Suicide Squirrel Squad (Animal Near Misses)

[Rooster1]

Some rides are more memorable than others when you know you just averted running over a family of ducklings, or a squirrel managed to run under your bike.

My closest animal encounter as a Red Kite which took off in-front of me and nearly took me out, it was concealed in some grass to the side of the road.

Another time, three deer ran across the road in front of me.

And last but not least, a Barn Owl flew onto the road in front of me and I got to follow it for a few feet - amazing!

What are your animal close encounters ?

Ever been taken down by an animal ?

 

[Hacienda71]

I have been hit by a bat and run over a rabbit. My mate got a squirrel caught in his front wheel and ended up having a very nasty accident.

 

[djb1971]

A suicidal badger clipped my rear wheel a week ago. Instead of running into the hedgerow it ran straight out into a very narrow lane. It was almost two but I missed the other.

 

[TissoT]

A badger hit my front wheel and put in a ditch Whilst riding in a group on a country lane ...
he made me look a right fool....

 

[azir]

A squirrel darted out of the undergrowth and I missed him by millimetres - I made a very undignified yelping scream which made the roadie just behind me crack up. He still overtook me though!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I have run over a squirrel - it lived but I felt it.

 

[MisterStan]

I got stung by a bee on the lip last week, which was painful.
I hit a dog once in the dark, over the handlebars I went, that was pretty painful too.
I rescued a family of ducklings from the busway rails a few weeks ago. That didn't hurt.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Killed a wabbit.

Killed a waaaaabbit.

 

[Donger]

Two separate incidents the other night. Went out on a trial run for a night ride round about midnight. Two badgers (different roads) both bolted in front of me at the very last possible moment. Kerb to kerb in a couple of seconds, but uncomfortably close. From side on, and under bike lights, they are pretty much road coloured, and it was only the scampering noise and little panicky grunts that alerted me to them.

 

[summerdays]

There was an ex-bunny on the cycle path tonight, I've never even seen bunnies there before, beside the busy ring road. But it wasn't me m'lord!

 

[Accy cyclist]

So far this year a small dear,a stoat and a giant rat have played chicken with me!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Dead fox on the dual carriageway in the early morning hours.
Poor thing It was'nea me, of course

 

[Julia9054]

2 stoats (weasels?) chasing each other right across my front wheel. Just missed them.

 

[mcshroom]

Riding through Glen Isla on the Deeside Loop last year I almost got taken out twice. The first when 5 deer barged across the road over a high wall right in front of me, and the second was a suicide rabbit that ran alongside my front wheel for a good 300m, making occasional darts towards the spokes!?

I did once collect a small bird flying out of a hedgerow straight under my front wheel on a commute. The poor thing was dragged round the wheel (under the mudguard) and then thrown back over the hedge from the front of the wheel

 

[PaulSecteur]

I it lived but I felt it.

Not as much as the squirrel felt it!