Which animal are you the most afraid of?

They may be small, but creepy crawlies can kill. Image by Pixabay.

Do you get shivers when you see a spider? Do you run away from the water after noticing jellyfish floating in it? Do you jump nervously when you see a cockroach?

We all can think of at least one animal we’re scared of, but which ones can truly harm us and endanger our lives?

 

  1. Mosquitoes

Most of us view these tiny creatures as more annoying than threatening, but mosquitoes are in fact the deadliest animals on the planet Earth.

It’s been estimated by the World Health Organisation, that over 725,000 people die every year due to mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and encephalitis.

Forget sharks and lions, turn your paranoia towards the tiny mosquito buzzing near your ear!

 

  1. Snakes

While the well-known cobras and pythons gather a lot of attention, these are the small venomous snakes that are highly dangerous.

The saw-scaled viper, which grows only up to 35 inches, kills more people each year than any other snake!

Every year snakes kill around 50,000 people, though the main reason for it is the lack of antivenin in many parts of the world.

 

  1. Dogs

Among all the animals, dog is the most likely one to become your friend, but it is also one of the most likely ones to kill you.

Each year dogs kill around 25,000 people, usually due to them carrying rabies.

While it’s very rare for someone in North America or Western Europe to die of rabies, in India an estimated 20,000 people die of it every year.

 

  1. Tsetse flies

These insects have been found in Africa. They inhabit much of mid-continental Africa between the Sahara and the Kalahari deserts.

They live by feeding on the blood of both animals and humans. Tsetse flies transmit a parasite into the human, which becomes fatal if untreated.

The flies kill over 10,000 people each year.

 

  1. Assassin Bug

These ones truly deserve their name! Assassin bugs not only just bite, but also spread a parasite into the human, which damages major body organs.

Deadly by name and by nature, they kill roughly 10,000 people a year.

 

Are you still afraid of sharks?

By Natalia Szczepanek