As much as we love animals the reality is that most of the world’s animals are dangerous and aggressive. Although a lot of mammals simply run away and hide when threatened than attack a human being lions, tigers, bears, as well as other animals are known for being aggressive and vicious, when hungry or provoked. Below is a list of some of the most aggressive animals in the world.
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Dogs
It may come as a surprise to many but man’s best friend can be an enemy as much as it can be a protector. There are increasing reports of mauling and bites from rabid dogs and over 25,000 dog-related deaths are recorded each year. For 12,000 years dogs have lived with human beings as a hunting companion, protector, and as a friend. The have evolved from the gray wolf into more than 400 distinct breeds. Also, people have played a huge role in nurturing dogs that fulfill their distinct societal needs. These mammals are regarded differently in various parts of the world. In most parts of the world dogs are characterised as loyal, protective as well as affectionate. Most civilizations have regarded the relationship between humans and dogs as important but, in some of the developing nations such as in some parts of Asia, dogs are not held in with same esteem.
However, in some countries dogs are used as guards or beasts of burden and in some cases even food, whereas in the United States, Europe and other parts of Africa dogs are protected and admired. In ancient Egypt, dogs were considered to be sacred animals. In spite of the close association between dogs and humans, dogs attacks on humans are very common. Between 1982 and 2013, so many people were killed by dogs in many parts of the world. Over the same period, there were more than 5 000 dog attacks which resulted in a lot maiming cases.
Snakes
Also on the list of the most aggressive animals are snakes. The fear of snakes by a lot of people is completely understandable given that snakes are some of the most aggressive and deadly animals in the world. However, there are a few chances that a person might die from a snake bite in most developing countries but in other regions that do not have immediate access to high-quality medical care snakes can be deadly. About 50,000 people die from snake bites all over the world. Given that there are a number of venomous snakes including the black mamba, cobra, and vipers to name a few, it is no surprise that there are some of the most deadliest and aggressive animals in the world.
Crocodiles
Crocodiles are also some of the most aggressive and deadly animals that are recorded to have killed over 1,000 people per annum. These animals are opportunistic hunters plus any animal that dares to move in their habitat risks getting attacked. However, crocodiles are known to hunt in generally poor and more remote parts of a country, and each death does not receive much media attention than other common animal attacks but these animals are deadly.
Lions
It is no surprise that lions are also on our list of some of the most aggressive and deadly animals all over the world. They prey on a various animals including rodents, baboons, water buffalos and hippopotamuses, and sometimes humans but they hunt medium to large-sized hoofed animals mainly such as wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes. The type of animals lions hunt vary geographically as well as between neighbouring prides. Also, lions are known to take on elephants and giraffes, but only if the animal is young or sick. They eat any meat they can find, such as carrion and fresh kills that they scavenge or forcefully steal from other animals such as hyenas, cheetahs, or wild dogs. Lionesses are the most aggressive, especially those living in the open savanna because they do most of the hunting, whereas males typically appropriate their meals from the female’s kills. Male lions can also be hunters, and in some areas they hunt frequently.
It has been reported that about 800 people were attacked in Tanzania between 1990 and 2005. And some of the most scariest series of attacks took place in Kenya in 1898 where only 2 lions killed dozens of railway workers before getting shot. Between 1932 and 1947, more than a thousand of people were killed by an aggressive pride of lions close to the town of Njombe, Tanzania. To this day lions have been recorded to be responsible for the death of a 100 people per year in Tanzania.
Bears
Another aggressive animal on our list is a bear. Bears may look clumsy in their appearance but they can move very fast, even through dense covers that would seriously get in the way of a human being or a horse. They have a good sense of sight and hearing, but they are poorly developed. Most of the hunting is done with the aid of their sense of smell. Some bears such as spectacled bears, are strong climbers, and are good swimmers too, most notably the polar bear. They do not communicate through sound and are usually quiet, but they growl when feeding, or when being challenged by another bear or by humans, as well as when competing for mates.
However, bears can be tamed quite easily if they are captured young as you may have seen in circuses. However, bears can be very aggressive and dangerous with grizzly and polar bears being the most dangerous. In addition, Eurasian brown bears and American black bears have been known to attack humans. Some even depredate livestock in some instances, and some bears, such as Asiatic and American black bears, can destroy fruit or other crops, such as corn.
Tigers
Tigers are known to be aggressive and dangerous animals and they are the largest members of the cat family when it comes to strength and ferocity. Tigers can be found in the Russian Far East through parts of North Korea, China, India, Southeast Asia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Siberian, or Amur, tiger is the largest, measuring up to 4 meters or 13 feet in total length and it weighs up to 300 kg or 660 pounds. The Indian, or Bengal, tiger is more common and accounts for about half of the total tiger population.
In countries such as India, tigers have a history of attacking human visitors at zoos who either enter or place their hands into the tiger enclosures. They are also known to attack people in the wild, especially in the Sundarbans, a region of forests and swampland across the border between India and Bangladesh. It has been recorded that about 50 to 250 people per year are killed in the Sundarbans by tigers.