Up to date Could 20, 2026 11:11AM
Of all of the ways in which individuals can die within the wild, animal assaults rank among the many rarer ones. Yearly, someplace between 1 and three individuals die from bear assaults in the US; half a dozen or so perish in shark assaults worldwide. Going by these numbers, you’re much more prone to meet your maker beneath a tipped-over merchandising machine or out-of-control lawnmower than reenacting Jaws. In the case of the area animal assaults take up in our brains, nevertheless, none of that issues: Whether or not due to common media or some primal, gene-level worry inherited from our ancestors, the concept of dealing with down one thing giant and toothy preoccupies us in approach few different subjects do.
Since 2020, the hosts of Tooth and Claw have been exploring that preoccupation. In every episode the hosts—wildlife biologist Wes Larson, his brother, Jeff Larson, and their mutual good friend Mike Smith—discuss via tales of assaults by a wide range of animals, breaking down why they occur and the way individuals and wildlife can coexist extra safely. It’s often harrowing, usually humorous, and all the time suffused with concern for the opposite creatures we share the earth with. We caught up with Wes, Jeff, and Mike to seek out out what species shocked them essentially the most, what hikers must know earlier than they head into the woods, and why koalas are the one animal they will’t agree on.
Transcript
Wes Larson: Hey, I’m Wes Larson.
Jeff Larson: I’m Jeff Larson,
Mike Smith: And I’m Mike, and we’re the hosts of Tooth & Claw Podcast. It’s a podcast about a few of the worst encounters that individuals can have with animals, what we are able to study from these encounters, in order that we are able to totally respect the wild issues of the world. We’re answering questions with Backpacker right now, let’s get into it.
If the podcast had a warning label, what wouldn’t it say?
Wes Larson: It might in all probability say one thing like: You’re about to listen to some actually horrible, terrible tales, however we’re making an attempt that will help you keep away from working into those self same sort of situations.
Mike Smith: I’d simply warn towards smoking. Smoking is hazardous to your well being. You realize, identical to a basic warning, greater than one thing about us particularly.
You’ve coated a whole lot of animal encounter tales on the podcast. Which one continues to reside rent-free in your thoughts?
Wes Larson: We’ve coated a whole lot of animal encounter tales on the podcast, however there’s positively one which lives rent-free in my thoughts, and that might be the story of Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, who was a USGS researcher in Alaska who was attacked by a black bear and had each of her arms basically chewed off whereas she was ready for assist. And I consider all of the tales we’ve informed, it’s the one that actually simply shocked me essentially the most, was some of the harrowing, some of the gory tales, and was very shocking as a result of it’s an animal each me and Jeff have labored with intently, and simply not very typical habits for that animal. In order that’s one which I take into consideration quite a bit.
Jeff Larson: Not as intently as she did.
Wes Larson: Yeah, that’s true. She labored very intently with it. Yeah.
What species shocked you essentially the most in an episode?
Jeff Larson: The animal that shocked me essentially the most could be chimpanzees, simply that they will like rip off physique components with their fingers.
Wes Larson: Yeah, how simple it’s for them. I feel for me, the species that in all probability shocked me essentially the most in an episode was the Brazilian wandering spider. It’s a species of spider that’s native to South America they usually have a really attention-grabbing aspect impact to their venom, which for those who’re a person and also you get bit by this explicit spider, you’ll have a multi-day erection, and you must go see a physician to get it handled. After which additionally simply sort of studying that they’re very doubtless the world’s most harmful spider. They don’t essentially have essentially the most poisonous venom, however they’re very susceptible to chunk. They’re rather more aggressive than most spiders they usually do are inclined to ship a good quantity of venom after they do chunk.
Should you have been to solid an animal as your fourth podcast co-host, which might you select?
Jeff Larson: If we have been to solid an animal, fictional or actual, because the fourth podcast co-host, I feel I might select a rattlesnake. I feel that like me and Mike might be actually foolish, however Wes can get there too, so we simply want somebody on there that’s like severe on a regular basis, you understand? I really feel like a rattlesnake could be actual severe. The one downside is S’s are sort of dangerous for enhancing, like S can actually dangle, in order that is perhaps dangerous for vocals. I might nonetheless choose a rattlesnake. I need somebody severe.
Mike Smith: If we have been to have an animal because the fourth host of our present, I used to be pondering Rob Schneider, however I don’t need him to be on the present actually, any a part of it. So I went with the Muppet Animal. That’s just a little chaotic however perhaps a drum solo everybody from time to time to take us into an advert break, that’d be sick.
What’s one thing that each one of you disagree on?
Jeff Larson: One thing that all of us disagree on is koalas. I feel they’re high 10 animal. I’ve them quantity 9 general. Wes likes them, however he doesn’t assume they’re like that nice, and Mike hates them.
Mike Smith: I’m anti. Anti-koala coalition. Be part of me.
Wes Larson: Yeah, an excessive amount of chlamydia for Mike to love that animal.
Mike Smith: Only a smidge an excessive amount of. I can stand just a little bit however not as a lot as they acquired.
Wes Larson: Mike’s thoughts has by no means as soon as been modified by any of us on something. The truth is, the extra you attempt to change Mike’s thoughts, the extra he’ll again into his unique place.
Mike Smith: Dig my heels in, yeah. I’m a person of conviction.
What species most deserves a PR rebrand?
Wes Larson: That is really a giant aim of our present is to provide a variety of these animals the PR that they deserve. They usually get misrepresented within the media. For me, my reply would in all probability be snakes usually. I feel there’s lots of people on the market that assume snakes wish to assault individuals and they’ll comply with you and chase you. And snakes simply wish to get away from you, they usually actually solely chunk for those who give them no different possibility, or for those who get far too near them on accident or on function. They really want higher PR as a result of lots of people assume that snakes really chase individuals, they usually actually don’t.
Mike Smith: Species that deserves a PR rebrand… I’m really going to go along with mosquitoes as a result of all of us hate them, however I feel we should always hate them much more. They want even worse PR.
What’s your private most-memorable animal encounter to this point?
Wes Larson: One in every of my favorites was watching a snow leopard within the Himalayas with a bunch of latest pals and Mike and Jeff. And I feel a giant a part of the explanation it felt so particular was as a result of we had traveled up to now to get there and it was only a actual slog. We have been tenting in damaging 5-degree temperatures, we have been utilizing a tiny gap within the floor as a toilet. It was a tough journey, so it felt like we actually earned that sighting, and I used to be simply actually blown away by how lovely of an animal they have been.
Jeff Larson: And you understand that he actually beloved that snow leopard as a result of he had diarrhea for like 12 straight hours and that’s nonetheless his finest wildlife second.
Mike Smith: Yeah, he by no means broke eye contact with the cat, even via the…
Jeff Larson: Didn’t you say it checked out you if you pooped as soon as?
Wes Larson: There was positively as soon as the place I used to be watching it as I used to be like crouched behind a rock. Yeah, indisputably.
What’s the commonest mistake backpackers make relating to wildlife?
Wes Larson: I feel the commonest mistake might be simply not making ready successfully sufficient. I feel for those who’re going into say grizzly bear habitat, it’s worthwhile to be ready. You’ll want to have a deterrent. We advocate bear spray. Should you’re mountain climbing in a spot that there is perhaps a number of rattlesnakes, it’s worthwhile to have correct footwear. So simply correct preparedness I feel is the largest mistake that individuals make, actually not eager about wildlife as a result of they’re eager about so many different issues for his or her journey, and having that prep time the place you’re particularly specializing in wildlife is actually necessary.
Jeff Larson: How backpackers may very well be extra ready could be to have bear spray accessible. There’s a number of black bears all via the nation, after which particularly for those who’re in grizzly bear nation, you simply must have it accessible. Don’t put it in your backpack. Have it on a belt or one thing.
Mike Smith: A standard mistake backpackers make a variety of occasions, and Wes has hammered this level house advert nauseam, however going out alone is all the time a recipe for potential catastrophe. So you probably have a good friend who needs to tag alongside, for those who don’t have a good friend, name Jeff. Jeff will exit with you. However that’s going to assist deter potential predators from partaking within the first place. It’ll assist having somebody to make calls or run for assist. You wish to have somebody on the market that will help you get via it.
If animals reviewed backpackers, what would they are saying?
Jeff Larson: If animals reviewed backpackers, I feel that bears particularly, black bears and grizzly bears, would offer you guys a one-star assessment and inform you to cease telling individuals to not feed the animals, and they might say each hiker ought to deliver a jar of honey and depart it on the path.
Wes Larson: I used to be going to say the identical factor. If animals reviewed backpackers, they’d say: Omit extra meals, please. We love your meals.
Jeff Larson: And cease mountain climbing with audio system blasting music as a result of it’s annoying to us. From the bears.
Mike Smith: Nailed it.
What’s one factor studying about animal assaults has taught you about people?
Wes Larson: I feel for me, the primary factor studying about animal assaults has taught me about human spirit is that persons are very resilient, and that they’re very forgiving relating to wildlife. I feel the extra individuals find out about wildlife they usually study in regards to the particular circumstances and components that result in these assaults, the extra they understand that the animal was simply performing naturally. And in so many tales that we inform, the individuals say, “I don’t blame the shark. I don’t blame the bear. I don’t blame the, you understand, no matter animal,” as a result of individuals do perceive that we’re sharing this planet with them. And I feel that was one thing that’s been actually surprising for me, and it actually makes me really feel fairly pleased with the human spirit and humanity.
Mike Smith: It’s so good.
Do you assume people are getting higher or worse at coexisting with wildlife?
Jeff Larson: Proper now, I feel there’s management whose focus isn’t on defending wildlife and that has made some issues flip for the more severe.
Wes Larson: If I needed to say which course we’re heading, I might say we’re doing higher. I feel persons are realizing an increasing number of that we’ve pushed wildlife to the brink, that we’ve used up a variety of their finest habitat, and that we have to coexist and be higher about coexisting due to the impact that we’ve already had on wildlife. And I do assume that’s taking place across the globe and we’re seeing much more tolerance usually for wildlife.
