Sometimes the animals around a trail can be more dangerous than the trail itself. Here are 9 examples of nature fighting back against mountain bikers.

>>> Mountain biker meets mountain lion

Mountain biking is great for getting out into the wilderness. You can leave the stinking city behind and immerse yourself in a world of open spaces, green fields and awe-inspiring views.

1. A bear

The rider in this Instagram video wasn’t Canadian freerider Reece Wallace, he was just the one filming.

2. A sheep

It’s hard to know which is the more scared here, the sheep or the human.

3. A moose

Did anyone know a moose was that big?! It’s the size of a Transit van!

These bikers were on a leisurely ride in Alaska when they got too close to a mummy moose and her  kids, not a place you want to be.

This guy loses style points for his Christiano-Ronaldo-esque dive to try and avoid the rampaging beast.

4. Lots of sheep

These guys again.

Sheep are so often the companions of mountain bikers, no matter how far out in the wilds you are.

Often it can be nice to feel solidarity with these woolly wanderers, they too are wet and cold but, unlike us, they have no epic downhills to look forward to.

However, 2015’s Epic Cymru, which finishes at Bike Park Wales, had to be re-routed due to interferences with sheep herding. The farmer’s statement is well worth a read:

“I am sorry to say that we won’t be able to let you come across. We are gathering the hills during that week and so need to have full access to the roads – without any chance of sheep being disturbed by anyone other than our shepherds and their dogs”

5. A hawk

Take the fastest animal on the planet and pit it against a mountain biker and there can be only one winner right? Well, that’s if the mountain biker isn’t Gee Atherton, one of the most high-flying World Cup riders in history.

All Gee had to do was swoop down the Antur Stiniog double black diamond track without the bird poaching the bait off his back. He may not have won, but it did make for one flapping brilliant video

6. A cow

Anyone who has been riding in the alps will no doubt have been driven mad by the constant tinkling of cowbells. This guy nearly ended up with so much worse however, as he was forced to boost over this cow drinking from a particularly delicious looking puddle.

Cows also had an effect on the Hadleigh Farm Olympic venue. The venue’s regeneration ended up costing £6.8 million (compare that to £2 million for Bike Park Wales) and some of that money went on “grazing infrastructure”, which is the fanciest name for grass we’ve ever heard.

7. A bear

In this definitely real video, a 100 per cent genuine bear chases a bona-fide terrified mountain biker down a trail. Scary stuff.

If only he’d known how to bunny hop he could have easily escaped over that fallen tree though.

8. A dog

The urban downhill courses are crazy enough, but when you add in braying crowds, a suit and stray dogs the whole event gets even more mad.

In this video a dog has a very lucky escape as Filip Polc steamrolls down through Valparaiso in Chile.

9. An antelope

A classic vid. Showing technique that any rugby player would be proud of, this antelope hits like a heat-seeking missile.

The collision happened at Albert Falls Dam so remind us to never ride there in our lives, this sport is dangerous enough without flying cattle! The cyclist must be gutted though, it will definitely have ruined his Strava time.

Seen any other animal related conflicts? Let us know in the comments