The 10 Most Dangerous Animals In The World

The world is a dangerous place, but some animals are more dangerous than others. The following 10 animals are the most dangerous in the world and need to be avoided at all costs.

1) Great White Shark

This animal has been known to attack humans without provocation. There have only been about 100 documented attacks by this shark on humans for its entire history, which means that you're very unlikely to be attacked by one of these sharks if you take basic precautions like avoiding ocean water where they live and don't swim alone or at night when they're most active. Still, it's always better to err on the side of caution with these creatures since their bites can cause severe injury or death within minutes even if medical care is promptly sought out.

2) African Elephant

These massive creatures are not so much dangerous to humans as they are destructive. However, their sheer size and weight means that when an elephant does attack a human the results can be devastating and often fatal. The best way to avoid being attacked by one of these animals is just to steer clear of them in the wild.

3) Saltwater Crocodile

This creature has been responsible for more deaths than any other large predator on the planet even though it lives mostly in saltwater rather than freshwater like most predators do. Their powerful jaws full of razor sharp teeth mean that they can kill or maim prey, including humans, with a single bite. They prefer aquatic habitats where hunting is easy for them since their body shapes and powerful tails help them to swim.

4) Moray Eel

This animal has a fearsome appearance and is also one of the top predators in its aquatic environment. They can extend to almost twice their resting length when threatened, which means that they're capable of taking on prey much larger than themselves. Their long tubular bodies are muscular and surprisingly fast, too. Like most apex predators, humans should avoid these animals at all costs.

5) Golden Poison Frog

These frogs have been hunted extensively for the toxin that they secrete from their skin. While this poison doesn't affect most other animals, it can kill a human with a single drop in as little as two minutes if medical care is not sought out. While these bright golden frogs may be beautiful to look at, you should always remember that looks can be deceiving.

6) Stonefish

This is one of the most venomous fish on Earth, so avoiding it entirely is definitely the wisest course of action. Even if you are careful to avoid touching or stepping on these animals they can still potentially cause harm by injecting poison when threatened, which results in intense pain and tissue death in humans if medical treatment is not sought out quickly enough.

7) Blue-Ringed Octopus

This tiny sea creature is not aggressive by nature, but it will bite if provoked. Their bites can cause paralysis and respiratory failure in humans resulting in death in a matter of minutes if proper care is not available or delayed. While this animal is dangerous, it's venom isn't deadly to humans in small doses, but it can still require medical assistance to resolve the issue.

8) Cone Snail

These beautiful aquatic creatures are also venomous and can paralyze prey with a single sting. This venom is enough to kill many types of fish, and it can also cause serious damage to humans, which is why you should stay well away from these creatures.

9) Hyena

These remarkable creatures are primarily scavengers, but they're also opportunistic hunters with a very diverse diet. While their jaws can't crush bone, they can still do significant damage, which is why you should always be careful of hyenas whenever you're in their habitats.

10) Pufferfish

These unusual looking fish are full of lethal poison, which they release without warning if they're agitated. Their bite can kill humans in very short order, so you should never get close to one of these animals in the wild.

Bonus

Humans

In the bonus category of the 10 most dangerous animals on Earth, we come to humans. Although we've evolved over the years to be pretty clever and smart, we are also incredibly vulnerable. You should never attempt to hunt these animals as they can outsmart you, outrun you, and outfight you.

While it may seem like there are many dangerous animals in the world, some of them aren't as deadly to humans as they might first appear. For example, African elephants can be destructive if they're not kept away from humans but their size and weight make them less likely to kill a human than other predators on this list (i.e., saltwater crocodiles). Meanwhile, pufferfish will only release poison when threatened; meaning that you should never get close enough for one to feel threatened in the first place if you want to avoid being harmed.