A peaceful hike turned into an encounter with dangerous animals.
By Jacob Vestervig
February 17, 2025
On a sunny day in Kutaisi, Georgia, we decided to go for a hike.
Looking at the map, we saw that we could walk to Sataplia National Park just north of the city, and if time allowed, we would also visit the limestone cave in the park.
Wearing hiking shoes and carrying a backpack with supplies, we set off through the northern part of the city, passing small and large villas, some abandoned, but most inhabited, featuring cozy gardens and quiet streets lined with lemon trees and barking dogs (most of them safely behind fences).
Beyond the houses, and a considerable amount of litter, the park began to take shape. The number of discarded plastic bottles decreased, and trails emerged, winding up the green hills through beautiful forests and open meadows.
Everything was peaceful and idyllic, with scenic viewpoints offering glimpses of the city below and the warm December sun adding the final touch to our sense of tranquility.
And then, the first one appeared.
A Horde of Animals
A black pig came grunting up the slope toward us. Seconds later, two brown ones followed, heading straight at us in a rather menacing way.
My wife ran toward a tree, froze, and started shouting unintelligible words into the air. I grabbed a long, hefty branch and kept the grunting beasts at bay by hitting the ground as I backed away.
Then we ran – straight into the path of three dogs guarding a small cluster of houses. They immediately positioned themselves as a defensive barrier.
In a panic, we quickly agreed that the dogs were the lesser evil compared to the aggressive pigs behind us. To avoid appearing threatening, I dropped the branch, and we slowly, as if everything was fine, approached the bloodthirsty dogs.
They backed off and let us pass—but not without barking the whole way.
The road came to an end, leaving us with a choice of left or right. The pigs were getting closer but were scared off by the dogs and instead ran toward a herd of cows. We chose left.
A hundred meters away, now breathing normally again, we realized we should have gone right. And that it was the only way to reach the rest of the park and the limestone caves.
So, we did it all over again—this time passing some rather angry-looking dairy cows that had wandered onto the road. Luckily, the pigs were gone, but the dogs barked even louder than before. But once again, they let us pass.
A trip to the countryside is not without its dangers when you have lived most your life in the city. Even if, deep down, you know the pigs were just ordinary farm animals thinking it was feeding time, and that the dogs—and even the cows—were completely harmless.
The View Was the Best Part
We finally reached the national park’s office, and just in time – an English-speaking guided tour was about to start, so we bought tickets.
First, we saw a bunch of incredibly boring dinosaur footprints, then descended into a small and somewhat underwhelming—but still beautiful—stalactite cave. Finally, we hiked up to a viewpoint with an absolutely stunning panoramic view of the area and Kutaisi.
Not everything on the tour was memorable, but the hike as a whole certainly was.
We made it back home safely in a Bolt and had definitely had our fill of wild animals for the day.
