What animals kill the most humans every year? Nature is beautiful, but has a degree of savagery behind its wonders. As such, it only seems fitting that the animal kingdom leads to fatalities for hapless bystanders every year.
Lions
- Fatalities per Year: 200
Starting our list of animals that kill the most humans each year are lions. For most of our readers, there isn’t worry concerning lions. They reside on a single continent on the entire planet. Make no mistake, however, they are quite fearsome when they want to be.
Hippos
- Fatalities per Year: 500
I can see you doing a double-take when considering the hippo as a killer animal. However, there is no denying that hippos are among the top-ranking animals that kill the most people every year. Hippos have a bite force nearly three times that of the aforementioned lion, making for a nasty surprise when considering these territorial herbivores.
Elephants
- Fatalities per Year: 600
The largest animal that lives on land is also one of the deadliest. Elephants account for nearly 600 fatalities a year, making for more animals that kill the most humans annually. Elephants are true behemoths in every sense of the word, with African elephants weighing up to 8 tons when fully grown.
Crocodiles
- Fatalities per Year: 1,000
The Nile crocodile has a bite force of over 5,000 pounds per square inch, the highest of any animal alive. This makes for one of the deadliest animals you’ll find and one that seems to kill the most humans through sheer violence yearly. Crocodiles are aggressive and territorial, never hesitating to defend their area when needed.
Scorpions
- Fatalities per Year: 3,300
Scorpions rack up around 3,300 fatalities a year, making them the most deadly arachnids in the world. The most dangerous of these is the aptly named deathstalker scorpion, which is highly venomous and can be found in the deserts of Northern Africa and the Middle East. A single bite from one of these scorpions can cause death or lifelong health issues.
Assassin Bugs
- Fatalities per Year: 10,000
These insects might not seem like much on the surface, but they bear Chagas disease. Found primarily in Central and South America, Chagas disease is a death sentence for anyone who contracts it. As such, it makes these seemingly harmless insects kill the most humans in a year compared to others, accounting for 10,000 deaths every year.
Dogs
- Fatalities per Year: 59,000
A man’s best friend can also seem like his worst enemy. The high numbers associated with dogs don’t come from attacks or mauling as you might think at first glance. Instead, what makes these animals so deadly is their ability to transmit rabies to people through a simple bite. It is effective, accounting for nearly 60,000 deaths a year.
Snakes
- Fatalities per Year: 138,000
Snakes come in all shapes and sizes, but they are the deadliest reptiles in the world. As far as where they rank when it comes to killing the most humans in a year, they are in the top 3 easily, with venomous bites contributing to most fatalities.
Humans
- Fatalities per Year: 400,000
When it comes to the mammal that kills the most humans every year, it’s other people. The 400,000 figure cited above only accounts for homicides, it isn’t taking into consideration factors like accidents and negligence.
Mosquitoes
- Fatalities per Year: 725,000
You love to hate them, but mosquitoes are the undisputed top slot when it comes to killing people. The tiny pests account for nearly a million deaths every year, thanks in part to transmitting diseases like malaria. If you’re looking to avoid them, a mosquito net and some reputable bug spray is recommended.
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