frankly it scared me. But while on my walk the most aggressive thing I experienced was a dog asleep in the road who only opened one eye and then went back to sleep. I walked alone and never felt unsafe.Hi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
Wooow, that's interesting! Thanks a lot for this story!I came across Wild Boar(or they came across me) , twice while camping Between Logrono and Najera. On the first occasion a boar growled , grunted and screeched outside my tent - I dare say that my snoring may have been misinterpreted as a mating call. I could not see the animal but had an idea what it was.
The next night , at dusk , A wild boar came crashing through the vinyards sniffing the ground in a stressed state. It knew one of those two legged hostile animals was around. As it looked up to see me , I rose to my feet with my arms streached out to make me look as large as possible. I shouted as loud as I could ..... WAAAAAAAA!
300 pounds of solid muscle took off like a scalded cat.
Hi SY,
thanks..Are you also from Prague?
Jan
Hi SY, thanks..Are you also from Prague? Jan
Yes, I live in Dejvice ;-) But I am not Czech (I am German and my husband is British) and speak the Czech language, unfortunately, only very, very poorly and little. SY
Such a pack would be dangerous to livestock, so the farmers have eliminated them all. Shirley MacLaine imagined them, but I have never heard of anyone encountering them -- just the occasional loose cur.It's theoretically possible to meet packs of wild dogs
In all honesty ................. did you ever see dogs with 'Human eyes' in the Mesteta? ...........or was it just me?It's theoretically possible to meet packs of wild dogs, esecially in the forests: they are best ignored, with no eye contact, and, if necessary, poked in the face with your walking pole. I happen to carry a Dog Dazer but have only used it only once in three caminos.
Don't be put off the camino by this ... it's still a wonderful, unforgettable adventure!
In all honesty ................. did you ever see dogs with 'Human eyes' in the Mesteta? ...........or was it just me?
No , At Poblacion de Campos I choose to take the scenic route to the right outside of town instead of walking next to the road. At a small farming hamlet I was surrounded by 4 farm dogs , medium to large in size. Two of them had wierd hazel eyes that made direct contact with mine . Their eyes were very human like - you would know straight away had you seen these dogs yourself. They allowed me to continue though only a few feet away. Their stare was part evil , part sad.What do you mean with 'dogs with 'Human eyes'? Blue eyes? Most likely a husky or similar mix! SY
Shure , but the fact that this doctor could back me up to a certain extent and confirm that he too , did see these dogs. Most people are way out of their comfort zones in speaking about happenings such as these - This Doctor did hint at the possibility that this was part of MY journey and a battle within myself and what I had seen was indeed real , but perhaps it was only I that could?Perhaps you have just become more attuned to the life around you? Spain, especially rural Spain, is a tough life for dogs, perhaps you just grew more sensitive as you walked? SY
Hey, picture this. I had been through half a litre of that divine 'Don' box vino, the Mozies were relentless - dashed into the tent and fell asleep ........... sleep aphnea - snoring and exhaustion .......can you imagine the sound ........... poor chap , thank goodness the flaps were closed or I may be a changed person today."-I dare say that my snoring may have been misinterpreted as a mating call."
Renshaw, the Beloved assures me that she does not interpret my snoring as a mating call. But then, she isn't 300lbs of pork-meat and attitude...
Hi Falcon!Such a pack would be dangerous to livestock, so the farmers have eliminated them all. Shirley MacLaine imagined them, but I have never heard of anyone encountering them -- just the occasional loose cur.
How many litres of vino blanco did you have before seeing them, Renshaw?In all honesty ................. did you ever see dogs with 'Human eyes' in the Mesteta? ...........or was it just me?
Quite true. Spain has a culture of dog ownership, and many become feral. However, the farmers constantly combat them for livestock protection, so from a pilgrim point of view, there is not a problem. There are wild dog pack everywhere, but attacks on humans are rare. Urban dogs may be the biggest problem, but they often are quite cowed, roaming mostly in the middle of the night. There are many other things to worry about on the Camino, so I recommend finding something more worthwhile on which to base anxiety.The packs are there, I assure you.
That pig spoke quite highly of you Clevey.two days in a row I sat next to a pig while eating my dinner, quite disgusting no nothing dangerous....
I have lived in a little town in the middle of the meseta for eight years. I have six dogs, all of them former strays. They are the nearest thing to a pack of dogs that I know of within 20 kilometers, and they all are harmless to anything bigger than a mouse or rabbit.
I walk the caminos and sendas, I listen to people talk and I talk to local "dog people" myself. There are plenty of foxes, wild pigs, Roe deer, Least Weasels, turkey-sized Avutarda birds, and even a wolf or two out there. But this forum is the only place I have ever heard of any packs of wild dogs. If wild dog packs were around, I think I would have heard about them or seen them myself by now.
No fear.
A Danish woman who is walking the camino these days saw a wolf chasing a hare some days ago near Rabinal.Hi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
Is there any bird life?Probably the most dangerous animal you will encounter on the camino walks on two legs.
That said, there are plenty of them around but most are simply harmless, except those encased in a thing we call a vehicle - these are known to be occasionally dangerous to pilgrims.
There is also the dreaded "bed bug", known the surface from time to time, hardly dangerous, but a "real pain in the you know what and most other places"
Hi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
I agree with the others. You will meet many animals but they will be friendly and either curious or simply not interested in you. A few guard dogs may be aggressive but they are always fenced in or on a chain. Nothing to worry about. Enjoy your Camino. Regards TorbenHi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
Almost none of these snakes are known to be found in Spain (and some only live in the sea). However, considering the changing environment and progressive global warming, habitat boundaries for many of these venomous snakes are expanding, and you can never be sure what you may encounter on the Camino.
Hi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
this is the first I have heard of Lyme disease on the Meseta. There are plenty of ticks in the spring, but never a murmur of Lyme disease.
The forum is a revelation. People find all kinds of animals and illnesses here that did not exist before!
2 legged i have been spat at shouldered attempt to put me through plate glass window and dont mention releasing gas. 4 legged fineHi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
It is indeed a revelation and as I caught Lyme's from a Tick on the Meseta in spring I think that it did indeed exist before I got there last year.
I guess we all understood that.I had hoped to see snakes while on the Camino, but haven't yet. (btw, my long post above about all the different kinds of poisonous snakes that might be in Spain was a joke)
I saw a snake, but as it was only about 6 inches/15 cm long and 1 cm wide it really just looked like a big worm.I had hoped to see snakes while on the Camino, but haven't yet. (btw, my long post above about all the different kinds of poisonous snakes that might be in Spain was a joke)
I guess we all understood that.
So that makes you the most dangerous snake on the route???
K1
Ok, hahaha, I went back (up) and gave you likes. It's OK now?I don't think Bradypus knew I was kidding. Anyway, I'm kind of bummed out because I put a lot of energy into that post (researching categories of venomous snakes, etc.) and I didn't get enough "likes."
Hi all!
Did you meet any dangerous animal (venomous snakes, spiders or something else..) on the way? I just want to know if I should be more careful or add some medicine to my backpack..
Or any other experiences with animals?
Thanks a lot!
Jan
Hello, Jan -
As with other posters, I never saw an "exotic" dangerous animal. However, despite my being an avid "dog person", there were many of that group in Spain that had not "gotten the memo" . (Perhaps it was a translation problem?)
Big dogs who became confrontational were met by my screaming at them, waving my stick over my head, and charging them. That always sent them off. I am grateful that this experience was limited to the Meseta and a deserted stretch a ways past Ponferrada - - my language was atrocious and appearance likely ridiculous.
Small dogs were encountered on the loop of Galicia from SdC to Muxia and Finisterra. They were sneaky. They would come in quietly behind you and look for the opportunity to rush in and nip. After dodging an attack the first time, I found that letting the tip of my walking stick drag just behind me caused them to lose interest in taking a peck at a peregrino. This particular situation was limited to the small towns or within 100 m of the dairy farms on the outskirts.
I hope that helps a bit.
B
Ok, hahaha, I went back (up) and gave you likes. It's OK now?
Still not enough? OK, I'll open there more accounts
I saw a snake on Via de la Plata in 2011. It crossed the path and was away before I reached to get scared.
Heard sound of wolves in the fog up to O'Cebreiro once, never saw them but it was a bit scaring for an old woman alone in the fog. But I think the thick fog made me more dizzy than the wolves.
This year on the Invierno I had to move a flått(Norwegian) tick? from my leg with a knife. No infection afterwards.
When I walked GR 651 from Oloron St. Marie to Somport in 2012 I was afraid of meeting the bears living in the area but I never saw them. There were some warnings about them along the path.
I'll take being eaten by a bear over lingering in a hospital hooked up to machines any day.You know, if you get eaten by a bear on the Camino, it's just God's will.
(and people will say, "She died doing what she loved to do.")
Is there any Tibetan influence in your lineage @VNwalkingBetter yet, to succumb while walking and then to have the vultures do their natural work of dealing with
what's left.
I don't think Bradypus knew I was kidding. Anyway, I'm kind of bummed out because I put a lot of energy into that post (researching categories of venomous snakes, etc.) and I didn't get enough "likes."
Haha!I'm unconvinced. My preference is still bed and worms.
Here's the original, which needs translation:Fromista has put a warning on their website this year that they got from the Health Services, concerning las garrapatas and the diseases they can transmit, ie. ticks.
The last paragraph was a pretty strong hintBut I thought I should just present the less-than-dramatic truth because so many people have a very strong fear of snakes which is often completely out of proportion to the real dangers involved. Strong enough to make them quite irrational on the subject. There are a few people who refuse to visit our house because we have a very small and completely docile pet python. An animal only slightly more dangerous than the goldfish I kept as a child Such a fear is understandable in many tropical and sub-tropical countries where there are seriously dangerous species present and relatively common but snakes really are a minimal risk in Spain and the rest of Europe. Of course there is always the occasional Josh who needs a reality check in the other direction too
I would just like to be fully dead first before the vultures start their work......Better yet, to succumb while walking and then to have the vultures do their natural work of dealing with
what's left.
Yes, see my post above.Is there any bird life?
I would just like to be fully dead first before the vultures start their work.
Surely you are not serious when you ask that question!Why?
Surely you are not serious when you ask that question!
I'm going to turn in now .... and I will not be thinking of vultures circling overhead.
Take what you can get my friend.Now I've invited Pity Likes, which is even worse.
WOW!!!Apparently, if you're afraid of snakes, you need to take an Australian peregrina with you
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