.jpg)
When most people think of the deadliest animals, they imagine sharks and rampaging apes. But the creatures that actually kill the most people are not wild – they’re domestic.
Cows, for example, despite their slow appearance and docile nature, kill 20 people per year in the US. Even without horns, they can trample and headbutt with a force of several tons.
1. Bear Attack in Siberia
A camper was eviscerated by bears as his three friends looked on. The savage attack occurred in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region.
The hungry predator lunged at the isolated friends with its “big head dripping with saliva,” a survivor said.
Adult brown bears found in Siberia and far-east Russia can grow up to 590kg (1,300lbs) in size. The beasts often hunt livestock or search for food.
Of the 5,440 animal attacks recorded in the study, 65% proved fatal. Big cats like tigers and lions launched the most deadly attacks. But they rarely hunt people unless provoked, or when they were defending their cubs or food. In most cases, the animals were old/nuisance or sick and were attacking for prey. Other reasons included hunting, aggressive behavior and defense of territory. Dogs and other canid species also attacked humans. However, most attacks involving them were not fatal.
2. Polar Bear Attack in Norway
A polar bear mauled a 17-year-old British tourist to death and injured four others in Norway's Svalbard archipelago on August 5, 2011. Horatio Chapple, from the BSES Expeditions society, was attacked by the animal while camping on the Von Postbreen glacier on the island of Spitsbergen.
The youths had set up a tripwire around their tents that was meant to trigger a flare gun and scare off any polar bears. But it didn't work and the group was caught off guard.
Besides killing the young British tourist, the polar bear clawed a woman in her 40s in the arm before it was driven away with shots. The attack is a stark reminder of how climate change affects not just the environment but also human-animal interactions. Dwindling sea ice forces polar bears to look for food on land, where they often encounter humans.
3. Lion Attack in India
Gir National Park is considered a success story for the charismatic Asiatic Lions, but as their numbers grow they are increasingly venturing out into neighbouring villages where they are hunting livestock and, in some cases, people. This could be because they are being fed by tourists who disturb their natural hunting behaviour.
An 18-year-old migrant worker was killed by two Gir lions after they attacked him outside his home. The lions dragged the victim into a mango orchard as his family members begged them for help.
Experts say the number of lion attacks in India is rising because of the increasing size of human settlements and lack of space for the animals. They warn that if the lions are not caught and put into captivity, more humans will die in future. The video of the attack went viral and is still a chilling reminder of the dangers of interacting with wild animals.
4. Elephant Attack in India
The most extreme animal attack we've ever seen comes from a wild elephant in India. This enormous creature ferociously attacked a 70-year-old woman named Maya Murmu while she was drawing water from a tube well in Raipal village. The attack left her critically injured and she later died in a hospital. After she passed away, her family gathered for her funeral. That's when the elephant returned to trample her corpse.
While this incident was incredibly extreme, elephant attacks aren't uncommon in India. They often raid farms and villages in search of food, and one blow from an elephant can be deadly. As human populations continue to encroach on their habitats, interactions between humans and animals will only become more dangerous. It's estimated that around 500 people die from an elephant attack each year.
5. Hippopotamus Attack in India
Hippos are territorial creatures that can be aggressive when their territory is encroached. They will often attack and capsize boats, causing injury or death to humans. They can also raid farm crops.
Hippos have a mouth full of lethal chompers that can exert 2000 pounds per square inch of pressure (lions only apply half as much when biting). In addition, they can spit a toxic liquid that smells like blood.
Despite being herbivores, hippopotamuses are one of the most dangerous animals on the planet. They have been responsible for many deadly attacks over the years.
6. Bee Attack in India
While deadly attacks by large predators get a lot of attention, hornets, wasps, and bees kill about 60 people in the US each year. That’s more than the number killed each year by sharks, snakes, and even pet dogs.
In one such attack, a sarpanch was stung to death by bees while working in his farm field. Another man tried to save himself by jumping into an agricultural well, but he couldn’t swim and drowned.
While these attacks are devastating, they are thankfully rare. But the most extreme animal attacks in 2022 show that nature can be dangerous no matter where you are or what you do. Several of these individuals knew the risks when they went into the wild, but others were surprised by danger where they least expected it. Sadly, these men and women died doing what they loved most.
7. Giraffe Attack in India
Despite their long necks, giraffes are not immune to attacks. One of the most disturbing animal attacks was when a man was attacked by a four and a half-meter-long saltwater crocodile in Australia. The crocodile pulled him out of his boat and then dragged him under the water. His family members struggled to call for help, but eventually the man’s body floated to the surface.
The attack is a reminder that while we love to watch wildlife, they can be dangerous and unpredictable. In fact, a recent study found that attacks on people by large carnivorous animals are increasing worldwide as humans continue to expand into their habitats. To find out which states are the most prone to these kinds of attacks, we looked at public data on human-animal interactions that ended in fatalities. Here are the results:
8. Monkey Attack in India
While the viral 'pawri' memes may have elicited giggles and laughter, one video is causing some serious concern. It is alleged that a monkey has killed more than 250 puppies in a village called Lavool, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Monkey attacks are common in India, but most of the time, they don't result in any major injuries. The reason is because Indians are very hospitable to wild and stray animals. Monkeys, in particular, are revered as they're the incarnation of the god Hanuman.
However, monkeys are still a nuisance as they raid garbage bins and damage property. In a bid to control the menace, the government is taking various measures including shifting monkeys from central Delhi to wildlife sanctuaries. They are also experimenting with immune-contraception to curb their numbers. Nevertheless, culling monkeys is a controversial issue as Hindus consider them sacred.
9. Tiger Attack in India
India has more than 70 percent of the world’s tigers, but they are often at risk when they leave protected areas and enter farmlands. Brutal images of half-eaten bodies have terrified villagers, and many can’t afford to fence their fields.
When a man-eating tiger attacked two people and killed one in October, officials decided to kill it, despite objections from the public and wildlife experts. The chief wildlife warden ordered the hunt after determining that the animal had killed multiple people and was a threat to humans. Villagers surrounded the tiger in a forest clearing and began raining blows with sticks, spears, and machetes. A disturbing video reminiscent of a lynching was recorded. A team of forest rangers tried to calm the crowd, but were roughed up. The tiger was later shot. It had killed 18-year-old Chethan and his 75-year-old grandfather within hours of each other in the K Badaga village on the outskirts of a tiger reserve.
10. Wolf Attack in India
In the past two decades, wolves have killed 64 people in villages near military bases in India. This is more than any other country where wolf attacks on humans have occurred. This is because wolves in these areas are very close to high human populations, and they can be scavenging from garbage dumps or predating sheep and goats from hut compounds.
But despite this high incidence of wolf attacks on humans, these predators are not among the biggest threats to humans. In fact, the world's sharks kill six times as many people as wolves.
Although animal attacks often receive more attention in the media, humans should keep them into perspective. Hornets, wasps and bees are responsible for about 60 deaths each year, while pet dogs kill three dozen. Deadly attacks by large carnivores also occur, but are far less common.
