Sunderland's scariest animal encounters, including coyotes, a cobra and lions

Cobras, cows, coyotes and lions. They have all created memories for Sunderland people.

They’re the creatures which have featured in the scariest encounters that Wearside people have had with animals.

Face to face with a king cobra

Members of our Wearside Echoes Facebook page shared their thoughts and there were loads of them.

Have a look at this line-up of scary encounters which you shared on the Sunderland Echo specialist nostalgia page.

Mandy Ochoa was working on a historic estate and ‘spent many nights patrolling while a family of coyotes took up residence’.

Mike Taylor was confronted by a king cobra in a car park in Hyderabad in India.

Adjusting the brakes when a pride of lions turned up

John Travers was chased by a wild boar when he was on his way back to barracks in Germany.

Margaret Crosby told us: “I was walking in Ardnamurchan, Scotland and was chased out of a field by a highland cow with big horns.”

Thanks also to Marilyn Ing who had an encounter with a moose.

And to Gilly Bridges who was swimming with nurse sharks when ‘someone thought it would be funny to grab my foot’.

But pride of place has to go to Paul Kerry Middlemist who said: “I was working on a crane in the Kruger National Park when a pride of lions crossed the site.

“I was adjusting the road brakes under the crane. I saw one of the lions approach the crane.

“I scrambled onto the rear axles with my trusty 4lb hammer in my hand. The lion sniffed around the crane then left.”

Join our growing band of members

Thanks to everyone who responded to our survey on the Wearside Echoes page which is dedicated to nostalgia from the Sunderland and East Durham areas.

If you have not joined already, why not become a member by joining here.