We all have that friend who won’t step foot into the ocean because they’re afraid of sharks. Or, we know a person who won’t go camping because a bear might attack them. There’s no judgement here – I might fall into one (or both) of those categories. But what if I told you that you had a far greater chance of getting killed by a lovable little deer? Or that one of the most lethal animals out there is the hippopotamus?
Thanks to the Reigarw Comparisons’ YouTube channel (via Geekologie), we now know which animals actually kill the most humans per year. And the statistics may shock you. You can watch the full video down below:
So what are some of the more surprising stats? Well, bats might be a symbol of death and creepiness in pop culture, but they only kill about two people a year. And we might make a lot of movies about killer sharks, but they only average about four human casualties a year. Pufferfish and jellyfish kill way more people than sharks, but no one makes scary movies about them. But for everyone afraid of snakes, it seems your fears are justified – they kill 50,000 people a year!
Warner Bros.
What’s most surprising is the amount of seemingly benign animals that kill humans. Dogs might be man’s best friend, but they are responsible for 25,000 human deaths per year. That’s way more than wolves. And cows? Kill 20 people a year. Now, that might not seem like a lot, but who knew cows kill any people? I mean, before they become greasy cheeseburgers that is.
Of course, near the top of this list of killer animals are none other than human beings. Just about no creature on Earth kills more humans than other humans.
If this chart proves anything, it’s that we are pretty much the worst. But at least we can take comfort in knowing that mosquitoes are still worse than we are. That’s some comfort, right?
Featured Image: Reigarw Comparisons