One example of a solution provided here comprises: identifying a location of one or more animals that are on a path to collide with a vehicle or device; directing millimeter-wave electromagnetic energy toward the location; and administering an effective amount of the electromagnetic energy to repel the animals. Another example comprises: identifying a location of one or more animals that are in a vehicle's path; directing millimeter-wave electromagnetic energy toward the location; and administering an effective amount of the electromagnetic energy to repel the animal, thereby avoiding a collision between the animal and the vehicle. The vehicle could be an aircraft, for example, or another kind of vehicle. Examples in the aviation context involve moving birds or mammals away from runways and taxiways, or otherwise repelling birds that are in the path of an aircraft.