The most dangerous animal in the world may not be very clear to us as humans primarily because even as animals ourselves the human race is too busy casting our fears on other types of animals around us than we do pay attention to ourselves as even dangerous in the first place.
The Most Dangerous Animal in the World
Below is the list of some of the most dangerous animals in the world right now. Check it out and then see for yourselves what animal or animals can be said to be the most deadliest or fearsome:
Humans
First on the list here is humans, the most dangerous animal in the world! It is true that we’re animals too, and since we’ve been killing each other for 10,000 years, with the total deaths from war alone estimated at between 150 million and 1 billion (and that was a decade ago), it’s a no-brainer that we top the list.
We assault each other with incredibly high rates of senseless brutality, from gun violence to terrorist attacks around the globe. We’re dangerous to other animals, too—think global warming, the destruction of forests and coral reefs, and over tourism, for starters. Given the threat we pose to countless other creatures—and the fact that we often act irrationally and have the capacity to annihilate our entire planet with a host of horrifying weapons like nuclear devices and genetically-modified superbugs—we are squarely atop the list as the most dangerous animal in the world.
Stonefish
One very venomous fish and the most dangerous animal in the world is stonefish. It is known to humans as that which is named for their visual similarity to rocks, sitting perfectly still and blending right into the seabed where an unsuspecting foot can easily step down on their dorsal fins, primed and ready to attack with potent neurotoxins.
The unluckiest clodhoppers will step hard, applying more pressure and increasing the amount of venom that gets injected; they may also trigger the stonefish’s secondary defense mechanism known as a lachrymal saber, which has been likened to a switchblade of the face (yikes).
Fatality from stonefish venom can occur within an hour, so victims need to seek antivenom immediately, applying water heated to over 113 °F (45 °C) in the meantime to denature the venom. Much easier is just watching where you step.
Sharks
While sharks are commonly portrayed in movies and television shows as deadly killers, the reality is much different. Worldwide, sharks account for only several hundred attacks on humans, and they only average six to seven human deaths per year.
In the United States, sharks cause about one death every two years. The species responsible for the highest percentages of fatal attacks are the great white shark, the bull shark, and the tiger shark. Over 375 shark species have been identified, but only about 12 of those species are considered dangerous.
The average shark bite can generate up to 40,000 pounds of pressure per square inch; however, your odds of getting attacked and killed by a shark are only 1 in almost 3.5 million. These animals are labeled as dangerous; however, sharks are most often the victims. They’re killed by the millions every year due to the high demand for their fins.
Inland Taipan
Inland taipan snakes are also called dandarabilla by Aboriginal Australians. They are one of the most dangerous animal in the world and they are reclusive, docile snakes unlikely to get aggressive with humans without cause. The bad news is that when people sneak up on inland taipans or try to handle them, they are well-equipped to defend themselves.
The venom of inland taipans is considered the most toxic of any snake on the planet, and they strike quickly and accurately when the need arises. And did we mention they evolved specifically to bring down mammals? A single bite has the capacity to take out 100 grown humans, causing organ failure, convulsions, and paralysis until death occurs.
The only antivenom that exists is geared towards the inland taipan’s coastal cousin—and given the snake’s remote locale, accessing it quickly is unlikely. Most inland taipan victims are herpetologists and professional snake handlers, but even laymen should keep an eye out when exploring the outback.
Saw Scaled Viper
According to WHO data, between 4.5 million and 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes each year, of which 1.8 million to 2.7 million develop clinical illness, and 81,000 to 138,000 die.4 When it comes to snakes, the saw scaled viper is considered the most deadly, causing a higher global snakebite mortality rate than any other species.
Saltwater Crocodile
This is one of the most fearsome crocodile and of course, the most dangerous animal in the world. It is believed to be more short-tempered, easily provoked, and aggressive toward anything that crosses its path. Of all the species in the world, the largest—and most dangerous—is the saltwater crocodile.
These ferocious killers can grow up to 23 feet in length, weigh more than a ton, and are known to kill hundreds of people each year, with crocodiles as a whole responsible for more human fatalities annually than sharks (then again, so are cars). Saltwater crocodiles are especially dangerous as they’re excellent swimmers in both salt and freshwater (yes, their name is confusing), and can strike quickly with a bite delivering 3,700 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure, rivaling that of the T. Rex. If that’s not enough to scare you, let us put it into perspective: Humans chomp into a well-done steak at around 200 psi, a mere five percent of the strength of a saltie’s jaw.
Mosquito
Being one of the smallest, the common mosquito, even tinier than the tsetse fly, ranks as the second most dangerous animal in the world. Our reasoning: the sheer number of deaths each year, caused by various pathogens that several species of mosquitoes (of more than 3,000 in the world) carry to humans.
The irritating insects—primarily those from the genera Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex—are the primary vectors of diseases like malaria, Chikungunya, encephalitis, elephantiasis, yellow fever, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and the Zika virus, which collectively afflict an estimated 700 million and kill roughly 725,000 people each year.
As the World Health Organization notes, more than half of the human population is currently at risk from mosquito-borne diseases. Given that the pests are attracted to our body temperatures and the CO2 we exhale, our best tools to prevent infection lie in the usage of insect repellents high in active ingredients like DEET and picaridin. It therefore is the most dangerous animal in the world after humans.
