In this article, we will look at 20 animals that kill the most humans.
Previously, we looked at the most dangerous animals in the world. In that piece, we looked at animals from the perspective of their ability to inflict a lethal blow should someone come in contact with them. However, chances are that most people would never come in close proximity with animals such as polar bears and leopards. So, in this piece, we will look at animals from the perspective of the probability of getting killed by them. The higher the number of people the animal kills, the higher our chances of being their victim. These animals are not necessarily the most dangerous ones, and in many cases, their attacks are not lethal. However, it is the sheer fact that attacks by these animals happen so often that it results in several fatalities throughout the year.
With urban development and decreasing habitat, more and more people are being killed by wild animals. So, it is worth knowing why a wild animal attacks humans. Primarily, these animals attack humans because they perceive a threat or fear. Animals face the threat of predation, and it is in their instinct to kill to avoid being killed. For perspective, Cape Buffalo, which is also a part of our list of 20 animals that kill the most humans, is most dangerous when wounded. Lions attack humans when they come in close range to them because they are essentially protecting themselves. The second most important reason why animals attack humans is for food. Attacking humans and their livestock because of food has become more frequent in the recent past. Deforestation leads to a decline in habitat, which then leads to scarcity of food for predators such as leopards and lions. Researchers at the Berryman Institute of Utah State University studied leopard attacks in the Indian Binsar Wild Life Sanctuary and areas surrounding. The research concluded that leopards killed live stocks, and in some cases humans, because of the low population of their prey. Since these leopards frequently also attacked humans, they got the name ‘man-eaters’. Sometimes, animals also attack humans to protect their young ones. Territorial animals such as lions and tigers also attack humans in an attempt to form new territories, a direct result of urban growth and deforestation.
The Indian Province of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has frequent occurrences of big cat attacks. From the years 2020 to 2022, over 36 people died in the province because of attacks by tigers and lions. According to wildlife experts, the primary reason for frequent big cat attacks is deforestation. As the boundaries of settlements grow closer to the tiger reserves in the area and the forests get shrunk, the incidences of man-animal conflicts have increased. This led to the government of the province declaring man-animal conflict as a ‘state declared disaster’. However, this surge in wild animal increase is not new to India. From the years 2010 to 2015, wild animal attack claims increased by 160% in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. Animal attacks claimed as many as 7416 lives in one year. Historical accounts tell us that big cat attacks are not new to India. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Champawat Tiger was notorious for killing humans in Nepal and the Kumaon division of India. The female Bengal tiger, Champawat, is now known as the animal to kill most humans as it reportedly took the lives of more than 4000 people.
With that backdrop, let’s look at the 20 animals that kill the most humans.
Ali Iyoob Photography/Shutterstock.com
Methodology
Our methodology for 20 animals that kill the most humans was simple: we used credible sources for an average of how many humans each animal kills every year. Since the data is varied, we resorted to some of the rusted sources, including Business Insider, BBC News, and CNET.
20 – Sharks
Humans Killed Per Year – 6
Sharks have the reputation of being one of the deadliest creatures to live. However, they rank pretty low on the list of animals that kill most humans because of rare occurrences of shark attacks. With that being said, shark attacks are quite lethal, and the chances of surviving one are very low. In recent years, there have been seemingly a rise in shark attack in the Bahamas.
19 – Wolves
Humans Killed Per Year – 10
Wolves are timid animals, so it is quite rare for them to attack humans. However, wolf attacks do occur and sometimes result in fatality. More recently, wolves have expanded their territories across western America, increasing their encounters with humans.
18 – Jellyfish
Humans Killed Per Year – 40
Jellyfish is an example of a seemingly harmless creature that claims multiple lives throughout the year. In fact, the venom of Box Jellyfish is considered to be amongst the most deadly in the world. Its toxins attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. Even when the victims make it out alive from its attack, they often go into shock and drown. Box Jellyfish have developed the ability to move, making them deadlier than other jellyfish that can only drift.
17 – Tigers
Humans Killed Per Year – 50
Tigers, one of the deadliest animals on earth, are also one of the 20 animals that kill the most humans. Historical records tell us that a single female Bengal tiger in the early twentieth century, Champawat, single-handedly killed more than 400 people. Tigers are fiercely territorial animals, and it is not uncommon for them to attack humans in nearby settlements in India. Some tigers in India even have a bad reputation for being ‘Man Eaters’.
16 – Bees
Humans Killed Per Year – 60
The seemingly harmless bees claim 60 lives per year, earning them the 16th spot on our list of animals that kill the most humans. Honeybees are known for attacking humans to defend their colonies. However, it is not uncommon for them to attack humans if they are seriously disturbed. Yet, honeybees are not the only bees known to attack humans. Killer African bees are also notorious for killing humans. In 1957, around 20 colonies of these bees escaped captivity in Brazil, established new colonies in the area, and invaded local hives. A single killer bee is not deadly, but once it stings someone, a pheromone is released, which signals more bees from the colony to join the attack, often resulting in a fatality.
15 – Deer
Humans Killed Per Year – 100
Deers are generally docile and rarely attack humans. However, given the frequency of their encounter with humans, they claim as many human lives as Lions every year. Deers are aggressive during the rutting season, during which they may attack humans and other animals.
14 – Lions
Humans Killed Per Year – 100
In places where lions live close to humans, lion attack is quite common. Most of the lion attacks in the west are incurred by hunters and safari guides who get too close to the animal. From the years 1932 to 1947, the Njombe area of modern-day Tanzania suffered the deadliest human-lion attacks in history, which claimed a total of 1500 lives. Three generations of lions born during that time started to hunt human beings as pride. The first generation to attack humans did so for food and land, but eventually, the lions started to use the same tactics to hunt humans as they used to hunt other animals. It is even said that these lions started to overlook the cattle around the area in favor of killing humans.
13 – Elephants
Humans Killed Per Year – 100
Elephants are generally peaceful animals, but it is very difficult to control them once they get aggressive. Female elephants are aggressive when young calves are present, and male elephants can be aggressive during the mating season. The largest incident of male slaughter of elephants occurs in India and Sri Lanka.
12 – African Cape Buffalos
Humans Killed Per Year – 200
Cape buffalos are not only large in size, but they have large horns and large herds. They stick together and charge as a unit whenever they sense any danger. These buffalos are notorious for being ill-tempered and some people even consider them to be the most dangerous animals in Africa.
11 – Hippopotamuses
Humans Killed Per Year – 500
Notorious for being the deadliest large land mammal on the planet, hippopotamuses claim 500 lives every year. These animals are very aggressive, and their large size and sharp teeth make them quite deadly. Hippopotamuses are also territorial animals and will attack anyone who they think poses a threat to their territory.
10 – Crocodiles
Humans Killed Per Year – 1,000
Crocodiles are among the top 10 animals that kill the most human. Currently, there are 26 known species of crocodiles, out of which eight are known to attack humans. Crocodiles have powerful jaws and an aggressive nature. They are apex predators who will attack humans if they sense danger or are hungry.
9 – Tapeworms
Humans Killed Per Year – 2,000
Claiming as many as 2000 human lives every year, the simple tapeworm ranks 9th on the list of animals that kill the most humans. These are flat-segmented worms that live in the intestine and can migrate to other organs of the body to cause fatal damage.
8 – Ascaris Roundworms
Humans Killed Per Year – 2,500
Another type of worm that claims more lives than tapeworm is the Ascaris roundworm. These too live in the intestine and can cause intestinal damage, which sometimes even leads to death.
7 – Scorpions
Humans Killed Per Year – 3,250
There are more than 1500 species of scorpions, but only 30 have stings that are dangerous to people. However, with 3250 kills per year, they are seventh in our list of animals that kill the most humans. Around 1.5 million scorpion stings happen each year, so the frequency of death caused by these stings is quite high. The black scorpion, which lives primarily in Arizona, has one of the deadliest venoms in the world.
6 – Freshwater Snails
Humans Killed Per Year – 10,000
Freshwater snails are not deadly on their own, but they are host to deadly parasites. Claiming around 10,000 lives every year, freshwater snails are sixth on our list of animals that claim the most lives. These parasites can enter your body even if you swim in lakes containing freshwater snails.
5 – Tsetse Flies
Humans Killed Per Year – 10,000
Tsetse Flies are large flies that are present in Tropical Africa. A bite from these flies causes ‘sleeping sickness’ as they transfer a parasite into its prey’s bloodstream. This disease initially causes fever, headaches, muscle aches, and even death if it is not treated properly.
4 – Assassin Bugs
Humans Killed Per Year – 12,000
Assassin bugs claim 12,000 lives, making them among the top 5 animals that kill the most humans. While these bugs are generally not aggressive towards humans, they bite if they feel threatened. Their bite is venomous and very painful. In addition, feces from some types of assassin bugs lead to the Chagas disease, which is life-threatening.