10. Bear
Brown Bear
The 10th deadliest animal in the world is the resident wild bear. Found in North America, Russia, and the North Pole, the bear is a hulking mass of pure muscle and savage rage. Five to ten people die every year due to bear encounters. Statistically speaking, you are more likely to survive than die during such an encounter, but obviously that’s little consolation to those who find themselves within mauling range of this ferocious animal. If you find yourself in the company of a wild bear—by any twist of bad luck—try your best to stay calm and do not (repeat, DO NOT) turn your back on it. Instead take a few steps backwards, slowly, while throwing stones and sticks at the bear to try and scare it away.
9. Shark
The 9th deadliest animal in the world can be found in the deep dark waters of Florida, Hawaii, Australia and South Africa. Yes, I’m talking about sharks, and we’re only at No. 9 on the list. Out of 360 known species of sharks, only four are deemed killers: oceanic whitetip, great white, tiger, and bull sharks.
Gray Reef Shark
Sharks attack their victims the only way they can: lunging through the waters and crushing their victims using their powerful jaws. You can save yourself the trouble by preventing shark attacks from taking place. For starters, try to swim in groups; sharks tend to attack solitary swimmers. The colors orange and yellow also seem to irritate the bejeesus out of them. So don’t wear anything with those colors. And, last but not the least, stay of the water if you’re bleeding or nursing an open wound. Sharks can smell blood from a mile away. Scary.
8. Jellyfish
Flower Hat Jellyfish
The 8th deadliest animal in the world is the seemingly weak and spineless jellyfish. The jellyfish is one of the most placid marine creatures on Earth. They look docile, harmless, but wait until your arm brushes accidentally against the box jellyfish: you’ll experience a world of torture degree by painful degree, from an itchy nip to excruciating pain. The box jellyfish loves to hang out in the waters of Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Northern Australia. Responsible for an estimated 100 deaths every year, the jellyfish is truly, madly, deeply one of the most fearsome creatures in the world.
7. Hippopotamus
Pod of Hippos
The 7th deadliest animal in the world isn’t what you’d expect to find in a typical list of dangerous animals. The hippopotamus. Hippos love the swamps of Africa, but they are found in other tropical countries as well. At first glance, the hippo is a lazy and lumbering beast. At first glance, these animals look like couldn’t care less about you since they only eat plants anyway. But wait until you get chased by one. The scary thing is that these beasts can outrun humans even on land. Whatever you do, do not provoke a hippo into chasing you. Hippos are responsible for about 100-150 human deaths every year.
6. Elephant
African Elephant
Elephants are harmless, right? Wrong! The 6th deadliest animal in the world is the elephant. That’s right, the ones often seen carrying people in India and during circus shows. Elephants are unpredictable animals. They can be tame and friendly creatures, yes, but there are cases where some elephants are known to kill zookeepers who have been with them for as long as 15 years. Elephants are common in Africa and India. They make great rides and tourist attractions. You should never ever startle the animal. Elephants are more likely to charge if they feel intimidated or cornered. But if worse comes to worst, climb up the largest tree you can find.
5. Crocodile
Nile Crocodile
The 5th deadliest animal in the world is also rumored to be one of the oldest animals in the world. The crocodile, Steven Irwin’s favorite animal. This fearsome animal likes to hang around in the swamps of Africa and Australia, where they can lie and wait for the next unwary deer to become thirsty and come closer to the water surface to drink. When the crocodile is as close as it can get without being detected, it launches itself like a missile out of the water, teeth bared and aimed for the poor deer’s neck. Imagine the horrific experience of being dragged deeper into the murky water while a happy crocodile munches on your neck. Every year, around 600-800 human deaths are attributed to crocodile attacks. If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.
4. Big cats
The Selfish Tiger
The 4th deadliest animal in the world isn’t your average big house cat. I’m referring to the big cats of the wild: lions, tigers, cougars, jaguars, panthers and cheetahs. You do not want to find yourself in the company of one of these. If it can’t be helped, then pray—it’s the least you can do—that you don’t find yourself at all, because you’ll definitely experience a painful and bloody death anyway, so why bother? Big cats are responsible for at least 800 human deaths every year. They hang out in various parts of India, North America, and Africa.
3. Scorpion
Asian Forest Scorpion
The 3rd deadliest animal in the world is as deadly as it is ugly: the scorpion. Many species of scorpions aren’t fake scares; they’re poisonous, alright. It is the African spitting scorpion that has set the bar on just how deadly to humans a scorpion can be. Capable of pumping venom that can kill a human being in minutes, the African spitting scorpion captures its prey by spitting venom at it. Around 800-1,200 human deaths every year are attributed to this small but deadly animal.
2. Venomous snakes
Viper Snake
The 2nd deadliest animal in the world is an entire species of poisonous snakes. Of the 2,000 known species of snakes, only 450 are venomous, and of that only 250 are dangerous to human beings. But that doesn’t stop these nasty reptiles from climbing near the top of the list. Some 125,000 persons succumb to snake bites every year. Best bet: wear protective boots whenever you explore places that snakes usually inhabit.
1. Mosquito
Tada! The deadliest animal in the world is, yes, the humble mosquito. Mosquitoes kill an estimated 2 to 3 million human beings every year. They live worldwide, but are especially prevalent in North America, Asia, and Africa.
Female Mosquito
Using jagged mouth parts, the female mosquito pierces the skin of an unsuspecting person and injects a virus to liquidize the blood. Several days later, before you know it, the person is suffering from a very high fever as a result of any of the following diseases caused by mosquitoes: West Nile virus, dengue fever, elephantiasis, or malaria. Small but terrible indeed.
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