by Dave Maccar

Charging wildlife isn’t the first thing on a mountain biker’s mind in the heat of a race, but the animals don’t know that.

Evan van der Spuy was racing in the 38 km Time Freight MTB Express mountain bike race at Albert Falls Dam, 20km outside the city of Pietermaritzburg in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa for Team Jeep South Africa over the weekend.

His teammate, Travis Walker, was in third place with a GoPro camera mounted on his bike, and captured this amazing footage below of Evan, who was in second place until this red hartebeest (a member of the antelope family) had something to say about it.

Yes, the hit was as hard as it looks. Evan was stabilized with a neck brace and taken to the hospital for overnight observation. He sustained a minor concussion, whiplash and some bruising on his head where his helmet imploded on impact.

F&S spoke to Evan today to get his take on the events behind this video, which is rapidly going viral.

Evan said he is recovering well, and feels extremely lucky.

“Luckily I walked away with just a bit of whiplash and a concussion, considering what happened,” he says. “I saw the animal moving to cross the road in front of me, but when I saw how close it really was, I was shocked. Then, from the moment it hit me I was unconscious. I actually don’t know what happened from then.”

--Dave Maccar

A 42-year-old British expat reportedly lost most of his right leg and part of his left foot after being repeatedly bitten by a great white shark off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa today. A YouTube video (below) taken moments after the attack shows a huge shark lurking in the water.

From this story on the UK Telegraph:

Several beaches along the city's False Bay coastline this afternoon remained closed after officials warned it was likely the deadly beast remained in the area.

Craig Lambinon, a spokesman for the National Sea Rescue Institute, said the victim was this afternoon in a serious condition in a private hospital in the city.

"It repeatedly bit at both of his legs and caused serious wounds on both the right and left side.

--Chad Love

Early one chilly fall morning some 16 years ago, on the scout day for a weekend bonus deer archery hunt I had been drawn out on, I was stumbling my way along a game trail in far eastern Oklahoma when I stepped over--literally stepped over, with my family jewels open to immediate and easily-accessible fanged attack--a cold, curled-up timber rattler trying to warm itself up right in the middle of the trail. This brings up an interesting twist on an age-old philosophical question: If a grown man screams like a wee girl in the middle of the forest, and there's no one around to hear him, does he make a sound?

I'll let you be the judge of that, but when I saw this cool video of a large timber rattler swimming across a Kentucky lake, those nightsweats I thought I'd finally gotten over suddenly started up again...

--Chad Love

Bear attacks aren't generally the first thing to come to mind when you think of Jersey. I mean, we expect rampaging Sopranos and Snookies, vicious Real Housewives and bellicose bear-sized governors, but a real, live bear attack is exactly what two Sussex County, New Jersey teens recently experienced.

From this story in the Wall Street Journal:
Two juveniles sustained minor injuries after a black bear attacked their campsite in northwestern New Jersey Wednesday. The attack occurred in Stokes State Forest in Sussex County. State Police say a black bear entered an area being used by campers from Montague-based Trail Blazers Camp. Troopers say the bear grabbed one juvenile out of a tent, causing a minor foot injury. It then swiped at another, causing a shoulder injury. The bear left, but soon returned and was rummaging through the campsite when state fish and game officials arrived and shot the bear in the neck.

Jersey bear attacks are uncommon. Has anyone else from the Garden State had a run-in with a bruin recently?