“Maintain eye contact and walk away steadily,” What to do when you encounter a lion -ranger's advice

Encountering a wild animal is undoubtedly one of the scariest situations for a person. Human instincts will most likely lead one into flight, but a trained Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) ranger strongly advises against this. Her recommendation is for one to maintain eye contact with the animal and walk away slowly. She says that a steady eye contact and calm demeanor drives fear in an animal of prey. In case of an elephant or a buffalo, she advises to keep your distance. Herbivores that live in herds are usually calm and comfortable within the group. She says that a breakaway from the herd is usually the aggressive one and your only defence is to keep distance.