Ranking The 13 Deadliest Animals On Planet Earth

Here in the United States, the deadly risks posed by wildlife can pale in comparison to developing nations around the world where people come in contact with potentially deadly animals every day. Paradoxically, it is common for Americans to be terrified of shark attacks despite sharks not even cracking the 15 deadliest animals to humans on earth.

To shed some light on the true risks humans face, we are counting down the 13 deadliest animals to humans worldwide. I’ve omitted the #2 deadliest animal toward humans from the list which is actually humans themselves who account for around 475,000 homicides worldwide each year, nearly 5x as many deaths caused than the #2 animal below but also a number that pales in comparison to #1.

What Are The 13 Deadliest Animals On Earth To Humans?

The deadliest animals on earth is an interesting list from start to finish because the first one below, Lions, accounts for only around 200-250 human deaths per year. While the #1 deadliest animal on earth, one we ALL KNOW far too well, accounts for somewhere between 750,000 and 1 million annual human deaths. Let’s dive in though, shall we?

13. Lions

Annually, there are an estimated 200-250 human deaths caused by lion attacks. They typically occur in areas where humans encroach on natural lion habitats and virtually all lion deaths occur in Africa. The deadly attacks typically involve old/sick/injured lions who are fending for their lives and not attacks where the lion was hunting a human being.

12. Hippopotamuses

Hippos are often cited as the deadliest animals in Africa. That is not the case. While they might exhibit territory behavior unlike other animals that manifests as what we perceive to be fury, there are many other African animals on the list.

With double the human deaths each year of lions, hippopotamuses are said to account for around 500 human deaths each year in Africa. That’s more than one per day for those keeping track at home.

11. Elephants

Tied closely with hippos, elephants account for around 500 deaths worldwide each year. Kenya and Sri Lanka are two countries that tend to lead the list of annual human fatalities caused by elephants.

10. Crocodiles

Crocodiles present problems for humans all over the globe, from Central and South America to Africa to parts of Asia and Australia. They are 10th on the list and cause an estimated 1,000 human fatalities each year.

There is some evidence the actual figure could be higher due to under reporting in regions where crocodiles are prevalent. Of the crocodile-related fatalities, saltwater crocodiles in Asia and Australia account for around 1,000 attacks and Nile crocodiles are good for another ~750 annual attacks on humans.

9. Tapeworms

Going up in caused deaths pretty quickly we have tapeworms which are believed to cause around 2,000 deaths worldwide each year in humans, or double the total reported number of deaths caused by crocodiles.

There is evidence that tapeworms can cause considerably more deaths, up to 50,000 each year, from the disease they cause (T. solium cysticercosis) which impacts around 20 million individuals globally.

8. Ascaris

Infections caused by Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm) are particularly deadly. They can account for somewhere between 2,500 and 10,000 deaths each year.

With an estimated 10 million cases worldwide annually, 2,500-10,000 deaths is a relatively low mortality rate but as an animal they still cause more human deaths than the vast majority of creatures on earth.

7. Scorpions

For the vast majority of people living in the United States, suffering a scorpion bite/attack is not a daily concern. Sure they are found in 29 states but for most, it is not considered a daily concern.

In context though, scorpions are the 7th deadliest animal on earth to humans and they account for over 3,250 human deaths (on average) each year. North Africa, the Middle East, India, Mexico, and portions of South America are areas where scorpion bites are most common and human fatalities are most common in the elderly and young children who don’t have the immune strength to fight after a bite.

6. Tsetse Flies

At #6 on the list we have Tsetse flies which are believed to cause between 10,000 and 50,000 deaths worldwide annually. Roughly 80% of all infections from Tsetse flies occur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

If left untreated, the disease Tsetse flies transmit (Human African Trypanosomiasis) has a 100% fatality rate. However, it is treatable which has led to a drop in deaths in recent years/decades.

5. Assassin Bugs

Assassin bugs from the Triatominae subfamily known as ‘kissing bugs’ are some of the deadliest animals on earth. They are responsible for between 10,000 to 12,000 human deaths each year.

Despite the name, they aren’t out to snipe humans and transmit toxic venom. Instead, they lead to thousands of deaths annually by transmitting the deadly Chagas disease, primarily throughout Central and South America.

4. Freshwater Snails

This one was a surprise even to me! Freshwater snails are the 4th deadliest animals on earth and account for somewhere between 10,000 and 200,000 annual deaths.

Through parts of Africa, Asia, and South America in tropical/subtropical regions, freshwater snails carry and transmit deadly parasites to humans. Because they are transmitting the parasites which lead to deaths, it is hard to track exactly how many deaths are caused by freshwater snails each year.

3. Dogs

Killing somewhere between 25,000 and 59,000 humans each year is man’s best friend. Don’t worry though, it is not typical house pets causing the deaths.

Over 99% of all dog-related deaths in humans are related to rabies. And this occurs primarily in nations (across parts of Asia and Africa) where rabies still runs rampant.

2. Snakes

At #2 on the list of the deadliest animals on earth toward humans we have snakes. They have multiple ways to kill: venom, strangulation, and biting.

Some venomous snake bites can kill humans in minutes while other bites can take much longer. They are believed to cause between 81,000 and 138,000 human deaths worldwide each year according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Globally, around 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes each year so they do have a considerably high fatality rate compared to many of the deadliest animals.

1. Mosquitoes

At #1 on the list of the world’s deadliest animals to humans are mosquitoes, and it’s not even close. Mosquitoes bite and transmit multiple potentially deadly diseases and in regions where modern medicine is not readily available death from a mosquito-bite infection leading to malaria can come quickly.

According to the WHO, mosquitoes cause between 700,000 and 1 million human deaths worldwide each year. Malaria alone accounts for 600,000 annual deaths with additional mosquito-related deaths coming from dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and the West Nile virus.