Bears, wolves, wild boar: meeting wildlife in the mountains

Brown bears, wolves, lynx and wild boar live in Azerbaijan's forested regions — Zaqatala, Qax, Şəki, İsmayıllı, Lənkəran, Quba. Encounters are rare, because all of these animals avoid people. But rare does not mean never.

The general principle

In almost every case the animal senses you before you sense it, and leaves. Problems arise in only three situations: a mother with cubs, an animal next to food, and a sudden encounter at close range. All three have the same solution — do not surprise the animal.

That makes noise your best protective tool. In dense forest, on switchbacks and where the sound of water swallows everything, walk while talking. A silently moving group takes more risk.

If you meet a bear

• Do not run. Anything that runs becomes prey, and a bear is faster than a human over a short distance.
• Stop and speak in a calm, low voice so it recognises you as human.
• Raise your arms to make yourself look bigger.
• Back away slowly, facing it; avoid prolonged direct eye contact but keep the bear in view.
• Do not try to climb a tree — brown bears climb too.
• If you see cubs, retreat immediately. There is no worse position than being between a mother and her young.

Wolves and lynx

Attacks on humans by healthy wolves are exceptionally rare in Europe and the Caucasus. A wolf usually watches from a distance and leaves. A lynx is almost never seen at all. The behaviour is the same for both: stop, look big, make noise, back away.

Wild boar — the one you will actually meet

In practice boar worry hikers most, because there are many of them and a sow with young can be aggressive. If you see a boar: stop, do not block its path, and if possible move to higher ground or behind a tree. Boar do not climb.

Keeping your camp unattractive

Almost every night-time problem comes down to food.

• Do not keep food in the tent. Not in the pack, not in the vestibule.
• Pack provisions into a sealed bag and hang it from a tree 50–100 metres from camp.
• Separate your cooking spot from your sleeping spot.
• Carry out all waste, including peel and crumbs. Every crumb left behind becomes the next group's problem.
• Do not bring a dog. A dog barks, attracts the animal, then runs back to you in fear.

One important note

The "dangerous animal" people actually encounter most often in Azerbaijan's summer pastures is not wild at all — it is the livestock guardian dog. We have a separate article on that: Shepherd dogs in the mountains.

On forest routes, going with an experienced guide settles this topic in practice — for example Qax, the Qoçyataq waterfall or the Hirkan tour.