For laughs, funny note

I had just encouraged this booking request to read the listing–“Thank you for giving the detailed information. Would there be wild attacking animal ? Is it safe to stay outside at night? We would like staying outdoors at night to enjoy the remote and quiet atmosphere, but we do not have a gun. We understand it is hot and sunny in the area but suppose it always cools down in the morning and evening- the same at your hilltop place, right?”

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Sounds like an opportunity. Rent them a gun for an additional fee. :crazy_face:

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At least the guest is asking – naïve as they may be. We get folks visiting Florida who want to pet alligators and bears.

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Brilliant! Got to love hosting, it brings with it the chance to meet all sorts of wonderful people - guests always come up with ways to surprise - from their questions to their actions!

This guest is obviously taking health and safety very seriously, please fill us in on your reply…

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I started this thread so we could share a chuckle or 2 so add yours!
Our response to guest who is now booked:
" oh No you certainly will not need a gun. We have had many guests sleep in the outside bed with no fear. There is also a comfortable double bed you could occupy inside the vintage aluminum trailer. Although we have some wild animals like rabbits, squirrels and lizards, they are harmless. There are coyotes seen on opposite hillsides pretty far away roaming or yipping , they are very shy of humans.
We do have a/c in the trailer you may keep that on as much as you need to, there is a cooling evening breeze, it kicks up about 5:30. The nights are comfortable with a choice of quilt weights available. Its lovely in the morning hours!

Please confirm you still wish to stay, and I will accept your request shortly."

P/s The coyote use the road too…
We killed our annual rattlesnake property visitor last week… I know, sad. We have a neighbor; she would have come to remove it, but was at a wedding.

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When I am on the Gulf Coast I hope to not pet any alligators. If for no other reason than how godawful they smell. Just added to the long list of “Things I Do Not Miss About Coast Life”. :wink:

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I noticed Air’s rule about disclosing dangerous animals on the property and I decided that applies to us since I have personally seen a coral snake there, not to mention rattlers, scorps, wild hogs, coyotes, and birds of prey are all common sightings. I listed all those possibilities in the dangerous animals section.

I then studied my market and noticed I am the only one of maybe 2 listings with a dangerous animals disclosure.

I pondered that a while and revised my intro to that section: “Whether or not it is disclosed in the listing, area visitors should be aware that all local properties have the potential for [dangerous animal list].”

Guest gets snakebit or scorpion stung, or little Chloe the baby Chihuahua gets carried away by a Caracara, they can’t say they weren’t warned, I even tell them in the house manual many tips for being aware and avoiding undesirable wildlife. I don’t know why other hosts would lie to their guests by omission like this lol. Just a headache waiting to happen when it’s so easy to be honest.

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It’s all ( tarantulas, snakes, etc) disclosed on our listing.

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Okie dokie one more thing to do. I’m so grateful for this forum. I didn’t know such a thing exists.

In my listing, I mention not to swim in the waterway for many reasons including the occasional bull shark or alligator. As construction in my area has picked up, in the past year we’ve seen a coyote, a water moccasin, a rattlesnake, alligator snapping turtle, bald eagle, white tail deer, in addition to the usual critters in the development.

Btw Eastern coyotes are Coy-wolves - hybrid coyote & eastern wolf so 45lb pack animals - aggressive to small pets anytime & humans who get near their den.

You don’t think of a deer as a threat but if some fool tries to pet one, the females can attack with hooves, males have pointy antlers.

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From Air:

"Hosts should disclose the presence of wild animal in their House Rules. To update House Rules:

  1. Go to Your listings airbnb.com and select a listing
  2. Click Manage listing
  3. Next to House Rules , click Edit
  4. Under Details guests must know about your home , select that a dangerous animal is present"

Edited to add: When you do this, it shows up under “You must acknowledge” when the guest is booking, along with any amenity limitations, etc.

House rules state don’t interfere with the wildlife (but do enjoy the view!). If they get impaled with a Blackbuck antelope horn, they were warned. :slight_smile:

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Dangerous animals - that’s an interesting one. Guess it depends on what you consider dangerous. Most animals are a threat to you if you are a threat to them. I don’t recommend swatting red wasps or black widows for that reason. We live on acreage in the heart of the Hill Country, and I don’t consider any of our friends “dangerous” - from scorpions to fire ants to rattlers to feral hogs to rabid skunks to bucks in rut to coyotes and bobcats. Bees are dangerous if you are allergic to them. We have a caveat that closed toe shoes are recommended on the property, that we have wildlife, do not feed the animals, and keep pets on a leash. And never pick up something if you don’t know what is underneath it. If anything, experience is the greatest teacher, and what you get when you don’t get what you were expecting.

Agarita, do you disclose in the listing the presence of these critters?
I disclose in the verbage and in the “details” section again. Who’s to say whether we’ve lost revenue or not? Our listing is “glamping”. I ask them to contact me or the fire department if they see a rattler. Last night there was a tarantula! Ugh, DH let it wander, no- I’m sorry I would rather he swept it over the cliff…

How about “Although neither we or any of our guests have ever seen any dangerous creatures on our property, creatures such as [list] may live in the area.”
(To all you editors out there, is my grammar correct?)

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Oh no—something else I need to list

Whoops. I forgot the tarantulas. And the asps, yellow jackets, velvet ants (they pack a wallop), crazy ants, and foxes. Do turkeys count? They chased our small dog down the road. And there is a pack of feral chihuahuas that wander through from time to time. t’s a farm, in Texas, not in a city. We don’t disclose (since a disclosure would probably be longer than my listing), but we do carry an umbrella policy and have an epi pen on premises. And let our guests know that they are free to walk, but should be aware of where they are stepping. Heck, I even have a canyon towee that is aggressive.

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A guest once inquired if my cat carried rabies. I thought this guy was kidding, so I said “my cat might have rabies, I’d have to check”. The response was “Just to be safe, you should put your cat down, it’s dangerous for guests.” I’m 80% sure this guy was wasting my time for a laugh. Needless to say he was rejected.

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Doesn’t depend on what I or you consider dangerous; AirBnB has defined it at the link above:

What’s considered a dangerous animal

A dangerous animal is one that’s capable of causing serious harm to humans or other animals present in the listing. Both wild and domesticated species can be considered dangerous.

In wild animals (species not typically adapted to living in a human environment), characteristics that may represent a danger to humans and other pets include size, strength, and toxicity/venomousness. In any individual animal, traits that can become a danger to humans and other animals include aggressive behavior, a propensity for attacking, predatory behavior, and risk of transmitting disease. An otherwise docile animal can be considered dangerous if an injury is reported.

You’re suggesting I blatantly lie? :innocent:

We don’t have a moose problem here in Juneau, but in Anchorage the urban moose are a problem, especially cows with calves. They are more dangerous than bears. A momma bear will disable you if she thinks you threaten her cubs, but a moose cow with calves will stomp you to death. The worst situation is when they block your front yard and you can’t get to the car to leave.

image

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Bats! Oh great another one.

FYI—its the saliva that transmits Rabies. We are accustomed to thinking of being bitten. Coming into contact with the fur puts you at risk.