Dangerous Animals When Traveling With Children
Jan 17th, 2008 by Jimmy
Unless the entire vacation is going to be spent locked in a hotel room and lobby, chances are, the family is going to encounter some local wildlife. Fortunately, the vast majority of wildlife is harmless.
The most dangerous animal in the world, statistically speaking, is the mosquito. Most breeds of mosquito come out at dusk and remain active throughout the night. Mosquitos can spread encephalitis, deng fever, and most commonly, malaria. When travelling in areas with lots of mosquitos, make sure to use a good repellant (test it first for allergic reactions), loose clothing, and netting over the bed. Pay special attention to the ankles, because tube socks can prevent quite a few mosquito bites.
Other dangerous insects include scorpions and spiders. Make sure your children know not to go flipping rocks and rotten logs hunting for treasure, because the treasure they find might bite! Fortunately, most scorpions and spider stings are not deadly.
Other insects, like fleas, ticks, bees, and ants, are generally more nuisance than dangerous. The exception to this is allergic reactions. If your child is allergic to insect stings, be prepared for it with antihistamies or epi pens.
The second most dangerous animal in the world…is the dog. Don’t let children pet or play with dogs they don’t know. Besides the risk of rabies, some dogs might have a short temper, and dog teeth can do quite a lot of damage to small hands. Cats and kittens, too, can do damage or spread disease with scratches or bites.
Make sure your children understand the difference between Winnie the Pooh and the family of bear in the wilderness. Sure, the cubs look fun and playful, but they can still do a lot of damage, and there’s always momma bear to contend with.
Under no circumstances should children approach a bat. More than half of the rabies deaths in the last thirty years have all been traced to bats.
I know that some insects can be dangerous, however, the best thing you can do for your children is staying right next to them when staying in the wild, or a park.
Intersting fact that, the mosquito being the most dangerous ‘animal’ on the palnet!! Especially when you consider that on Safari you are likely to come up against the ‘big five’, They make a great play on the fact that maleria has died out in South Africa; well last time I checked the Lion hadn’t!! Who’s worried about hte mosquito when there’s lions roaming around. VIPvillas do safari’s to SOuth Africa and also to Zambia. You’d be surprised how luxurious some of the accommodation really is. Kids are not allowed under certain ages, and we worry about mosquito’s!! The safari’s in Zambia are also something to behold. They actually do them on foot!! Up close and personal… beats laying on a beach for excitement anyway! i suppose the dnger of the ‘mozzie’ is you can’t see the blighter in the dark… now a lion you can see; but would you want to know it was there before it bit your head off!?!?!?!
Hi,
I must admit it is the bears that scare me the most! While I love to let my kids explore the wilderness and really feel comfortable in the woods, I do have a real fear for bears. I always try to explain the danger and prepare them for such a possibility, however who knows how they will actually react if confronted by one…or even worse if they somehow get between a mother and her cub!
Campers and hikers need to be informed and smart when dealing with wild animals…great post to make people aware of potential dangers!
I had not thought about the dog as the second most dangerous animal actually, but when I read this I was reminded of a friend that had to cut a trip to Asia short because he was bitten by a dog and was not sure if it was rabid.
A common mistake in South Africa is people taking small children on walks in the National Parks, where you are ultimately becoming a member of the food chain, and where children are bite size. As the difference between Winnie the Pooh and an family of bears, parents and children also need to understand the difference between national parks and European farms