Many people have fears of sharks when they go to the ocean and of bears in the mountains, but are those the most dangerous animals Americans have to worry about? While it’s certainly never a good thing to be attacked by one of them, many other animals attack and kill far more people each year than they do.
You might be surprised that some of them are among the most common and the most familiar.
Humans
Let’s just say this at the very beginning. Humans kill humans more than any other living creature does. Every year, the number of people killed by other people, accidentally and intentionally, far exceeds the deaths caused by everything else on this list combined.
Bees, Hornets, and Wasps
About 60 people per year die from stings by flying insects. In the vast majority of cases, this is due to allergic reactions, not because of a swarm stinging someone so many times that death results.
Spiders
All spiders are venomous, but only three U.S. species are venomous enough to pose a real risk to healthy, non-allergic people. Of those, black widow and brown recluse spiders can pose a mortal threat if the bite victim fails to receive proper medical attention promptly.
Children and the elderly are the most at risk, though deaths are still exceedingly rare statistically.
Scorpions
Like spiders, all scorpions have venom, but most species in the U.S. are not a serious threat to most people. The typical scorpion sting resembles a wasp sting in intensity and duration– not exactly nice, but not deadly.
A notable exception is the Arizona bark scorpion, which is the most venomous scorpion in North America. Deaths in the U.S. are rare, but they have killed thousands in Mexico.
Venomous Snakes
Despite what you may think, venomous snakes do not cause a lot of deaths in America. About 7,000-8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, but only about 5 die on average. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to pick up the next rattlesnake you see!
Alligators
As alligator numbers have recovered and humans have encroached further into their habitat, attacks on humans have risen, but they’re still very rare. Over the last 10 years, there have been only 8 fatal attacks per year on average.
Sharks
Being attacked by a shark is no joke, but fortunately, it’s extremely rare in U.S. waters. On average, there are about 16 attacks a year, with a fatality occurring only once every two years.
Mountain Lions
Mountain lions are nocturnal and elusive, and they prefer remote, rugged terrain, but there have been attacks on hikers and joggers. As with attacks by other wild animals, they’re exceedingly rare, but a mountain lion’s teeth and claws make it especially dangerous. Always fight back if attacked.
Coyotes and Wolves
People have feared and vilified wolves for centuries, but the reality is that in the U.S., healthy wolves rarely attack people. Coyotes, on the other hand, attack people more frequently, and California, in particular, has seen a lot of them.
Bears
The U.S. had three species of bears– black, grizzly, and polar. All bears are dangerous and unpredictable, but the polar bear, a pure carnivore, is the largest and most dangerous of them. Statistically, attacks are rare, but those attacks are frequently deadly.
Moose
Many knowledgeable locals will tell you that the most dangerous animal in the mountains is not a bear but a moose, especially a mother around her young or a male (bull) during the fall rutting season. Moose are larger than bears, and they are not tame.
Bison
It happens every year in Yellowstone or some other public parkland where there are bison: someone in pursuit of the perfect picture gets too close to a bison and ends up trampled or gored. These animals are large, powerful, unpredictable, and dangerous. Remember that they are prey animals; as such, they are attuned to perceived threats and ready to defend themselves.
Deer
Deer rarely attack people, though you certainly don’t want to be charged by an aggressive buck. However, many people die each year from auto collisions with deer. After humans and stinging insects, deer collisions top the number of animal-related human deaths each year.
Farm Animals
Except for humans and stinging insects, no animals kill more people each year than farm animals do. The leading culprits are cows, bulls, and horses, with deaths resulting from being thrown, kicked, gored, and trampled.
Dogs
Sometimes, a man’s best friend is not all that friendly. When it comes to animal attacks and deaths resulting from them, dogs lead the numbers among non-insect and non-human species. Small children are especially vulnerable to maulings and bites.
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