Surprising Truths: Australia’s Deadliest Animal Isn’t a Snake or a Spider

Australia is globally known for its dangerous wildlife, but a recent study reveals a surprising truth. According to data from 2001 to 2021, the deadliest animal in the country is not a venomous snake or a fearsome crocodile—it’s the horse. The study found that nearly a third of all animal-related deaths were caused by horses, most often due to falls. This puts horses ahead of cattle, which ranked second (primarily due to road accidents), and dogs, which were responsible for the third-highest number of deaths.

The country’s infamous wildlife, like venomous snakes, only appear further down the list. Kangaroos, ranking fourth, caused deaths exclusively through road accidents. Snakes came in fifth, followed by bees, whose stings were linked to fatal allergic reactions. Surprisingly, sharks and crocodiles were responsible for significantly fewer deaths over the twenty-year period. Perhaps most astonishingly, despite their terrifying reputation, spiders caused zero documented deaths in Australia during the study period. The last confirmed death from a spider bite was in 1979, before effective antivenom became widely available.

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Source: Telex

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