Between 2008 and 2017, 266 people died in Australia from some type of animal. At first glance, it may not surprise you, as Australia is often considered a dangerous place in terms of its fauna. But what might catch your attention is the kind of animal that causes most of these deaths . You guess?
Could it be one of the most poisonous spiders in the world, the red back spider ( Latrodectus hasseltii )? Perhaps the eastern brown snake ( Pseudonaja textileis )? In case you don’t know, this 2 meter long snake is the second most poisonous land snake on the planet and has a venom that can easily kill an adult human. However, it is not at the top of this list.
Sharks, maybe? Or probably mosquitoes, who can transmit dengue fever, Ross River fever, or even malaria? Well, we are all wrong.
It appears that what caused the most deaths in Australia between 2008 and 2017 was not native wildlife at all. In fact, if you want to stay safer in Australia, you’d better avoid … horses and cows. They are the ones that have caused the greatest number of deaths , as much as it may surprise us. It’s time to avoid horse riding.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the highest number of deaths per animal was 77 people, from horses, cows and other “animal transports”.
Next on the list, with 60 people, are mammals, not including animals like dogs or rats, so we can only assume they were bears or the like (forget about quokkas or koalas, these marsupials are adorable).
Then come the hornets, wasps and bees, with 27 deaths in the last 10 years, which is not a surprise, considering the number of people who end up in the hospital for their stings, especially if these people are allergic to the poison.
According to a team from the University of Melbourne (Australia), between 2000 and 2013 there were 42,000 hospitalizations for stings or bites, and 31% of them were caused by bees, wasps and hornets.
Further down the list, sharks and other marine animals are next with 26 deaths, followed by snakes and lizards with 23.
Dogs were responsible for 22 deaths and crocodiles for 17.
Of course, there is one more animal that the list does not include but that we also know are quite deadly: humans.
Remember that although Australia is famous for having some of the most dangerous animals in the world, statistically speaking, it is highly unlikely that an animal will end our life there.
The animals that cause the most deaths in Australia
Horses, cows, animal transport: 77
Mammals (others): 60
Hornets, wasps, bees: 27
Sharks (and other marine animals): 26
Snakes (and lizards): 23
Dogs: 22
Crocodiles: 17
Non-poisonous insect bites: 8
Contact with unspecified arthropods, poisonous: 4
Rats: 1
Contact with unspecified, poisonous plants or animals: 1
Referencia: Australian Boureau of Statitics.
