The Deadliest Animals
10/10/2016
Of all the animals that humans have been in fear of running into a face-to-face confrontation, it is without a doubt, those creatures that come equipped with sharp teeth, long claws, and flexing coils. But after about 4.5 billion years of being on our guard from attack from such beasts, surprisingly, it’s the smallest of living things that are often the most lethal.
So what are the odds you’ll meet your match against a wild beast? According to current research, that depends entirely on where you are. The estimated number of yearly deaths varies dramatically from continent to continent, country to country, and even state to state. It can happen anywhere, at any time. However, more often than not, the culprit is not a lion, tiger, or bear.
When 19th-century European explorers ventured south into the vast, mysterious terrain of Africa and romantically dubbed it “the Dark Continent,” it is safe to say they had no comprehension of just how deadly it actually was. Stacked up against the rest of the world, Africa leads the way in deaths by animals. Based on estimated number of yearly animal-related deaths and the population, the chances of dying by animal are by far the highest in Africa, with 1 out of every 2,221 people meeting their fate at the horn, jaw, or stinger of a deadly creature, the smallest of which pack the most punch.
Mosquitos, which transmit malaria, are the most dangerous creatures on the planet, and Africa is home to 91 percent death by mosquito (based on the most recent statistics where such information has been gathered): 438,000 malaria deaths. In addition, many Africans fall victim to the sometimes-fatal tsetse fly, which carries African sleeping sickness. Puff adders, ocellated carpet vipers, and deathstalker scorpions are far more deadly than the infamous – albeit herbivorous – hippopotami, which are widely regarded as one of the most aggressive, dangerous animals on the continent (as are elephants, though they paled in comparison to cobras in Asia).
Rhinoceroses, with their terrible eyesight, allows them to be startled easily. Yet they fall low on the list of deadly animals, as do cheetahs, gorillas, and spotted hyenas. The odds of being killed by one of them are even less than the odds of dying by the No. 1 killer in the United States: deer!
Responsible for an estimated 120 fatalities in the United States every year, deer represent the greatest risk to Americans in animal-related deaths. But deer-related fatalities most often stem from accidents, not vicious attacks. Due to rapid urban development, the deer’s natural habitat is shrinking, causing them to share more space with humans, where they often wander into oncoming traffic and cause car crashes. Deer-related crashes are a growing problem across the country that has led to sterilization programs and culling in the Northeast, even in the star-studded Hamptons.
According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the truth is, not very many people are killed by animals in America. In fact, the organization suppresses the data in some states – such as Maine, Nevada, and Hawaii – where the number of deaths are so low that publishing the statistics would allow people to possibly determine and identify the specific individuals involved. Excluding these states, the states with the lowest odds of dying by an animal encounter are on the East Coast, with Massachusetts’s ratio of 1 to 8 million topping the list.
On the other end of the spectrum, Montana is the most dangerous state when it comes to deadly animal attacks: 1 in 674,600 Montanans will meet their death by animal. After all, the Northwest is home to the Rocky Mountains and its population of bears, cougars, spiders, rattlesnakes, and – you guessed it – deer. Be careful not to approach them or any other hooved creatures. Bison, for example, may look friendly and cuddly, but you risk being gored if you approach a 2,000-pound, territorial adult with a young calf nearby.
When it comes to man versus beast, what animal is most likely to cause harm? Research shows that it is mammals such as horses, cows, and deer – followed closely by stinging insects, such as hornets, wasps, and bees. It was an experiment gone wrong that created the genetically mixed “killer bee,” a cross between European and African honeybees that has spread throughout the Americas. Killer bees are experts at swarming and have been known to chase their prey for miles.
Man’s best friend comes in third – which is not all that surprising, considering canines are essentially domesticated wolves.
Quite a few states fall outside the national average in certain animal-related deaths. While Texas is scorpion country and a place where we might expect to see high mortality rates, venomous arthropods are also top killers in North Carolina.
Surprisingly, your chance of being crushed or bitten by reptiles is highest in Missouri and Illinois. And you should worry as much about venomous snakes and lizards in Georgia as you should in California. Dog bites are more common in the Northeast but are also prevalent in Alabama and Arizona.
Notably absent from the map are fish, including sharks – arguably one of the most feared creatures in the sea – notoriously clearing beaches after a sighting of one offshore or a screening of “Jaws” too close to bikini season. In reality, less than one person per year is killed by a shark in the United States.
Fear is a normal reaction to these deadly creatures – and a decidedly human one too. Fear is what keeps us alert, distant, and hopefully safe from danger of all kinds.
But if life-threatening situations arise, it is important to consider that these animals are simply acting how nature intended – to protect, to hunt, and to survive. For that, they deserve respect and admiration, never vilification. Chances are the animals you fear the most are the least likely to hurt you. They have no reason to bite us unless they’re threatened as we pose a greater threat to them than they do to us.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work
Thomas A. Edison