Which Animal Do You Think Poses The Greatest Threat To People?

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If you ask someone which critter is the most deadly to humans they’re likely to say sharks.   Sharks are often considered one of humans’ deadliest predators, partly because shark attacks like those this week in North Carolina and Florida are so well-publicized.

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As Christopher Ingraham at the Washington Post  points out, it’s all just a bunch of baloney. Data on animal-caused deaths in the US from 2001 to 2013 show a shark attack should be at the bottom of your list of concerns. The deadliest creatures, based on human deaths per year:

  1. Bees, hornets, wasps: 58
  2. Mammals like horses, pigs, and deer: 52
  3. Dogs: 28
  4. Cows: 20
  5. Ants and other bugs: 9
  6. Spiders: 7
  7. Poisonous snakes and lizards: 6
  8. Sharks, alligators, and bears tie with 1 each

Considering that 33,000 people die in car accidents each year, Ingraham notes, you’re probably safe to dip your toes in the ocean.

Did you know that the Chinese are responsible for killing 90% of the world’s sharks?

About Post Author

Professor Mike

Professor Mike is a left-leaning, dog loving, political junkie. He has written dozens of articles for Substack, Medium, Simily, and Tribel. Professor Mike has been published at Smerconish.com, among others. He is a strong proponent of the environment, and a passionate protector of animals. In addition he is a fierce anti-Trumper. Take a moment and share his work.
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jess
8 years ago

People win hands down in the killing department. We kill more of each other than the animals can ever hope to kill and they only do it for food to survive. There hasn’t been a whole lot of cannibalism after killing for human food when it’s me against you humans in the mix. I’m sticking with humans are killing more of everything as my final answer Regis.

Glenn Geist
8 years ago

That’s got to be a very low estimate. the world is, as usual, at war. At my age, I know more dead people than living, or so it feels, but only one was a murder victim (if you don’t count the one who died in the World Trade Center)

But of course the most deadly animal on earth is that same nasty species I reluctantly belong to.

Bill Formby
Reply to  Professor Mike
8 years ago

Mike, do you remember Pogo from the cartoon. “We have found the enemy and he is us.”

Bill Formby
8 years ago

Considering that humans murder each other at a rate of ten to eleven thousand each year I still prefer animals to people.

8 years ago

I’ve fallen over several times trying to not step on a snail in my garden. Pure luck I didn’t kill myself. Why aren’t snails on the list??? Dangerous buggers they are….

Glenn Geist
8 years ago

I recently read Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow which summarized many years of Nobel Prize winning research on how we assess risk. Not very well, is a good summary. The prize was in economics and the concern is for how we predict economic events, but I know I’m not immune. I don’t swim in the ocean, but I ride a motorcycle. Heart disease, stroke, cancer, some kid texting and driving. . . What, me worry?

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