Jan 14, 2025

10 deadliest animals with the highest human kill count

Siddhartha Jana

The most deadly creatures to humans are mosquitoes, which transmit diseases like typhoid, dengue, and malaria, killing between 725,000 and 1,000,000 people a year.

Source: Canva

About 200,000 people die each year from schistosomiasis, sometimes known as snail fever, which is caused by parasitic flatworms called flukes that live inside freshwater snails.

Source: Canva

Approximately 138,000 snake-related fatalities occur each year, with the most deadly being the vicious and poisonous saw-scaled viper.

Source: Canva

Chagas disease is spread by assassin bugs, sometimes known as "kissing bugs," and it kills about 10,000 people a year, mostly in Central and South America.

Source: Canva

The most deadly species of scorpion is the Indian red scorpion, which kills over 2,600 people a year.

Source: Canva

Ascaris roundworms cause about 2,500 fatalities annually when they are consumed through tainted food or drink.

Source: Canva

Every year, some 1,000 people are killed by saltwater crocodiles, who are apex predators with a maximum length of 6 meters.

Source: Canva

Due to human-animal conflicts brought on by habitat loss and deforestation, elephants—despite their reputation as gentle giants—causes 500 deaths annually.

Source: Canva

Every year, about 500 people are drowned or killed by hippopotamus, which are notoriously violent animals.

Source: Canva

Box jellyfish are among the deadliest marine animals because of their deadly stings and venomous tentacles.

Source: Canva

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