Crocodiles are opportunistic hunters and any animal that moves in their habitat is fair game. Around 1,000 people each year are fatally attacked by crocodiles, but because crocodiles hunt in generally poorer and more remote regions, each death receives far less media attention than other, less common animal attacks. Show
The world's deadliest animal isn't a shark or even a human. Drawing from a graphic from Bill Gates' blog, we decided to rank the world's deadliest animals. Most of the deaths caused by animals, it turns out, have less to do with the animals themselves than the diseases they unwittingly transmit.
Note that some numbers are harder to get an accurate read on than others, so these are for the most part rough estimates - sometimes very rough. And the list is representative of different kinds of deadly animals, but it's by no means comprehensive. Here are some of the animals responsible for the most human deaths. The scariest predators aren't as dangerous as you might expect - but don't underestimate the little guys. 15. Sharks: 6 deaths a year Shark attacks are pretty rare. In 2014, there were just three deaths globally related to shark attacks, and in 2015, there were six, which is about the average. 14. Wolves: 10 deaths a year Wolf attacks are not common in many parts of the world where wolves live. A review of wolf attacks found that very few happened in the 50 years leading up to 2002 in Europe and North America, though there were a few hundred reported over the course of two decades in some regions of India, averaging out to close to 10 per year. 13. Lions: 22+ deaths a year Estimates for lion-related deaths also vary year-to-year. A 2005 study found that since 1990, lions have killed 563 people in Tanzania alone, an average of about 22 a year. Additional deaths likely occur outside of Tanzania, but it's difficult to find a concrete global number. 12. Elephants: 500 deaths a year Elephants are also responsible for a number of deaths per year - a 2005 National Geographic article said that 500 people a year are killed in elephant attacks. Far more elephants have been killed by people. 11. Hippopotamuses: 500 deaths a year For a long time, hippos were considered the most deadly animal in Africa. Hippos are known for being aggressive toward humans, including tipping over boats. 9. Tapeworms: 700 deaths a year Moving to parasites, the tapeworm is responsible for an infection called cysticerosis that kills an estimated 700 people a year. 10. Crocodiles: 1,000 deaths a year Crocodiles are now considered the large animal responsible for the most human deaths in Africa, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, though concrete numbers are tricky to gather. 8. Ascaris roundworms: 4,500 deaths a year The Ascaris roundworm leads to an infection called aschariasis that kills an estimated 4,500 people a year, according to a 2013 study. The WHO notes that the infection takes place in people's small intestine, and it's a disease that affects more children than adults. 5. Tsetse flies: 10,000 deaths a year The tsetse fly transmits a disease called sleeping sickness, a parasitic infection that at first can lead to headaches, fever, joint pain, and itchiness, but later can lead to some serious neurological problems. The number of deaths has been decreasing. With about 10,000 new cases now reported each year, the estimated number of annual deaths is likely on the decline as well. 6. Assassin bugs: 12,000 deaths a year The assassin bug, also called the kissing bug, is responsible for carrying Chagas disease, which kills about 12,000 people a year on average. Chagas disease is a parasitic infection passed by the bug, which got its nickname by biting people on the face. 7. Freshwater snails: 20,000+ deaths a year The freshwater snail carries parasitic worms that infect people with a disease called schistosomiasis that can cause intense abdominal pain and blood in the stool or urine, depending on the area that's affected. Millions of people contract the infection, and the WHO estimates that anywhere between 20,000 and 200,000 deaths can be attributed to schistosomiasis. 4. Dogs: 35,000 deaths a year Dogs - specifically dogs infected by the rabies virus - are one of the deadliest animals out there, though the virus can be prevented using vaccines. About 35,000 deaths can be attributed to rabies, and of those cases, 99 percent are caused by dogs, according to WHO. 3. Snakes: 100,000 deaths a year Snake bites kill more than 100,000 people a year as of 2015. Worse still, there's a troubling shortage of an essential antivenom. 2. Humans: 437,000 deaths a year According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, there were about 437,000 homicides in 2012, making humans the second most deadly animal (and the deadliest mammal) to humans. We are not quite our own worst enemy - but we're pretty close. 1. Mosquitoes: 750,000 deaths a year Mosquitoes - the pesky bugs that suck blood and transmit viruses from person to person - are responsible for the most animal-related deaths. Malaria by itself is responsible for more than half of mosquito-related deaths, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, though it's on the decline: The incidence of malaria fell by 37 percent between 2000 and 2015, according to the World Health Organisation. Dengue fever, another mosquito-borne disease, has become a leading cause of hospitalisation and death among children in some Asian and Latin-American countries. This article was originally published by Business Insider. More from Business Insider:
Think you might know what the 10 deadliest animals might be? Our expert guide rounds up the animals causing the most number of human deaths per year – and some of them might just surprise you.
Published: June 25, 2022 at 6:15 am When you think of deadly and dangerous animals, what springs to mind? It is likely big, carnivorous, apex predators, such as lions, wolves, or sharks. What you will learn from this list however is that size and strength can be deceiving. Sharks, although often unjustly perceived as very deadly, do not even make this list, being responsible for only six human deaths a year on average. Lions? Only 22! Rather, the deadliest animals are often the smallest, and cause death not through strength, but through disease and toxins. Read on to find out more. Before we get to small and deadly, let’s start with the biggest. When you think of deadly African wildlife, you might perhaps assume lions took the top spot. In actual fact, hippos kill many more people every year. Causing an estimated 500 deaths annually (as compared to only 22 for lions), hippos are deadly land mammals. This is because they are very aggressive and territorial, and have a habit of charging at boats and capsizing them. The people on board then either drown or are killed by the animals themselves. Weighing an average of 1,500 kg (males), with large sharp teeth, it’s certainly an animal you wouldn’t want to face up against. We may perhaps think of elephants as gentle, thoughtful creatures, but they can also be deadly. This is in part due to their sheer size and weight, as the largest living land animals. Because of habitat loss and encroaching farmlands into elephant home areas, they are coming into contact with humans more and more frequently, and this has led to conflict. Groups of elephants have been known to raid farms and villages, and will gore or trample any humans that get in the way. One blow from an elephant is enough to kill, and around 500 deaths a year are caused in this way.
Another deadly water-dweller you would want to avoid is the saltwater crocodile. Crocodiles as a group are quite deadly, killing around a 1,000 people a year, but they do not generally set out to hunt humans and kills are opportunistic. The saltwater crocodile however is one of the most likely to see humans as prey. It is also fierce, fast, and intimidating, being the largest living reptile and crocodilian known. Males can grow to a length of 6 metres and weigh 1,300 kg. When pursuing prey through the water they can also reach speeds of 18mph. All this together means that if a saltwater crocodile has chosen you as his prey, survival is unlikely.
The deadly agent here is a parasite. That is, an animal that lives on or in another (a host) and causes it harm. The roundworm here is the parasite, rather than just the vector, like mosquitos. Ascaris roundworms are transmitted when a person accidentally ingests their eggs, which is unfortunately usually when food or drink is contaminated by human faeces. The worms take residence in the small intestine and use the human body to stay alive, feed and reproduce. The resulting disease is called Ascariasis, is characterised by fever, abdominal pain and swelling, and shortness of breath, and kills around 2,500 people every year. 5. Scorpions (Scorpiones order)2,600 deaths per year
Some of the most deadly animals are those that deliver venom. Unlike poisonous animals, who secrete toxins, venomous animals directly deliver it using specialised body parts, through a bite or, in this case, a stinger. Scorpions produce venom for the same reason that many species do, not to kill humans, but to subdue or kill their prey. However, the venom of 25 species of scorpion can be deadly to humans if you are unlucky enough to get in one’s way. Stings often happen when scorpions are accidentally stepped on with bare feet, or when they are hiding in people’s shoes. They use it as a defence mechanism against getting crushed, rather than as an attack. Around 2,600 deaths a year are caused by scorpion stings. The most lethal in the world is considered to be the Indian redscorpion (Hottentotta tamulus).
Another insect that spreads disease and death through its bite is the aptly-named assassin bug. Some species of this Central and South American ‘true bug’ are responsible for spreading Chagas disease, another tropical parasitic disease that kills approximately 10,000 people per year globally. The species that do this are also often called ‘kissing bugs’, as they tend to bite people’s faces as they sleep. Charming. 7. Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus)138,000 deaths per year
The venomous saw-scaled viper holds the record as the most deadly snake in terms of mortality. Snakes overall are high up on the list of deadly creatures as snake bites are responsible for as many as 138,000 deaths annually. The saw-scaled viper is a particularly aggressive species, making it more deadly than the snake that is actually the most highly toxic but also shy, the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus). Its aggressive nature, paired with its potent venom and presence in highly populated areas, make the saw-scaled viper a snake to fear.
This one may surprise you. More than 200,000 deaths a year can be attributed to freshwater snails. This is because they are hosts to deadly parasites, in particular parasitic flatworms known as flukes. There are as many as 24,000 species of flukes, and most of them are parasites of vertebrates (like us) and molluscs (like snails). A particularly nasty one that is transmitted by freshwater snails is called Schistosoma. The flukes live and develop within the snail then are released into the water. Humans get infected from the contaminated freshwater as the flukes penetrate the skin. This is responsible for a deadly human disease called schistosomiasis, also known as ‘snail fever’. After malaria this is considered to be the second most “socioeconomically devastating” parasitic disease, and causes as many as 200,000 deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000.
It’s a cliche, but (aside from mosquitos) the most deadly animal is ourselves! Homicides account for an estimated 431,000 human deaths a year, making us by far the deadliest mammals. Our capacity for advanced tool use above and beyond that of all other animals has in some ways been our downfall, leading as it has to complex weapons that we use to kill each other. And this is not to mention the destructive impact our activities have had on the natural world, resulting in climate change, which is already estimated to cause over 150,000 deaths annually. Climate change affects human health and safety in many ways, affecting the cleanliness of our water and air, our food security, and the frequency of natural disasters. It can also increase the frequency of diseases, including ones mentioned in this list, such as malaria. The WHO estimates that between 2030 and 2050 climate change will cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year due to malnutrition and disease.
The ultimate example of a very small animal with a very big impact. In terms of the number of humans killed every year, mosquitos by far hold the record, being responsible for between 725,000 and 1,000,000 deaths annually. That is not to say these tiny insects set out to kill, however. Rather than killing directly, mosquitos are instead very frequent ‘disease vectors’. This means that in the course of their feeding, on human and animal blood, they incidentally transmit infectious pathogens, carrying bacteria, viruses, and parasites from person to person. The mosquito-borne disease with the highest number of fatalities is malaria, a parasitic infection that is spread by female Anopheles mosquitoes. This disease is so widespread and lethal that it has had a massive impact on human history and even our evolution. Main image: Hippopotamus opening jaws in threat display in Kwando River, Namibia. © Paul Souders/Getty |