Animal Repellers

Before you go out and stock up on animal repellents, consider the well-worn saying that most animals don't want anything more to do with us than we do with them. The number of wild animal attacks in the U.S. each year seems much higher than it is, and for several reasons. Primarily, wild animal attacks, while often tragic, make for catchy headlines and sensational news. Thus, news directors splash these stories across front pages of websites and newspapers.

In reality, attacks by "exotic" animals such as bears are only a fraction of those perpetrated by dogs. Additionally, there are exponentially more annual bee and snake attacks in the U.S. than there are Grizzly or black bear attacks, which number in the single digits. While that may not make you feel much safer while touring places like Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, it should help put things in perspective.

Protection on Both Fronts

Fortunately, animal repellent manufacturers produce both bear sprays and dog sprays. In the event that you are attacked by, say, a Pit Bull or Rottweiller, a blast of high-concentration animal mace can buy you the time you need to flee. As with humans, animals suffer no permanent damage after exposure to repellents, which are deliberately designed to be non-lethal.

For those animal lovers who can't bear the thought of spraying a dog but also refuse to stand idly before a charging animal, there are ultrasonic whistles that serve as excellent repellents too. The signals they emit fall out of the detectable frequency range of humans, so there's never any danger in harming the ear's delicate nerves and fibers. By and large, these are the very same whistles trainers use on dogs in obedience schools and are available for as little as 10 or 15 dollars, even from pet stores.