Modern-day human has evolved over millions of years despite considerable obstacles including the deadliest animal. The fact that we exist today means they were able to escape the threat of death. Before reliable home construction, humans were exposed to the elements and dangerous animals of all kinds. Now-extinct creatures like woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, and giant bears posed a substantial threat to ancient humans. Early seafaring explorers took on dangerous sharks and whales in the oceans. With the expansion of agriculture and civilization came infectious diseases spread by animals nearly wiping out the entire world population on several occasions. Today, animals still present a hazard to humans, and this blog looks at which of them kill the biggest number of humans.
“Do You Know, Human Is Too The Deadliest Animal”
When you think about a deadly animal, you may think shark, lion, or even a rhino. However, according to several studies, the deadliest animal in the world is much smaller and way more irritating. There are more than 100 varieties of this thing, and it feeds on human blood, transporting a vast array of diseases from one person to the next. Figure it out, yet? That’s right—that buzzing, easy-to-squish mosquito is the deadliest creature, period.
The numbers don’t lie: According to the World Health Organization, more than 725,000 people worldwide are killed by mosquito-borne diseases each year. These diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Malaria has the highest mortality rate, killing at least 600,000 people a year.
“One of the reasons mosquitoes are the most deadly is that they’re able to adapt easily to new environments,” Burns Blackwell, president and chief executive officer of Terminix-Triad, recently told in an interview with a site.
Another reason the bugs are so deadly is that they breed quickly. Mosquitoes have learned to procreate in as little as a few small drops of water, and each female mosquito can produce between 50 and 500 eggs in her first brood. Their populations also peak at different times in different areas all over the world, making it nearly impossible to avoid being bitten. And every bite increases the risk of contracting a serious disease.
In areas where mosquitoes are pervasive and carry deadly diseases, local authorities try to control the population through routine pesticide applications. You can protect yourself by eliminating places where standing water can accumulate (think birdbaths, tire swings, poorly draining rain gutters), says professors of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. They also put stress on that a little protection will go a long way: Wear bug repellent that contains DEET (up to 30 per cent) when you head outdoors, and reapply it about every four hours.
The next deadliest animal after the mosquito is another one you wouldn’t expect: humans. Around 475,000 people die every year by the hand of another human, which, when you think about it, sadly isn’t that shocking. Finishing out the list of the five deadliest animals in the world are snakes, dogs, and the Tsetse fly.
The moral of the story is to stay safe—the two most deadly creatures on the planet are the ones you can barely see buzzing around you and the ones that you pass on the street every day. Yes, the animal kingdom is a lot more complicated than you think