The 15 most dangerous animals in the world

It turns out that the most dangerous and deadly animal in the world is not a man at all, or even a shark.

In fact, most animal deaths most often have little to do with themselves. Rather, with the diseases they carry.

Of course, the quantitative estimates presented below can sometimes differ significantly from the real state of affairs, but the exact statistics of human deaths caused by animals are not yet available to anyone.

(15 photos in total)

Source: Business Insider

Sharks — 6 deaths per year

Attacks on humans are quite rare. In 2014, only three deaths were recorded, and in 2015 - six.

Wolves — 10 deaths per year

Wolf attacks on humans are quite rare in the parts of the world where they live. Studies have shown that only a few deaths have occurred in Europe and North America over the past 50 years. However, in some regions of India, wolves killed an average of up to 10 people a year.

Lions — 22 deaths or more per year

This indicator changes from year to year. A 2005 study found that since 1990, 563 people have been killed by lions in Tanzania, an average of 22 deaths per year. Of course, the death of people from lion attacks also occurs outside Tanzania, but this number is not known for sure.

Elephants — 500 deaths per year

Elephants are also responsible for the annual loss of life — a 2005 National Geographic article said that 500 people per year die as a result of elephant attacks. At the same time, many more elephants were killed by humans.

Hippos — 500 deaths per year

For a long time, hippos were considered the most deadly animals in Africa. They are known for their aggressiveness towards people and constantly capsize boats.

Tapeworms, or tapeworms, — 700 deaths per year

About 700 people die annually from cysticercosis, which is infected from this parasite.

Crocodiles — 1000 deaths per year

Currently, crocodiles are considered to be the large animal that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is responsible for the largest number of human deaths in Africa, although specific figures are not exactly known.

Ascaris — 4,500 deaths per year

According to a 2013 study, ascarids cause a disease called ascoriasis, which kills approximately 4,500 people annually. WHO notes that infection occurs in the small intestine of people and this disease affects children more than adults.

Tsetse flies — 10 thousand deaths per year

Tsetse fly is a carrier of sleeping sickness — a parasitic infection that first causes a headache, fever, joint pain and itching, and later serious neurological problems can begin. The number of deaths is decreasing every year. Now there are about 10 thousand deaths a year.

Raptors — 12 thousand deaths

Carnivores, also called "kissing bugs", are carriers of Chagas disease, which kills about 12 thousand people a year on average. The pathogen enters the skin wound through the insect's feces.

Freshwater snails — 20 thousand deaths per year

The freshwater snail is a carrier of parasitic worms that infect people with schistosomiasis. The disease causes severe abdominal pain and blood in the stool or urine. Millions of people are infected with this disease, and, according to WHO estimates, from 20 to 200 thousand people die from schistosomiasis every year.

Dogs — 35 thousand deaths per year

Dogs infected with the rabies virus are one of the deadliest animals in the world, although this virus can be prevented with vaccines. About 35 thousand deaths per year can be attributed to rabies and the cause of 99% of these cases, according to WHO, are dogs.

Snakes — 100 thousand deaths per year

As of 2015, more than 100 thousand people die from a snake bite. Moreover, there is a shortage of antidote in the world.

People — 437 thousand deaths per year

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, in 2012, about 437 thousand cases of homicide were registered in the world, which makes humans the second deadliest animal for humans. We are not yet the most terrible enemy to ourselves, but we are very close to it.

Mosquitoes — 750 thousand deaths per year

On the conscience of annoying and annoying insects that drink our blood and thereby transmit viruses from person to person, the largest number of animal-related deaths. Malaria alone kills 350,000 people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, although this disease is on the decline. Dengue fever, another mosquito—borne disease, has become the main cause of hospitalization and death of many children in some countries of Asia and Latin America.