# Full face helmets discourage mtn lion attacks?



## 2melow (Jan 5, 2004)

Discuss. I was just talking with a co-worker who seems to think full face and downhill gear would freak these creatures out to much. I think all that matters is once they taste human flesh you can be 350 pounds w/ gear and that won't even matter.


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## striker (Jan 12, 2004)

*sounds like an experiment for Most Extreme Host on animal planet*

Ask your coworker to try it out for us. It would make a great internet video.


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## Drewdane (Dec 19, 2003)

*Freak Out?*



2melow said:


> Discuss. I was just talking with a co-worker who seems to think full face and downhill gear would freak these creatures out to much. I think all that matters is once they taste human flesh you can be 350 pounds w/ gear and that won't even matter.


Yet another example of humans attributing human qualities to animals. I don't see a Cougar "Freaking Out" at the sight of a rider in full armor any more than it would do so at the same rider in Lycra and a foam lid. It will assess whether it is faced with threat, prey, or neither . It will act accordingly. The end.


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## mr_spin (Jan 12, 2004)

*try it out at the zoo*

go down to your local zoo, put on all your gear and your full face helmet, and walk around. see if the big cats are intimidated. ask the zookeepers if you can get in the cages.

if you don't have a local zoo, try it out with a house cat. all species of cats, from house cat to lions and tigers, are basically the same.


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## Drewdane (Dec 19, 2003)

mr_spin said:


> go down to your local zoo, put on all your gear and your full face helmet, and walk around. QUOTE]
> 
> I can see the headlines now...


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## Locoman (Jan 12, 2004)

Drewdane said:


> Yet another example of humans attributing human qualities to animals. I don't see a Cougar "Freaking Out" at the sight of a rider in full armor any more than it would do so at the same rider in Lycra and a foam lid. It will assess whether it is faced with threat, prey, or neither . It will act accordingly. The end.


I wouldn't try to see if this 'experiment' works, but it kinda makes sense. I was riding on a trail passing a horse once and it started to freak out when it got near me. The rider shouted for me to take off my helmet, which I did. Once the helmet was off the horse calmed down. Wearing the helmet the horse didn't seem to recognize me as being a person(?)... So maybe the more bizarre you look to the lion the less you look like prey?


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## pfunk (Jan 12, 2004)

*actually....*

.. I was thinking about this, but not in the same way.

As people were discussing the event on the forums, some one brought up the question of whether or not the people attacked were wearing helmets. Some people felt is was an insensitive question (not the time for helmet no-helmet war).

The person who asked the question meant it seriously however, and I found it interesting. Just didn't think it was the right time to discuss it. Anyway, the question was would the helmet make it more difficult for the lion to get a "deadly" grip on you.

Sure enough, they interviewed the woman who helped to save her friend the next evening. She was asked just that sort of question as to whether or not the helmet had "saved her friends life". Apparently the mtn lion couldn't get a good grip on the back of her neck, and alternated between biting her face and neck. Normally they would grab at the back of the neck and try to break the spinal cord.

I thought for sure it would be on the board the next day. Something like, "see Pete, they really are magical life saving devices." 

So do I think it's scary looking enough to scare away a hungry beast? Probablly not, but I do think it could make things more difficult for the mtn. lion, therefore giving one more of a chance to get away. Full face possibly more so. Who knows though, really.


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## mr_spin (Jan 12, 2004)

*here's a guy who might know...*

If this guy had been wearing gear and a full face helmet, he wouldn't have a lion sitting on top of him right now.

_Apparently having nothing better to do, Lucas Tomas scaled a wall at the Buenos Aires Zoo, dropped into the lions den and began playing matador with the residents, waving his jacket like a cape. Fortunately for Tomas, Quique here decided not to eat him. The 22-year-old was roughed up a little and treated for minor injuries. Hopefully, they also examined his head._


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## Belfrey (Jan 12, 2004)

*Not an entirely unreasonable question...*

In India, a program was started for people who work in the wildnerness in areas where there are a lot of attacks on humans by tigers. This research-based program provided masks that the people would wear backwards, so it looked like they had a face on the back of their head. Those wearing backwards masks were found to be far less likely to be attacked by tigers than their non-mask-wearing counterparts - those that were attacked were usually hit when they took their masks off for a second, to wipe sweat off or take a break.

The idea is that tigers, like cougars, prefer to attack from behind, at the back of the neck or head. Seeing the face there made them reluctant to attack, thinking they had a bad angle or something. Someone wrote on the old board about how their Giro had eyes painted on the back. Who knows, it might help.


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## Yeti_Rider (Dec 26, 2003)

*doesn't matter too much*




2melow said:


> Discuss. I was just talking with a co-worker who seems to think full face and downhill gear would freak these creatures out to much. I think all that matters is once they taste human flesh you can be 350 pounds w/ gear and that won't even matter.


they're still too rare to matter. Hoiw many people used the Whiting Ranch Park every year, let alone how many people used parks in California last year? You still have a far higher chance of getting killed on the way to the trailhead than on the trail and your chances of launching off a cliff due to a heart attack or other biological disorder are then higher than dying at the claws of a deranged lion.

Just ride


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## george_da_trog (Jul 1, 2003)

Yeah, but my FF helmet is made of bacon. I'm not sure if that would help.

george


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## Mellow Yellow (Sep 5, 2003)

*Tell your friend...*

to put on full DH armor then walk out into the deep woods where mountain lions are seen, then let us know.

Me thinks that if a mountain lion isn't afraid of taking on moose, byson, etc; some 200 lb guy dressed like Darth Vader won't slow it down much.


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## AlanB (Jan 12, 2004)

*I'm gonna glue some eyes on the back of my helmet.*

Not only will it scare off the cougars, it'll p!ss off the rider behind me. Especially if I add a smile with a big tongue hanging out!

Alan


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## CraigH (Dec 22, 2003)

Okay, I'm not riding behind you anymore!


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## screampint (Dec 10, 2001)

*Does it count if....*



AlanB said:


> Not only will it scare off the cougars, it'll p!ss off the rider behind me. Especially if I add a smile with a big tongue hanging out!
> 
> Alan


your kids think you have eyes on the back of your head? Not just my own, but also the kids at the middle school where I used to work.


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## milroy (Jan 15, 2004)

*Lions - Horses etc*



Locoman said:


> I wouldn't try to see if this 'experiment' works, but it kinda makes sense. I was riding on a trail passing a horse once and it started to freak out when it got near me. The rider shouted for me to take off my helmet, which I did. Once the helmet was off the horse calmed down. Wearing the helmet the horse didn't seem to recognize me as being a person(?)... So maybe the more bizarre you look to the lion the less you look like prey?


I understand your rational and it's true, horses (and dogs) will respond differently to someone wearing a helmet or sun glasses. Some dogs go completly bonkers if you approach them in a full face motorbike helment with the visor down.

However, I don't know if horses are too much like big cats in this respect. Horses have the only defence of running and are naturally a "flight" animal. I'd imagine that predators like lions etc, at the top of there food chain aren't really scared of very much. Cats are naturally inquisitive anyways.

BTW these are just my thoughts on the matter.

Maybe you should consider carrying a vacuum cleaner...


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