Blue Boar Attack Tips

Cave on Rattlesnake, February 5, 2005--  The increase in Blue Boar sightings in the vicinity of the Patch Sprint race course has heightened concern among race participants. There were only 55 confirmed unprovoked attacks by blue boars on humans worldwide in 2003, according to the International Blue Boar Attack File (IBBAF). Only four people died: one each in California, South Africa, Australia, and Fiji.

Still, the threat, however small, is real. And the best way to prepare yourself for a possible blue boar encounter is to know how to avoid an attack, what to do if you are bitten, and how to help attack victims. To address the concerns regarding blue boar attacks, the Patch Sprint Board of Directors commissioned a committee to research the issue. The committee offers the following advice:

HOW TO AVOID AN ATTACK • Stay away from summer camps where blue boar attacks are     most frequent. • Avoid sleeping. Blue boars often attack when people are asleep in their beds. • Don’t steal tobacco. Stealing the headmaster’s tobacco is not a good idea. • Avoid large groups of campers. Don't make the mistake of thinking that if small    children are present, there      won't be any blue boars around. Small children are easy prey for blue boars. • Do not wear high-contrast clothing (orange and yellow are said to be risky    colors). Blue boars see contrast very well. • If you feel something brush up against you, run and make sure that you have     not been bitten. There have    been reports that blue boar victims often do not feel any pain. • Hike, swim, or sleep with other people. Blue boars most often attack individuals. • If you are approached by a blue boar, stay as still as possible. If you are      carrying fish or other meat, release  the meat and quietly leave the area.

2 racers fell victim to Blue Boar attacks in 2004.  Both survived.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE ATTACKED • If attack is imminent, defend yourself with whatever weapons you    can. Avoid using your bare hands or feet if you can; if not,    concentrate your blows against the blue boar’s delicate eyes or shins."    A blue boar’s snout is also said to be sensitive. • If a blue boar actually gets you in its mouth, be as aggressively    defensive as you are able. Playing dead does not work. Pound the blue    boar in any way possible. Try to claw at the eyes and snout, two very    sensitive areas. • Get immediate medical attention, no matter how small the injury.

HOW TO HELP A VICTIM • Be cautious. The fact that there is a victim means the blue boar is still hungry and you may be the next prey. • If you suspect someone has been attacked  but cannot find a body, begin looking under cabins. • Begin controlling bleeding by pressing on pressure points or by applying tourniquets. • Protect the victim from cold by wrapping him or her in a blanket to minimize heat loss. • Try not to move the victim unnecessarily. Call for medical help.

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