Saving myself from rabies while in the wild?

Q: okay, I'm probably just paranoid,but what is the best way to deal with a rabid animal if you come across it while in the middle of nowhere and you don't have a gun

A: Rabies is less common in the wilderness and more common in rural areas where man, domesticated animals and wild animals interact. In general, wild animals are afraid of men and will not approach, though in National Parks where animals have learned to feed on human garbage and food left unattended in campgrounds this has changed somewhat. If an animal does seem aggressive whether it's rabid, immature, or habituated, the strategy is the same: stand your ground or back away slowly, do not run, try to look as large as possible, stand up straight, pick up your children, shout or make noise, and as a last resort defend yourself with thrown stones, sticks, knives, or pepper spray, if you don't have a firearm, which is my answer to your question. If you're really paranoid, believe it or not, you can now get rabies inoculations for humans. Unlike the supposedly painful treatment for rabies, the inoculations are simply shots like any other. I, myself went through the procedure before visiting to a third world country last summer. These were obtained free through my health insurance and my hospital's travel nurse.

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