# Last Person Killed by a Wild Beast in Europe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763 "2005-11-06T06:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/1 "2005-11-06T06:24:54Z")
All over the world people are regularly killed by wild beasts, be it [sharks](http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17152660%255E2682,00.html), [elephants](http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20051105110714209C718769), [crocodiles](http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20050926-08543400-bc-australia-crocattack.xml) , etc. of course humans are the ultimate apex predator, but please bear with me What I’m wondering is if anyone knows when the last time a person was killed in **Europe** by a **wild** beast? Secondarily, are there any wild beasts extant in Europe capable of taking a person? pleae exclude little beasts ala spiders, viruses, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/2 "2005-11-06T06:37:52Z")
There are brown bears in Russia, wolves in Eastern Europe, as well as lynx, wild cats, and foxes. My money would be on someone dying from hitting a deer with a car if that counts. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/3 "2005-11-06T08:30:34Z")
It’s not just eastern Europe that has wolves - there’s packs that live close to both Rome and Berlin, for instance, although various conservation groups’ plans to reintroduce them to Scotland will probably never come to fruition. Italy also has an endangered [unique sub-species of bear](http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,12576,1287786,00.html), and [France](http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30145667.htm) is working to save their bear population too. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/4 "2005-11-06T09:06:03Z")
If the [Svalbard archipelago](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard) counts as part of Europe, then definitely in the last decade and possibly in the last few years. Polar bears don’t kid around. Bears (of the non-polar variety) and wolves exist in many parts of Europe, but in general they avoid people when possible. They are not man-eaters, and not nearly as fierce as their reputation. Are there sharks capable of killing a person along the warmer coasts of Spain, Portugal, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/5 "2005-11-06T09:16:19Z")
From [The Mediterranean Shark Attack File](http://www.zoo.co.uk/~z9015043/medsaf1.html): > [@](#): > > **Latest Fatal Interaction:** 02 February 1989 at 10.30hrs; ISAF Case No. 1996 > **Location:** Golfo di Baratti, near Piombino (Tuscany), Italy. > **Victim:** Luciano Costanzo > **Activity:** Removing biological fouling from cables on the seabed at 27m depth, adjacent to a rocky reef area, when attacked by circa 6m white shark. Victim surfaced and began swimming to support-boat before being circled once and taken subsurface; body not found and assumed ingested; dive gear located with cursory marks attributable to shark’s teeth. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/6 "2005-11-06T13:05:00Z")
Concerning France, there are still _some_ bears in the Pyrenees mountains. I mean some, maybe 5 or 6, and they’re in the process of reintroducing some more coming from the Balkans in order to prevent them from dying out. One was killed by a hunter last year (actually, I think it was the last female of french stock). He said that the bear charged him, but many people doubted it. (by the way, apart from eastern/central europe, there are also some bears in Spain and Scandinavia) The last wolf was killed at the beginning of the 20th century, but they came back spontaneously, from Italy, in the Alps area during the last 20 years. There are very few of them at this point, less than 50, not living in pack, apparently, which surprises me a little. Not a chance that they would kill someone. The worst they do is attacking sheeps. They seem to be growing in number and to spread to neighboring areas, though. That’s all we have in the way of predators. So, I assume the most likely way to be killed by a “beast” in France would be being charged by a boar. These are quite common and can be really nasty if they’re after you, but the risk of it happening is really quite unsignificant. Oh! And there has been something like 5 (or some similarily ludicrously low number) shark attacks in France during the last century. For the record, I learn very recently to my utter surprise that we have had a wild population of…kangaroos :eek: (small ones, I don’t remember their name) for something like 50 years in a forested areas south of Paris. They were imported by someone at some point, escaped and thrived in this area. They aren’t predators in any shape of form but was so surprised that I had to share this information. ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/7 "2005-11-06T13:39:44Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > For the record, I learn very recently to my utter surprise that we have had a wild population of…kangaroos :eek: (small ones, I don’t remember their name) for something like 50 years in a forested areas south of Paris. They were imported by someone at some point, escaped and thrived in this area. They aren’t predators in any shape of form but was so surprised that I had to share this information. That floors me! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/8 "2005-11-06T14:03:05Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > kangaroos (small ones, I don’t remember their name) Wallabies? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/9 "2005-11-06T14:07:04Z")
Are there no poisonous snakes in Europe? ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/10 "2005-11-06T14:30:51Z")
I.e. when was the last time a wolf killed a guy, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/11 "2005-11-06T15:29:34Z")
The newest answer within the spirit of the question, (As I understand it) that I found, is a [bear](http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11127572%255E1702,00.html) in Romania I am sure the literal answer answer is either [dogs](http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw1097676540403B234) or the aforementioned [deer](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/20/ndeer120.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/10/20/ixhome.html) (not necesssarily saying these). ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/12 "2005-11-06T15:31:56Z")
:smack: the romanian story isn’t dated in the link – 10/20/04 is its original posting ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/13 "2005-11-06T15:46:25Z")
There are potentially dangerous wild boars in [Britain](http://www.guardian.co.uk/country/article/0,2763,1215656,00.html) , Germany (roaming through Berlin in many cases), Poland and [Romania](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2236497.stm) at the very least. No idea when the last fatality was. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/14 "2005-11-06T15:53:18Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > Wallabies? Maybe. The only thing I remember is that the name included a “w”. Also, they have to be a able to live in a forested area (I used to assume that kangaroos live in plains). ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/15 "2005-11-06T15:56:12Z")
> [@Operation Ripper](#): > > I.e. when was the last time a wolf killed a guy, etc.? I’m not sure that there are any well documented cases of wolves killing humans, apart from rabid wolves. According to Wikipedia, no known cases in the last 150 years, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/16 "2005-11-06T15:58:15Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Are there no poisonous snakes in Europe? There are adders, at least. But their bite is rarely lethal when treated (and actually quite often not lethal even either when untreated for people in good heath) I vaguely remember having read here that the only european country without poisonous snakes is Ireland. There are also some scorpions and poisonous spiders at least in southern europe, but I don’t know whether they’re really dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/17 "2005-11-06T16:12:58Z")
> [@Crandolph](#): > > There are potentially dangerous wild boars in [Britain](http://www.guardian.co.uk/country/article/0,2763,1215656,00.html) , Germany (roaming through Berlin in many cases), Poland and [Romania](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2236497.stm) at the very least. No idea when the last fatality was. A quick google search (complicated by a large number of mythic and fictionnal characters killed by boars) let me found a reference to a french hunter killed by a boar last year. Also, I reada warning about the danger of being killed by a cornered boar on a site dedicaced to boar hunting. Females boars (whatever their english name) with “kids” (whatever their english name again) are also considered to be potentially dangerous if you come close to them unexpectedly. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/18 "2005-11-06T16:49:37Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > Wallabies? We have (or had them) in England as well [Derbyshire’s Wallabies](http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A786477) There are wild bison in Poland. Although very big I don’t know if they have ever killed anyone. You are probably more likely to die from drinking too much [Bison Vodka](http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=1183) then being savaged by the actual animal. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/19 "2005-11-06T17:30:00Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Females boars (whatever their english name) with “kids” (whatever their english name again) … According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar) , female boars are called sows (same as domesticated pigs) and their young are called piglets (again, same as domesticated pigs). Groups of wild board are called sounders. ---
**Author:** ![Lubber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8baadc/32.png) [@Lubber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lubber)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763/20 "2005-11-06T17:49:15Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > If the [Svalbard archipelago](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard) counts as part of Europe, then definitely in the last decade and possibly in the last few years. Polar bears don’t kid around. Aye, you even have to carry a rifle outside the settlements, I think it’s a rule or law. Since 1971, 4 people have been killed. Not that much considering the bears generally walk in and out of the settlements as they please. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-person-killed-by-a-wild-beast-in-europe/329763.md?page=2)