{"id":42138,"date":"2024-09-27T14:55:06","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T12:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9548f06a-a530-431c-9ee8-bab90634ed15"},"modified":"2024-09-27T15:27:40","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T13:27:40","slug":"10-deadliest-animals-to-humans-discover-the-worlds-most-lethal-creatures","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/10-deadliest-animals-to-humans-discover-the-worlds-most-lethal-creatures\/","title":{"rendered":"10 deadliest animals to humans – discover the world’s most lethal creatures"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 \u2013\u00a0and some of them might just surprise you. <\/p>

By Leoma Williams\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 27 September 2024 at 12:55 PM<\/p>

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When you think of deadly and dangerous animals, what springs to mind? It is likely big, carnivorous, apex predators<\/a>, such as lions, wolves<\/a>, or sharks<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>

What you will learn from this list of deadliest animals however is that size and strength can be deceiving. Sharks<\/a>, 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<\/a>? Only 22!<\/p>

Rather, the deadliest animals are often the smallest, and cause death not through strength, but through disease and toxins. Read on to find 10 animals deadly to humans.<\/p>

10 examples of animals that are deadly to humans<\/h2>

1. Hippopotamus<\/a> (Hippopotamus amphibius<\/em>)<\/h3>

500 deaths per year<\/h4>

Before we get to small and deadly, let’s start with the biggest. When you think of deadly African wildlife<\/a>, you might perhaps assume lions took the top spot. In actual fact, hippos kill many more people every year.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

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\u2019s certainly an animal you wouldn\u2019t want to face up against.<\/p>

2. Elephants<\/a> (Elephantidae<\/em> family)<\/h3>

500 deaths per year<\/h4>
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African elephant on the move. \u00a9 Manoj Shah\/Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

3. Saltwater crocodile<\/a> (Crocodylus porosus<\/em>)<\/h3>

1,000 deaths per year<\/h4>
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Saltwater crocodile, Sundarbans, India. \u00a9 ePhotocorp\/Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Another deadly water-dweller you would want to avoid is the saltwater crocodile. Crocodiles<\/a> 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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

We named the saltie as one of the deadliest sea creatures in the world<\/a><\/p>

4. Ascaris roundworms (Ascaris<\/em> genus)<\/h3>

2,500 deaths per year<\/h4>
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Ascariasis is a disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. \u00a9 Sinhyu\/Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The deadly agent here is a parasite<\/a>. That is, an animal that lives on or in another (a host) and causes it harm.<\/p>

The roundworm here is the parasite, rather than just the vector, like mosquitos. Ascaris<\/em> roundworms are transmitted when a person accidentally ingests their eggs, which is unfortunately usually when food or drink is contaminated by human faeces.<\/p>