Has anyone ever been attacked by a wild animal while running?

Red-winged blackbirds all the time. I've had to change my typical running route during their nesting season, because they attack during a particular stretch. They seem to have finally disappeared now, typical for late July/early August.

Dogs

I was attacked by a cougar just the other day.

Well, not really attacked, so much as she tried to run me down.

I slowed down.

Said to myself "Man, that's a cougar coming right at me!"

Stopped dead in my tracks.

Next thing I knew, the cougar was on top of me.

Best 37 seconds of my day.

Tried to chase a water moccasin off a roadway shoulder, it came after me so I dearly departed.

One was a dog - so not really wild - but it was out in the country and had no tags. Had to get rabies shots.

Once I was bitten by a bat, which surprisingly didn't hurt at all. Felt like it brushed up against me, but it broke the skin. Again, had to get rabies shots.

I will not get the shots a third time, so I will take my chances if I am ever attacked again.

Weird things happen in 30 years of daily runs.

I run a lot in Forest Park in Portland have been attacked a number of times by Barred Owls. Those things freaking suck and I wish they'd become endangered species!

How about a cyclist?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTaIvrhT7OE

Geese, and it wasn't as funny as it sounds. They are very territorial and quite fearless.

Got rattled at by a snake while trail running, had no idea where it was, which was freaky... I exited stage right at close to my 100m PR.

It would also be my post for weirdest injury. There was a small snake on my path, which isn't that unusual here in New Mexico.

Usually they just slither along and don't really mind people. Well this was a really little guy and he was moving along pretty good right to left in front of me so I figured I was safe. But just as my left leg was about a foot off the ground he snaps his body around and strikes at my ankle.

I see him striking and try to extend my stride as far as possible. He just misses me but I overstride so much that I tweak my knee and had to take a week off of running.

1955 wrote:

Geese, and it wasn't as funny as it sounds. They are very territorial and quite fearless.

They are so mean!!!!

Oh, yeah. Not wild animals, but people with their gosh darned dogs that they don't leash.

Nothing like being out for a morning run and all of a sudden there is an aggressive dog chasing you down the path, with its owner frantically chasing after it and trying to call it off.

I don't understand why people wouldn't leash their dogs in public. Seriously.

The only thing that has attacked me were birds protecting their territory.

While running I have encountered numerous snakes, including rattlers, skunks, a mountain lion, black bears, stray dogs, hogs, a moose and her calf, spiders in their webs (lines?), a fox, hundreds of deer, a porcupine, African elephants, eagles, hawks and grumpy monkeys.

The grossest thing I have seen was a kitten getting run over by a car.

IndyJ wrote:

Oh, yeah. Not wild animals, but people with their gosh darned dogs that they don't leash.

Nothing like being out for a morning run and all of a sudden there is an aggressive dog chasing you down the path, with its owner frantically chasing after it and trying to call it off.

I don't understand why people wouldn't leash their dogs in public. Seriously.

Yes! Yes! Dogs—a runner’s worst enemy. Idiot owners.

Luuios wrote:

Bears etc? Anyone?

I was charged by a moose on a trail outside of my Montana town ....the moose was enormous, a huge male. My Australian Shepherd tried to herd him, triggering his rage. At first, his nostrils were flaring and he clearly saw me and then was diverted by my dog. He tried to stomp my dog but the moose seemed clumsy and distractible and my dog was able to zigzag out of the way quite easily. The moose seemed to lose interest and then trotted off. They have articulated knees and his running looked strange but his stride length was impressive. Now my dog knows what they are and he is quite respectful, as am I.

Got bit by a dog that was on a leash that was connected to the owner's hand. It was a small puppy that jumped up when I ran by on a narrow sidewalk in Bangkok where I was living at the time. Puppy had sharp teeth! I didn't even know I had been bit until a few minutes later when I stopped at red light and looked down and saw a small trickle of my blood going down my calf. Then I was pissed off as I knew that meant a trip to the hospital plus three more follow ups after that. The cleaning of the wound hurt way more than the actual dog bite!

Dogs are the worst. Even a leashed dog is a threat. And those retractable leashes are really bad.