USA states with the most fatal exotic animal attacks
In this context, exotic animals refer to those that are rare, not usually native to the country and often rather thought of as wild animals than pets. It is typically not ideal to keep these animals as pets, as they thrive better in their natural habitats. While it might seem cool to keep a rare pet, a domesticated animal such as a cat is better suited for most people.
Exotic animals 1990-2022 key
Bears Big cats Elephants Marine Reptiles OtherFlorida
Total 16
Florida has had the most fatalities caused by exotic animals during 1990 to 2022, mostly by big cats, which in this case refers to tigers in all five instances. As for “other” fatalities, one was caused by an exotic bird and the other by a camel.
Pennsylvania
Total 8
Pennsylvania comes in second, with half the total fatalities of Florida. The majority of the fatalities fall into the “other” category, specifically, one caused by a rat bite, the second by African Painted Dogs at the zoo, and the third was caused by a dog-wolf hybrid.
Texas
Total 7
Texas is next, with seven fatalities caused by exotic animals between 1990-2022. Again, there are three in the “other” category, the first of these deaths was caused by a camel, apparently, there are some folks in Texas that own camel farms, which is pretty bizarre. The other two were caused by a domesticated pet deer and a buffalo at a petting zoo.
California
Total 6
California again has one less fatality and this time, none in the “other” category. The reptile in question was a pet viper owned by a woman who volunteered at the Los Angeles Zoo. The big cats were a Siberian tiger and a male African lion.
New York
Total 5
Tied for the fifth spot with five fatalities caused by exotic animals is New York. There was an elephant that crushed a man at a circus in 1993, bringing to mind the scandal of Topsy the Elephant, which took place in 1902 in New York. The animals in the “other” category were deer and nilgai antelope.
Illinois
Total 5
Lastly, the other state tied for the fifth spot is Illinois, with the majority of their fatalities being due to big cats. At a wildlife sanctuary, a long-time employee was killed by a cougar; in 2004 a man changing his “pet” lion’s bedding was killed, and lastly, a tiger mauled the owner of a wildlife sanctuary.
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Exotic animals 1990-2022 |
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US State |
Bears |
Big Cats |
Elephants |
Marine |
Reptiles |
Other |
Total |
The most dangerous exotic animals USA
Big Cats
Total fatalities
Big cats, an umbrella term, caused the joint-most fatalities among exotic animals between 1990-2022. This included various species of tiger, lion, cougar, and jaguar, across 12 different states.
Other
Total fatalities
The other category comes next, tied with big cats, this category encompasses a large variety of animals. Surprisingly, camels popped up a lot here, with rats, exotic birds, deer, and dog-wolf hybrids distributed across 16 states.
Reptiles
Total fatalities
Next, for most dangerous exotic animals in the US we have reptiles, the overwhelming majority for this section was snakes, no surprise. Those 21 fatalities were distributed across 14 states.
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Animal |
Total USA deaths caused |
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The most dangerous animals in the world
Mosquitos
Estimated deaths caused (2018)
As of 2018, mosquitos were estimated to be responsible for 750,000 human deaths per annum. However, mosquitos don’t kill humans the same way that many other animals do, i.e. trampling, mauling, etc. When people are bitten by mosquitos they can contract malaria, which if not diagnosed and treated quickly, can result in death. Malaria is most common in areas of Africa and Asia, South America and some Pacific islands. The easiest way to avoid bites from mosquitos is to simply apply insect or mosquito repellent to exposed skin and to avoid peak mosquito hours, which are dawn and dusk. It is also important to take antimalarial tablets before travelling to a country with a high risk of malaria in order to stay healthy even if you are bitten.
Snakes
Estimated deaths caused (2018)
Venomous snakes are terrifying for a lot of us. And some, even with their venom, are colossal in size and strength, capable of seriously injuring a human. They are estimated to cause up to 100,000 human deaths per annum, mostly through venomous bites with most occurrences taking place in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Even people that survive such bites can suffer potentially permanent after-effects and disfigurements. Medical advice for travellers wanting to avoid venomous snake bites is to wear long boots, at least ankle length and never go outside barefoot or in open sandals. You should also be wary around woodland, grassland and even bodies of water. Make sure to use a torch at night to easily see snakes.
Dogs
Estimated deaths caused (2018)
And finally, man’s best friend comes in the last spot for the top three. Some breeds are thought to be more aggressive than others, particularly Pit Bulls, however, more often than not issues of aggression can stem from issues when the dog is younger. A failure in the early stages of training and general treatment of your dog can lead to behavioural problems and aggression later in life. Also, letting your children tug and be rough with your dog isn’t a good idea, even if you’ve never seen signs of aggression before. It’s generally practised that if your dog is prone to biting at a younger age, upon feeling teeth contact on your skin you should release a high-pitched yelp to mimic the sound made by other puppies to indicate that the play has become too rough.
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Estimated deaths caused (2018) |
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