What Kills More Humans? 
Sharks? Lions? Tigers? Bananas? Oh My!

In all of 2007, there was only one shark-attack fatality worldwide. In the last six years globally, sharks have bitten humans at a rate of 63 times a year, of which only 3.8 incidents a year were fatal, says George Burgess, who runs the International Shark Attack File.  »»»

CONE SHELL

Found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans east to Hawaii, north to Okinawa, Japan, and south to New Zealand (including the whole of Australia).   A cone shape with a slit-like aperture running the full length of the shell, which may be up to 15cm in length.  Pain at the site of envenomation, occasionally mild, occasionally severe and excruciating. The envenomated area may blanch, or develop a bluish tinge, and is followed by numbness and local swelling.  In serious envenomations incoordination and muscular weakness may develop rapidly, and swallowing, speech, vision and hearing may be affected. Nausea, generalised pruritus and respiratory paralysis may develop.  Up to 15 deaths have been claimed typically each year, but the exact number is uncertain. Conus geographus is responsible for the majority of confirmed deaths, with Conus textile responsible for one death and suspected in one other. Recently two deaths in Japan (from Conus geographus) have occurred.

STONEFISH

Found in Indian and Pacific Oceans north to China, east to Hawaii and south to Australia.
A true fish 20-30 cms long. It has tough, warty skin, which may be covered with slime (Figure 4). It is usually the colour of its surrounds (frequent-ly dark brown). Along the back of the fish are 13 spines, which when stepped on, penetrate the skin of the victim injecting venom.  Immediate, severe pain which may cause the patient to become frantic, or delirious. Often bluish discolouration is present around the puncture site. The area surrounding is usually oedematous. Local limb paralysis, nausea and vomiting, faintness may occur.   Deaths from stonefish envenomation are rare. They are also difficult to actually confirm, with just five deaths reported. Three are documented, but difficult to prove conclusively: one at Mahé, Seychelles, and the other at Pinda, Mozambique and a third reported recently, when a SCUBA diver stepped on a stonefish underwater, panicked, and then ascended too rapidly, death occurring from arterial embolism, not envenomation . A death was reported from Japan prior to 1989 of a male trying to put a stonefish in a bag. He had four puncture marks and "fell down and was drowned". Another death was reported to have occurred on Thursday Island in 1915, several days' following envenomation, although the author believes the causative animal is in doubt.

BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS 2007

Found from Indo-West-Pacific – north to Okinawa, east to Philippines, west to India and south to New Zealand (including all of Australia). May grow to 15-20cm. in diameter with tentacles extended. Usually yellowish-brown but when irritated, many small electric-blue rings appear, making it look very attractive.  Minor bite from beak underneath body (often painless). The venom is ducted to the beak from the salivary glands.
Numbness of the lips and tongue may occur within minutes. In serious envenomation weakness and breathing difficulty develops rapidly, which, if untreated will develop into respiratory failure.  There have been two fatalities in Australia, and one in Singapore.

STINGRAY

Found Worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical waters. Their main contact area with humans is in very shallow water.  Stingrays often burrow under the sand in shallow water. The usual method of injury is a reflex forward whip of the tail when the `wings' are trodden on. The tail contains one or more sharp barbs, which may embed in the skin of the victim and break off, or glance across the skin causing a laceration, which may be quite deep and extensive.  The wound is usually (though not always) acutely painful. Most occur on the lower limbs but there have now been two deaths in Australia after the barb penetrated the heart. Other serious injuries have also occurred after the barb penetrated the chest or abdomen.  At least 17 fatalities from stingrays have occurred worldwide, including New Zealand, Surinam, West Atlantic, Texas, Fiji, California, Australia, and many more from a fresh-water species in Colombia. Trunk wounds cause most of the fatalities, but acute exsanguination has caused at least two, and one death occurred from tetanus complicating a lower leg wound.  »»»

Found in all Oceans except for Atlantic: more common in tropical and sub-tropical zones. They may reach the upper reaches of rivers, long distances from the sea.  Similar to land snakes except they have flattened oar-like tail. Unlike eels, they have no gills.  Most bites are "dry" – less than 10% of sea snakes actually inject any venom. The bite is relatively painless, and if venom is injected, is followed by symptoms including drowsiness, nausea and vomiting, weakness, visual disturbances, breathing problems and muscle pains or stiffness. Myolysis may cause renal impairment.  Hundreds of fatalities from sea snake envenomation have occurred.  Current estimates of the fatality rates worldwide are around 3 per cent - at least 150 deaths annually.

US ANIMAL FATALITIES

Between 1991 and 2001, 1943 persons were reported fatally injured by animals in the United States. An average of approximately 177 fatalities occurred annually, with a range of 152 in 1994 to 212 in 2000. The total number of fatalities during this time period was 759 for venomous animals (average of 69 per year, range 57–81) and 1184 for nonvenomous animals (average of 107.6 per year, range 78– 149). For every year, nonvenomous animal-related fatalities exceeded those caused by venomous animals.

An average of 177 fatalities per year occurred from both venomous and nonvenomous animals. Animal-related fatalities under the category “other specified animal” comprised 43.5% of all reported fatalities, followed by hornets, bees, and wasps at 27.4%.  When evaluated by venomous or nonvenomous categories, venomous animals caused 39.1% and nonvenomous animals caused 60.9% of the fatalities. Of the venomous animals, hornets, bees, and wasps caused the majority of fatalities (70.2%). The average number of fatalities per year was 48 for hymenoptera, 6 for spiders, and 5 for snakes. Of the nonvenomous category, animal-related fatalities under the category “other specified animal” comprised the majority of the fatalities (71.5%). Among identified nonvenomous animals, dogs caused the majority of fatalities (about 19 per year). Death rates per million persons per year were calculated for venomous animals (0.256), nonvenomous animals (0.399), and all animals combined (0.655).

Males accounted for 72.4% of the cases and females 27.6%. For venomous animal attacks, males accounted for 74.6% of the injuries and females 25.4%. For nonvenomous animal attacks, males accounted for 70.9% of the injuries and females 29.1%. The overall death rate was 0.969 per million per year for males and 0.354 per million per year for females. Males had a 2.9 times greater risk of venomous animal-related fatality and a 2.4 times greater risk of nonvenomous animal-related fatality than did females.

MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL IN THE USA

(CNN) -- Forget the lions, tigers, and bears. Toss out the sharks, the alligators, even the poisonous snakes.   When it comes to humans' worst enemies in the animal world, don't think big. Or sharp teeth. Or even mean.  

Hollywood and fairy tales may demonize the shark and the big bad wolf. But the animal that claims far more lives in the United States is one that many people urge their kids to walk up and touch at the petting zoo.

Yes, Bambi.

It's not because they attack, but because hapless deer wander onto roadways that they and other creatures claimed 83 human lives in car crashes in 2000, according to the U. S. Department of Transportation .

Tens of thousands of deer are killed when hit by cars. Erie Insurance, which keeps detailed records on car vs. deer claims, says the number of claims increased from 23,000 in 2000 to 26,000 in 2001, up 16 percent. That company alone spent $50 million on car/deer accidents in 2001, the vast majority of their claims in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In spite of lots of hyped movies and media coverage, the Florida Museum of Natural History reports that sharks killed five humans in 2001, down from 12 in 2000. In the United States, alligators and crocodiles have killed on average one person a year for the past 30 years, says the University of Florida.

While the big bad wolf may be the villain of fairy tales, this animal doesn't even cause a blip on the radar screen when it comes to animal/human conflict. Brad DeVries of the Defenders of Wildlife says there are no records of wolves killing a person in the United States.

But the wolf's "tamer" cousin does not always live up to the motto of man's best friend. From 1979 to 1996, dog bites killed 340 people in the United States, with most of the fatalities involving children 14 and younger, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While Rottweilers and pit bulls were responsible for more than half of those deaths, experts stress that it's not fair to condemn a breed for what's usually the sin of its owner. Dozens of breeds, from dachshunds to Yorkshire terriers have caused deaths.

"Quite likely the kind of person who was an irresponsible owner of a Doberman in the '70s is the same kind of person who is an irresponsible owner of a Rottweiler in the '90s or a Presa Canario in 2002," said Dr. Randall Lockwood, an animal behavior expert.

Most dog attacks, Lockwood says, are predictable and preventable, the result of an owner's failure to properly raise, train, socialize and supervise an animal. That's often the result of the wrong dog for the wrong reason.

"Getting a dog as an offensive or defensive weapon is a lot like having a loaded handgun in the nightstand," said Lockwood. Usually a child, a family member, or a neighbor is the one who gets harmed. In his studies of more than 300 fatal dog attacks over the past 25 years, he says just one was a burglar.

Although grizzlies and black bears are ferocious, the actual number of human deaths from bear attacks is a tame one.

Black bears and grizzly bears killed 133 people in North America in the past century, six more in 2000 and 2001, according to Steve Herrero with the University of Calgary. But each year across the United States and Canada, there are millions of uneventful human/bear encounters.

The current population is about 700,000 black bears, and 60,000 grizzlies on the continent, says Herrero, professor emeritus of environmental science. He's spent more than 10,000 hours studying grizzlies, and has written and produced books and videos on bears and keeping safe if you confront one.

He says the usual reason for injury or death is a too-sudden encounter, when the bear perceives the human to be too close. Usually, he says, in those defensive situations the bear simply growls and runs.

Surviving a confrontation can be accomplished, says Herrero. Sometimes you can just "talk it down" like you would an enraged, out of control human being. If that's not working, there are effective cayenne pepper bear sprays on the market now that give the human enough time to escape. Playing dead can work, he says, but if you have no other choice, and if the bear is being offensive, just attack the bear all you can, with a stick, a stone, a knife, or smack it on the nose. Usually the encounters last two to 10 seconds, but in that time they can inflict terrible injuries, says Herrero.

The number of bear attacks in North America has gone up in the past 50 years, mostly, says Herrero, because more and more people are working, camping, and hiking in what was their turf for many years. Ten people were killed in the 1950s, 14 in the '60s, 22 in the '70s, 27 in the '80s, 29 in the '90s

The critter that humans should fear the most usually is dismissed as a mere annoyance, a pest at a picnic or the pool. But the disease-carrying mosquito, delivering encephalitis, the West Nile virus, malaria, and Dengue fever, makes it far and away the deadliest beast in the animal world. The World Health Organization says mosquitos cause more than 2 million deaths a year worldwide. Another insect, the tsetse fly, kills another 66,000 annually.

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