The dangers of hunting Pokémon in the Australian Outback

As Android Authority’s resident Australian (and one-time resident of the Northern Territory), this story was always going to be mine. The Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services have issued a warning to all would-be Pokémon trainers to stay safe while going about their Pokémon-hunting activities. The Australian Outback is a dangerous place after all.

But the warning is not quite of the type you’re probably expecting from a country with its fair share of the most dangerous animals on earth. (How’s this for a funny cross-section of our “list”: red-bellied black snake, tiger shark, tiger snake, great white shark, yellow-bellied sea snake…). No, the warning that appeared on the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services Facebook page was a little more…pedestrian.

Warning Pokémon hunters that there is no actual need to walk into the police station sounds like a little bit of self preservation on the police’s sake as well as a polite way to avoid police brutality on an unwitting citizen. A rehash of your mother’s childhood road safety warning serves to complete the warning, which is handy considering how many accidents are caused by cell phones these days.

Pokémon GO – the first Pokémon game to appear on mobile, launched yesterday in Google Play and the iOS App Store. One thing the NT Police forgot to remind Pokémon trainers of though, are the very real dangers basically everywhere you go in Australia. So while Sandshrews may not be anything to worry about, you certainly have to keep your eyes open when you’re tracking Pokémon Down Under.

Are you playing Pokémon GO? If you’ve been to Australia, share your freaky animal stories in the comments below.