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You could understand if Nature Conservancy marine biologist Kydd Pollock was afraid to get back in the water. After all, he was bitten by a shark – three times. But the incident – which Pollock insists was due to his error – has made him even more passionate about protecting sharks and their underwater habitats.
In fact, many Conservancy staff members have had similar reactions after experiencing close encounters with nature. Read our stories about “almost dangerous” experiences – and then share your own!
The Conservancy’s Africa conservation coordinator got a startling wake-up call from an elephant. View video
This California-based employee had a harrowing river adventure as a teenager in Yosemite National Park. Read Kurt's story
Freelance photographer Nick Hall dodges hungry orcas and something unexpected from sea lions. View video
Find out how this donor relations manager fended off a pack of wild dogs in Botswana. Read Connie's story
A weekend hike ended in a face-to-face encounter with one of China's apex predators. View video
Erwin Orvando, a park guard at the Valdivian Coastal Reserve, conducting a routine bird monitoring survey on Colun Beach in Los Rios, Chile. Photo © Nick Hall
What kind of close encounter with nature have you had? Share your story with us
Whether scary or exciting, nature has a way of sneaking up on you. See stories
Hear some of nature's success stories and see how nature matters to us all. Watch videos