Mountain hiking

[Bridge]

Chronofox, if you're going hiking somewhere I suggest you contact some kind of wildlife organisation in the area. They should know what dangers exist there, how to avoid them and what to do if you encounter them. I would rather trust them than some random people on the internet.

Good idea.

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like how cats always stare at each other before fighting

Actually, direct eye contact is a sign of dominance in felines. So, if you look away you are basically submitting. I guess it depends on the type of cat whether they decide this means you are easy prey or just not a threat but basically it's not in your best interests to look away. I'm not a biologist or anything but I am fairly certain this is true because all of my cats walk away or look down after losing a stare-off.