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Bored Panda

Entertainment

Viktorija Strelciunaite

45 Terrifying Times Nature Stopped People In Their Tracks (New Pics)

Bored Panda (Person) Fish

Nature can be absolutely beautiful. But it can also be scary as hell. Earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods and fires cause mass destruction around the world. But Mother Nature is also home to a melting pot of creepy creatures and scenes.

For some, nature is literally panic-inducing. Arachnophobia: fear of spiders. Ophidiophobia: fear of snakes. Astraphobia: fear of lightning. Thalassophobia: fear of large bodies of water. Agrostophobia: fear of grass. Yes, it’s a real thing.

People have been sharing photos of nature that send shivers up the spine. Bored Panda has scoured the net to find the most terrifying images captured in the wild. Turn on the lights, keep scrolling, and don't look away. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and upvote the ones that give you goosebumps.

#1 Why Does This Tree Look Like It’s Sneaking Out Of The Woods?!

Image credits: thehappygardens

#2 Taken By Chris Holmes While Swordfishing Off The Coast Of Nova Scotia

Image credits: Infomercialtvstar

#3 My View Of The New Volcano Eruption In Iceland

Image credits: TheIntellekt_

The American Psychological Association defines biophobia as “the fear toward certain species and general aversion to nature that creates an urge to affiliate with technology and other human artifacts, interests, and constructions rather than with animals, landscapes, and other elements of the natural world”.

One study found that some of the most common biophobias are fear of spiders, germs (mysophobia), and parasites (parasitophobia). Researchers say biophobias are becoming more common, as the world's population becomes increasingly detached to nature.

#4 Tongue Mushroom Commonly Found On Oak And Chestnut Trees

Image credits: Majoodeh

#5 I Took A Picture Of A Green, Mossy Forest...and Captured A Creature Rising Up From The Ground

Image credits: TheCatAteMyGymsuit

#6 I Just Outran A Massive Dust Storm Over Phoenix In A Helicopter To Get This Photo

A massive dust storm (haboob) rolls across the Phoenix, Arizona area on 8/2/2018.

Image credits: ggfergu

The World Bank estimates that over half of the global population now lives in cities. It expects that figure to rise to nearly 70% by 2050. "People continue to exhibit strong phobic responses toward organisms that do not live in our immediate vicinity even if they pose no tangible threats," notes The Conversation, adding that it's a worrying trend. Biophobias can cause people to avoid nature altogether, despite the fact that it provides a range of physical and mental benefits.

#7 Mystical And Unreal Atmosphere At Beynac Castle Due To Lightning Storm

Image credits: Nicolas Escurat

#8 Found A Sea Snail That Looked Like It Had A Giant Eyeball

Image credits: Lostinwendysmaze

#9 This Dried Plant That Looks Like Tortured Souls

Image credits: concretemuskrat

The American Hiking Society has also reported an increased fear of nature among visitors of wildlife refuges around America. "Whether it’s because today’s visitors tend to live more indoor lives than past generations or watch too many TV survival shows, fears of nature are flourishing — in all ages," notes the AHS website.

#10 This Living Fossil Is 200 Million Years Older Than The Oldest Dinosaurs, Its Been On The Planet For Longer Than There Have Been Trees. A True Wonder Of The Natural World

Image credits: WhatWeOnlyFantasize

#11 My Friend Found This Nightmare Fuel While Beachcombing In Dorset

Image credits: CazzaMcSpazza

#12 Nope

Image credits: unfamiliar-ceiling

The Society interviewed several rangers to find out how they deal with visitors' fears of nature. Toni Westland is a supervisory refuge ranger at a Florida refuge, and believes that a little bit of fear is healthy, especially when it comes to wild animals.

“There should be a natural fear we have of them, and they of us; it’s a good thing to be fearful of a large predator like an alligator,” said the ranger. “We tell them we’re not going to have alligators jumping out of bushes. It’s safe. But it’s only safe because we respect wild animals and don’t feed them.”

#13 View Of The Iceland Volcano Eruption On 1/14 From My Flight

It happened right before we took off

Image credits: turdferguson913

#14 Meteor Falls On The Peak Of Mount Merapi ??, Kali Adem, Cangkringan, Yogyakarta (May 27, 2021, 23.07 Wib)

Image credits: Gunung Merapi

#15 The Terrifying Hiss Of A Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko

Image credits: amish_novelty

#16 What In The Hell?

Image credits: Fishermans Headquarters

#17 Scary When You See Clouds Like This

Image credits: tc_skychaser65

#18 Just Met This Moose That Was On A Evening Walk

Image credits: reindeerareawesome

#19 Part Of This Zucchini's Skin Didn't Form

Image credits: johnsmind

#20 Steady Processing All Photos From Our Stormchasing Trip Last Month

Image credits: WilfredJanssen_

#21 Longest Worm I Have Ever Seen

Image credits: meldiane81

#22 This Piece Of A Tree Branch Looks Like A Zombie Hand

Image credits: CharlesDingus_ah_um

#23 The Result Of A Battle Between A Snake And A Scorpion

Image credits: RoooiRu

#24 The Owl Watches

Image credits: RedditUserboi65

#25 Two Water Spouts On Lake Erie

Taken last year.

Image credits: reddit.com

#26 In Case You Ever Wondered What Triggerfish Teeth Look Like

Image credits: QuantumMrKrabs

#27 Some Red Bugs Made A Little Circle On My 2nd-Floor Window

Image credits: reddit.com

#28 A Deep-Sea Angler Fish, Called A Pacific Football Fish (Himantoliphus Sagamius) Was Found By Local Beachcombers Just South Of Cannon Beach, Oregon

Living in complete darkness, at 2,000 -3,300 feet, these fish are rarely seen. In fact, only 31 specimens have been recorded around the world. While a handful of football fish have been recorded in New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Hawaii, Ecuador, Chile, and California this is the first one reported on the Oregon Coast to our knowledge. Little is known about their life history but what is known is unusually fascinating. Like other angler fish, they use light that shines from a phosphorescent bulb on their forehead to attract prey. Food at the depths that these guys peruse can be very sparse, so football fish are not picky eaters. They eat anything that can fit into their mouths. Only females actively hunt as the males are actually more like parasites. Males being 10 times smaller than females, find a female to fuse themselves to. They lose their eyes and internal organs, getting all their nutrients from their female partners. In return, they provide females with a steady source of s***m. How the males find the females in the pitch dark is still unknown.

Image credits: seasideaquarium

#29 The Trees Are Watching

I was just going for a walk when these trees caught my eye. Or I caught theirs :o Don’t know what kind of trees they are, maybe I’ll post it in a tree sub. Looks pretty weird to me. I can see how it’s cut off branches, but the outline of the “eyes” is what made e stop and stare. Then I noticed how the other branches grow and the weirdness makes more sense. Still a real weird tree to me though.