On Monday evening, he was cycling home from work to Wasseralfingen late in the evening, reports amateur marathon biker Paris Mistakidis. It was pitch dark when he suddenly collided with something quite heavy in the woods near Oberkochen. Mistakidis crashed and thankfully only suffered a few grazes, but the shock was deep: "It could only have been a wild boar, but it was like hitting concrete." This accident happened in April 2021.
Curious wildlife accidents on YouTube
How you can imagine the whole thing visually has already been documented by chance using a helmet camera. In South Africa, during the day. In 2011, a marathon racer was literally overrun by a stately impala (large antelope) in the South African steppe near Albert Falls Dam during an MTB marathon.
In 2023, a group led by ex-pro George Hincapie narrowly escaped an animalistic accident. A helmet camera shows Hincapie travelling with a group of racing cyclists to the start of his Granfondo in Greenville, South Carolina. Suddenly, a deer jumps over from the left, just above the group. Edwin Gonzalez Montoya filmed the YouTube video and had to duck low. While Hincapie looks back in horror, things become critical for Montoya: the deer gets closer and closer and he is only just able to ride under it, fortunately only being lightly grazed.
In 2013, German professional racer Robert Mennen was also caught out on the first stage of the Cape Epic: "In the corner of my eye, I saw the antelope coming from the left. But I was in the middle of a technical descent and it all happened so quickly. The panicked animal just ran into me!" That was the end of the race for Mennen: Collarbone and handlebars broken. The antelope hopefully escaped without any serious injuries.
Okay, you can imagine that such wildlife collisions occur more frequently in the African steppe. But according to Andreas Kinser from the German Wildlife Foundation, the risk is also tending to increase here. On the one hand, this is due to the increasing wild animal population in Germany, but also to the growing number of cyclists in the forest. Particularly at risk are Commuterswho cycle at dusk and in the dark in autumn and winter. These are precisely the times when increased wildlife traffic on roads and paths is to be expected. Especially when the clocks change from summer to winter time.
According to the ADAC, this time is particularly dangerous as foraging animals are active at dusk. Although the animals become accustomed to periods of heavy traffic and move out of the way accordingly, drivers must exercise increased caution when rush hour traffic shifts from one day to the next to coincide with their changing times. Nevertheless, an average of 250,000 wildlife accidents are recorded in Germany every year.
In comparison, the 30 collisions with cyclists a year are not really worth reporting. But when you consider how painful such a collision can be, you might be glad to know how to avoid such a wildlife accident. Here are some tips from wildlife expert Andreas Kinser (German Wildlife Foundation):
The most important tips for wildlife accidents
1. set the light correctly
In small wooded areas or forest edges, always keep an eye on the roadside while driving. Especially at dusk. The cone of the handlebar light should be directed towards the road or carriageway in such a way that it does not dazzle emerging game. Blinded animals tend to stop abruptly.
2. open your ears and be loud
Compared to car drivers and motorcyclists, cyclists have two major advantages: Firstly, speeds are lower, which is why both sides have longer reaction times to swerve or stop. Secondly, cyclists can hear surrounding noises. If a wild animal rustles in the bushes, they can slow down in good time. You can also make yourself heard. Animals are calmer if they can categorise sounds and a disturbance does not occur suddenly. Ringing the bell every now and then is one way to avoid stressing the animals. Or ride in a group, which is automatically louder than a single cyclist.
3. what do you do if there is a collision?
If a collision does occur, the first thing to do is to collect yourself and keep calm. If the animal is lying injured, you should put as much distance as possible between yourself and the animal. People trigger panic in wild animals and this stress must be avoided for the animal. In most cases, however, the cyclist will be more injured than the animal. This is because a collision does not usually occur head-on, but the animal jumps or runs from the side, rams into the cyclist and pulls them out of the saddle. However, if a head-on collision is imminent, emergency braking with the possibility of a collision is a better solution than a risky evasive manoeuvre. The latter can lead to cyclists colliding with other road users.
4. does the accident have to be reported?
YES! Even if nothing else appears to have happened, you must report a wildlife accident to the police. The animal could be injured despite having escaped. The police will then inform the relevant hunter so that the injured animal can be tracked down. Also important:
- Mark the accident site, e.g. with a handkerchief or a prominent branch, so that the forester has a point of reference.
- Damage to the bicycle or e-bike is covered by bicycle insurance. If the police record the accident, this is also the necessary proof for the insurance company.
- For insurance processing, you also need a cost estimate for repair or replacement in the event of total loss from a specialised dealer. Please note: The insurance companies also check the national and regional differences in forest utilisation rights! If you were travelling on a non-legal trail (see 2-metre regulation in Baden-Württemberg), no guaranteed pick-up breakdown service can be provided and there could also be problems with the claims settlement.
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
