The 23 Most Dangerous Creatures On Earth

The 23 Most Dangerous Animals On The Planet – Travel Caribou
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The 23 Most Dangerous Animals On The Planet
By
Hannah D
/ Offbeat
We all know of Bengal Tigers and the Great White Shark, but which creatures really are the most dangerous animals in the world? From tiny deadly spiders to weird tapeworms that will make your skin crawl, you may be surprised by some of the entries in this list. Some of the most inconspicuous looking animals can actually be the most deadly to humans, while others are just look downright terrifying.
The Inland Taipan
Going to Australia? Make sure to watch out for the most venomous snake on the planet – the ever-dangerous Inland Taipan, a species you’ll certainly want to avoid at all costs. So lethal is this reclusive reptile that experts estimate a single bite contains sufficient venom to kill 100 men.
For those unfortunate enough to cross paths, death tends to come quickly, in as little as half-an-hour. Been bitten? You’re unlikely to live to tell the tale.
So far so bad, but the good news is that chance encounters are far from common. Inland Taipan prefer to keep themselves to themselves, making their homes in Australia’s semi-arid central eastern regions, locations that are remote, with humans few and far between.
Fast and agile, this is a snake that strives to avoid others and will do its utmost to remain hidden in the shadows. But make no mistake: if cornered, the Inland Taipan will defend itself, so walk away if you ever see one.
Cape Buffalo
Found in sub-Saharan Africa, the Cape Buffalo is also nicknamed ‘Black Death’. It’s a really big beast, weighing up to 900 kg, and their thick horns often measure 100 cm across. The Cape Buffalo isn’t tall and its legs are short, it almost looks harmless but trust us, you don’t want to attack one.
It’s estimated that around 200 people a year are gored, trampled and killed by the beast… Hunters often consider the big bovines to present no great challenge, but it’s a mistake they make at their own peril. The Cape Buffalo is one of the most dangerous animals to hunt, and more big game hunters lives are lost to Cape Buffalo than to lions, tigers and other fearsome predators.
The animal has the reputation to ambush its attackers… circling back on their pursuers and counter attacking. The males will do anything to protect the herd – even chase a lion – and they can get extremely aggressive. If you love hunting you might want to stick with deer.
Great White Shark
Thanks to Jaws, there’s perhaps no predator on Earth more feared than the Great White Shark. Responsible for more recorded bites and fatal attacks on humans than all other sharks species, the Great White Shark is a marine monster, weighing up to 1900 kg and often 20 feet in length from nose to tail.
It’s one of the most dangerous predators because it’s fast – able to swim at speeds up to 35 miles per hour – and it can detect a drop of blood in 94 litres of water. The reason why sharks bite humans is they are being curious when they encounter something unusual in their territories and the only way they can explore an object or organism is to bite it. The animal will then swim away, yet, a single bite can grievously injure a human.
Many of the attacks occur in coastal waters around Australia, Florida and the Reunion Island. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), there were 2,785 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks around the world between 1958 and 2016, 439 were fatal. If fatalities are low, it’s because sharks usually make one swift attack and then retreat to wait for the victim to die or weaken before returning to feed. This protects the shark from getting injured. It also gives humans time to get out of the water and survive!
In 2019, 64 unprovoked and 41 provoked bites were recorded; a provoked bite occurs when a human initiates physical contact with a shark (a diver getting bitten when trying to grab one or bites that happen while removing sharks from fishing hooks and nets). Despite these reports, the actual number of fatal shark attacks worldwide remains uncertain as in most third world coastal nations, there is no existing method of reporting suspected shark attacks.
Siafu Ant
The Siafu ant, also called driver ant, and dorylus is commonly found in Central and East Africa. When food supplies are short, the siafu ant colony is on the move, a real army comprising 20 million individual ants, devouring everything in their path.
Their scissor-like jaws slice through their unfortunate prey, whilst the powerful dissolving acid that oozes from their mouths ensures that meals can be digested quickly, without ever halting the column’s relentless progress. Large numbers of ants can kill small or immobilized animals and eat the flesh. You can easily avoid them as the colony don’t move very fast, but if they decide to pass through your house it could be a highly dangerous zone, and they’ll definitely attack you if you’re not moving.
These ants bite is severely painful, leaving two puncture wounds when removed. Moreover, removal is very difficult, as the jaws are extremely strong and can lift 5000 times the ant’s body weight (BBC). Such is the strength of their jaws that, in East Africa, they are used as natural, emergency sutures by indigenous tribal peoples to stitch the wound by getting the ants to bite on both sides of the gash, then breaking off the body.
Black Mamba
Toxic, aggressive and able to move at lightning speeds, the Black Mamba has a fearsome reputation in sub-Saharan Africa. This is a region where around 1.5 million people suffer a snake bite of one kind or another every year. Been attacked? You’d better hope it was a different species. Most people who encounter a Black Mamba end up six feet under.
You could run, but the Black Mamba is the fastest land snake on the planet, able to travel at speeds up to 12 miles per hour, making escape on foot unlikely. Been cornered? The end is near, this amongst the most venomous predators around, with death sometimes following a fatal bite in as little as 20 minutes.
Some 20,000 people die from snake bites in sub-Saharan Africa each year and the Black Mamba is responsible for more than its fair share. Steer clear at all costs or the chances are you’ll pay the ultimate price.
Saltwater Crocodile
Measuring up to 20 feet from nose to tail – and weighing in at around 1,000 kg – the Saltwater Crocodile is a monstrous beast. Mostly found in India, Australia and Micronesia, this is an opportunistic predator that shows its victims no mercy.
Find yourself locked in its powerful jaws and you might as well say your prayers. For those unfortunate enough to be attacked, there is no second chance.
One of the largest crocs around, the Saltwater Crocodile can boast the strongest bite of any animal on Earth today. Its victims are often ambushed before being drowned and devoured – or sometimes swallowed whole. This is, according to experts, the creature most likely to eat a human, and the number of those whose days come to an abrupt end in a crocodile’s jaws are not insignificant. Take care around brackish waterholes and out on the ocean, where cunning crocs are prone to lurk beneath the surface, waiting to strike with devastating consequences.
The saltwater crocodile has a strong tendency to treat humans as prey and has a long history of attacking humans who travel into its territory. The only recommended policy for dealing with saltwater crocodiles is to completely avoid their habitat whenever possible, as they get extremely aggressive when their territory is trespassed and it’s unlikely you’ll survive their attack. One study estimated 30 attacks per year by saltwater crocodiles, of which 50% were fatal (wikipedia). Though exact data on attacks are limited outside Australia, as humans and saltwater crocodiles co-exist in relatively undeveloped, low-economy and rural regions, where attacks are likely to go unreporte…

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