Wild animal encounters

[CDGator]

I’m sure many of you have had some amazing encounters with wild animals. What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen not in a zoo?

I don’t have photos of the spotted eagle ray while diving but it was spectacular. Swimming with a whale shark is a bucket list item.

Rocky Mountain National Park - male elks bugling

 

[JDW]

Swimming with a school of tarpon under the Bahia Honda bridge and with giant sea turtles sharks and jewfish off of sombrero key

 

[BMF]

At my cabin in Shenandoah County, Virginia, we come across bear occasionally, deer practically every time we're there, wild turkey, ground hogs, and lots of woodpeckers and other birds I don't see elsewhere.

 

[CDGator]

At my cabin in Shenandoah County, Virginia, we come across bear occasionally, deer practically every time we're there, wild turkey, ground hogs, and lots of woodpeckers and other birds I don't see elsewhere.

Gorgeous part of the country! I bet it's spectacular.

 

[gator1946]

Kangaroos hoping across a city street. They were wild but not in the wild. There's nothing special about seeing a bunch of them in a sanctuary or a park. Be warned the big ones pack a kick. Koala bears in the wild. Swimming with shark wranglers with a few sharks hanging around. Those guys are nuts. I said see you guys later. I didn't actually say it, I was under water, but I thought it. Saw one crock when I didn't want to. They make alligators seem like teddy bears.

Moose strolling through the streets of Canada. again wild but not in the wild. Mountain goats.

Seen plenty of humans who would fall into the OP's category.

Spent a lot of time with dolphins. Doesn't count. They were not in the wild. Note: some dolphins if not well trained are not nice.

Always wanted to see a Tasmanian Devil. But I never made it to Tasmania.

 

[CDGator]

Kangaroos hoping across a city street. They were wild but not in the wild. There's nothing special about seeing a bunch of them in a sanctuary or a park. Be warned the big ones pack a kick. Koala bears in the wild. Swimming with shark wranglers with a few sharks hanging around. Those guys are nuts. I said see you guys later. I didn't actually say it, I was under water, but I thought it. Saw one crock when I didn't want to. They make alligators seem like teddy bears.

Moose strolling through the streets of Canada. again wild but not in the wild. Mountain goats.

Seen plenty of humans who would fall into the OP's category.

Spent a lot of time with dolphins. Doesn't count. They were not in the wild. Note: some dolphins if not well trained are not nice.

Always wanted to see a Tasmanian Devil. But I never made it to Tasmania.

Reminds me of 40 Pictures Proving Australia Is The Land Of ‘Nope’.

 

[BNAG8R]

Swimming with a whale shark is a bucket list item.

 

[Detroitgator]

Seeing Mr. Demming's (7th grade social studies teacher) smokin hot daughter getting railed on the couch when I was trying to collect on my paper route on a dark winter night. He owed me $2 (and 10 cents).

 

[gator1946]

Seeing Mr. Demming's (7th grade social studies teacher) smokin hot daughter getting railed on the couch when I was trying to collect on my paper route on a dark winter night. He owed me $2 (and 10 cents).

I was going to post something about swimming with anything large, not just a whale shark, that would not consider me lunch, but how do I top this?

 

[Nalt]

Watching a pod of whales (literally hundreds as far as the eye could see) swimming off the beach on Kodiak Island. Watching two juvenile Kodiak bears playing in the tall grass near the shore on Kodiak Island. Watching about 18 American Bald eagles searching for Salmon in the Pasagshak river on Kodiak Island. I actually watched one eagle grab a Salmon from the river and take off flying up into the mountain to eat it's catch while about 16 more were in hot pursuit to try and steal it. Saw several Starfish underneath the pier for the ferry on Kodiak Island. Several of the starfish had as many as 13-15 tentacles.

While driving north out of Colorado Springs, CO I saw a HUGE herd of elk in a pasture on the side of the road next to the farmer's house. There were literally hundreds of them. My first thought was, "They now farm raise elk?" But no, they all just jumped his fence and were in there grazing his grass down.

While floating a lazy river (Paint Rock river in Jackson county, Alabama) we rounded a bend in the river and saw a wild hog standing right in the middle of the river. It's back was probably around 40"+ tall and I would guess it weighed in excess of 400 pounds. Once it heard and saw us it ran up the bank and out into a corn field.

Saw a Manta-ray jump straight up out of the GOM when I was a kid. It was absolutely HUGE. I would estimate it was > 15' across. Did I mention that it was huge?

 

[AuggieDosta]

I've seen a jackass ogle two women laying out at the beach with his pecker out.


Ok, I've actually seen TWO versions of this.

 

[bradgator2]

I've seen a jackass ogle two women laying out at the beach with his pecker out.


Ok, I've actually seen TWO versions of this.

You've met and filmed our donkey?

 

[MJMGator]

Came within about 20 feet of a Florida panther while shining deer one night when I was 13. We stared at each other for what seemed like an hour (probably 30 seconds) before he slowly walked into the palmettos and pines and disappeared into the night. Big fuching cat!
Right whales and their calves in the spring offshore of Jax several times. Humongous and majestic.
Giant manta rays jumping 10 feet into the air. Amazing something that large can propel itself that high out of the water.
Most frightful moment was a large bull shark (about 9 feet) circling 4 of us teenagers wading the flats in Marathon. When he made a final pass right through the middle of us pushing up water onto my rib cage I thought it was over for me.

 

[CDGator]

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine

This 660-pound alligator from St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park came to our hospital yesterday through the zoological medicine service for radiographs to assess his right rear leg for a cause for lameness. Dr. Darryl Heard, an associate professor of zoological medicine, had noticed the alligator’s femur was painful and recommended he be transported to UF for further diagnostics. The 38-year-old alligator, named Bob, was unloaded in our large animal hospital area and taken to radiology, where the necessary images were obtained. Preliminary evaluation of the radiographs showed evidence of osteomyelitis of the proximal femur. Our zoo med team, which makes regular visits to the park, will continue to monitor Bob’s progress.

 

[divits]

Rode on the backs of some sea turtles in Hawaii, grabbed the tail of a 6 foot reef shark in The Keys, and was gang raped by bunch of ne’er do well prairie dogs in Kansas. Mostly boring stuff.

 

[CDGator]

Rode on the backs of some sea turtles in Hawaii, grabbed the tail of a 6 foot reef shark in The Keys, and was gang raped by bunch of ne’er do well prairie dogs in Kansas. Mostly boring stuff.

Is that all you got?

 

[soflagator]

Quick back story. My oldest son has always been obsessed with animals. Loves to just read books or watch animal documentaries. So my wife and I decided a few years ago to go with a couple to a cabin they had near Cade’s Cove, Tn. where I knew from vacationing as a kid we’d see animals. He was specifically excited about seeing bears. All he could talk about. Unfortunately, the friends had to back out due to a family illness, so we canceled, breaking my son’s heart. Anyway, later that year, on the weekend originally scheduled, we visited my mom and traveled through the Ocala National Forest. Came around a corner to this guy walking across the road. Couldn’t script it.

 

[Gator by the Sea]

My wife and I have snorkeled amongst a school of squid in St. Lucia, and seen a keg-sized lobster snorkeling at Pennekamp (in Key Largo), but this from earlier this year was quite the surprise.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

I’ve been to a couple Gator games in Knoxville and Tally. Both places have some of the most grotesque wildlife I’ve ever seen.

 

[Loogis]

Seeing Mr. Demming's (7th grade social studies teacher) smokin hot daughter getting railed on the couch when I was trying to collect on my paper route on a dark winter night. He owed me $2 (and 10 cents).

This reminds me of a thread a looooong time ago about chance encounters with football players. Someone wrote seeing Rex Grossman laying pipe to a co-ed on a frat house couch one night. Good stuff!