# How Common Are Fatal Wild Animal-On-Human Attacks In (Western) Europe? Japan? Australia/NZ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2024, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242 "2024-04-13T20:36:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2024, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/81 "2024-04-21T11:25:56Z")
I, ahem, was referring of course to the latin octopus, of which many can be found in the Venice canals. (runs away) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/82 "2024-05-02T15:45:46Z")
I hope I am correctly posting the link of a bear attack in Japan; > **[Bear attacks car in Japan, breaks windshield with its paw【Video】](https://soranews24.com/2024/05/01/bear-attacks-car-in-japan-breaks-windshield-with-its-paw%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/)** > > Hokkaido bear comes out of the woods ready to fight. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/83 "2024-05-03T02:54:04Z")
Nobody mentioned killer rabbits? > **[Rabbit of Caerbannog](https://montypython.fandom.com/wiki/Rabbit_of_Caerbannog)** > > The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog had a small but critical role in the Monty Python movie: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was a vicious protector of a namesake cave where the location of the grail is written on the wall. It (comically) was capable... ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/84 "2024-05-03T15:53:35Z")
Expanding the area a bit; baboon attacks are becoming a problem in Saudi Arabia. No deaths but the baboons are capable and have extensively mauled people. [https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/02/16/Man-seriously-injured-in-baboon-attack-in-Saudi-Arabia#:~:text=The%20center%20has%20also%20launched,of%20food%2C%20often%20attacking%20humans](https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/02/16/Man-seriously-injured-in-baboon-attack-in-Saudi-Arabia#:~:text=The%20center%20has%20also%20launched,of%20food%2C%20often%20attacking%20humans). ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/85 "2024-05-03T17:11:33Z")
I had no idea there were (wild) baboons anywhere outside of east Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/86 "2024-05-03T17:26:35Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I had no idea there were (wild) baboons anywhere outside of east Africa. The [hamadryas baboon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamadryas_baboon) is native to the Arabian peninsula, though their range only just edges into Saudi Arabia. However [the town where the attack occurred](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Bahah) just happens to be in that edge. Here’s a [short study on the issue](https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/11/1107) from last year. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/87 "2024-05-10T06:13:18Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I had no idea there were (wild) baboons anywhere outside of east Africa. Chacma baboons are a serious [pest animal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cph0D7Vdjp4) in parts of Cape Town, South Africa. I’ve personally seen a large male (canines as long as my fingers) raid a friend’s kitchen and casually pull the cupboard doors off their hinges like paper, while searching for food. We waited until it was done because those things can seriously fuck you up. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/88 "2024-05-10T06:28:44Z")
I had no idea “baboon” referred to a half-dozen different species (thought it referred to a single species, like the word “bonobo”) so I learned a thing today. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/89 "2024-05-21T16:05:45Z")
Well, this happened in Alaska: > **[Moose kills Alaska man attempting to take photos of her newborn calves](https://apnews.com/article/moose-kills-alaska-man-photograph-calves-3b4aae076c5e29a5d59da9644052cb12)** > > A moose has killed a 70-year-old Alaska man who was trying to take photos of two newborn calves, authorities say. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/90 "2024-05-21T23:56:01Z")
Fatal wild animal attacks in New Zealand are incredibly rare. The only generally wild (and non-native) mammals of sufficient size are wild pigs and deer. Cows, horses, and sheep are a much greater risk. A few red-back spiders (australian immigrants) might cause some pain but no deaths. The extinction of the Giant Moa and the Haast Eagle left NZ devoid of major animal threats. No snakes, either. > **Deaths by animals, 2008-2023 (closed cases only)** - **Horse, pony, donkey, mule, ass** : 13 - **Bee, wasp or other insect, invertebrate** : 7 - **Cow, bull, bovine animals** : 6 - **Dog** : 3 - **Sheep, goat** : 2 - **Lion, puma, panther, cougar, mountain lion, tiger** : 2 - **Shark** :2 - **Deer, moose, antelope, zebra, wildebeest** : 1 - **Elephant** : 1 The death by a deer could well have occurred on a Deer Farm, as well - not domesticated, but farmed. Elephants and big cats were in captivity, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/91 "2024-05-26T06:00:20Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > Horse, pony, donkey, mule, ass “Cause of death: ass” ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/92 "2024-05-26T07:40:10Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > “Cause of death: ass” What a way to go … ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2024, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/93 "2024-06-14T18:38:28Z")
> **[Florida shark attacks caused by heat, not scary orcas, experts say](https://www.livescience.com/animals/sharks/florida-shark-attacks-caused-by-heat-not-scary-orcas-experts-say)** > > People had linked recent shark attacks in the Florida panhandle to orca activity in the Gulf. But a combination of dry weather and heat was the real driving force. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/94 "2025-01-04T16:06:53Z")
More Australian shark attacks: > **[As police search for the body of shark victim Lance Appleby, just how fearful...](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/04/as-police-search-for-the-body-of-shark-victim-lance-appleby-just-how-fearful-should-australians-be)** > > Experts say long term trend towards more shark attacks is partly because of population growth, and that the risk remains low ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/95 "2025-01-04T16:56:22Z")
A mountain lion attacked two boys and killed one. Then it was hunted and shot dead: > **[A Mountain Lion Attacked My Nephews. What Could Have Stopped It?](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/31/magazine/mountain-lion-attack.html?unlocked_article_code=1.mk4.YsTq.QMzPNct9TEiV&smid=url-share)** > > As dangerous encounters in California continue to rise, local residents and wildlife experts are trying to figure out how humans and big cats can coexist. I guess a mountain lion is a puma, right? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/96 "2025-01-04T17:10:00Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I guess a mountain lion is a puma, right? Yes. Also a [cougar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar) and [panther](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_panther). I honestly think it might be the North American mammal with the largest overlap in common names, in the sense that many millions of people in the states will use all four interchangeably for the same critter. Catamount is far less common IME. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/97 "2025-01-04T17:17:47Z")
Yes; other species of pumas are extinct, as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/98 "2025-01-04T17:33:24Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Yes; other species of pumas are extinct, as far as I know Depends if you’re a lumper or splitter - the splitters currently rule the systematic biology playground. The [Jaguarundi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguarundi) was considered to be in the genus Puma until less than a decade ago (well, actually it has wandered back and forth). For example you’ll still see it confusingly listed as both [here](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Puma_yagouaroundi/). Good old Britannica is still sticking with [Puma](https://www.britannica.com/animal/jaguarundi), crusty old traditionalists that they are (or more likely they’re just out of date, as encyclopedias tend to be). ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/99 "2025-01-04T19:48:22Z")
The role of population increase can’t be stressed enough. Australia has [excellent shark attack statistics](https://taronga.org.au/conservation-and-science/australian-shark-incident-database) [if you were not indigenous]. From 1791 to 2018 there were 237 attacks, so about 1ish per annum. In the past decade we are approaching 3 p.a. At the start of the run, the European population of Australia was about 10,000 and its now close to 30 million. Up to about 1900 you were only in the water if you were a fisher or shipwrecked, but after that everyone was swimming and surfing. Until recently many near-urban swimming areas were rank and polluted (not that this stopped anyone dodging the Bondi cigars), but with their being cleaned up there is far greater habitat that sharks like being made available, and on a hot Sydney day there might be a quarter of a million people in the water just in the one city. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242/100 "2025-01-06T19:48:22Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I guess a mountain lion is a puma, right? [Austrian accent] It’s not a puma! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-fatal-wild-animal-on-human-attacks-in-western-europe-japan-australia-nz/1000242.md?page=6)