When nature bites

Ever had a close encounter with nature? Share your story and we’ll publish it on Health24.

While only a handful of South Africans a year are attacked by sharks, a lot more will experience the sting of a scorpion or the piercing pain of a snakebite. According to experts, around one in 5 snake bites will require major treatment, while only a handful of South African spider species are truly dangerous.  If you’ve survived any of these, you have a unique perspective on the sharper side of nature’s bounty – and we’re keen to hear from you.

Whatever your close encounter of the natural kind - if you’ve ever been chased by a lion, outrun a swarm of bees or fled from fire ants - we’d love to hear your story. Did you follow the wisdom that says: Don’t scream or run? We’re also interested if you have survived a flood, been trapped in the snow or run from a veld fire. It’s about the raw power of nature and we’d love to hear more.

Mail us on community@health24.com with your story – try to keep it shorter than 500 words maximum – and you could be published on Health24.

And if you haven’t come that close, take our Wilderness survival quiz to see whether you are ready to face the great outdoors.

(Adele Hamilton, Health24, August 2012)