# What is the most dangerous wild animal in England? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375 "2003-07-05T13:51:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![QueenJbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3be4f8/32.png) [@QueenJbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenJbean)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/21 "2003-07-05T19:34:41Z")
Yes - we heathens do tend to be considered as part of Britain šŸ˜‰ I thought about the wildcat but itā€™s relative rarity seemed to mark it as less dangerous to me. After all - if you never see one it wonā€™t attack you. Iā€™ve never heard of a badger attack though . . . ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/22 "2003-07-05T20:05:49Z")
Um, I donā€™t suppose anyone has any actual, you know, statistics or anything. Ignorance is not being fought here. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/23 "2003-07-05T21:29:32Z")
I think it might actually be the common wasp - _vespula vulgaris_, in terms of fatality statistics. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/24 "2003-07-05T21:36:12Z")
The problem is though, **manhattan** , I donā€™t think anyone has been killed by a wild animal in the UK for the last few years. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/25 "2003-07-05T21:36:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Matchka \* > \*\*Isnā€™t there some parasite/predatory worm annihilating the earthworm population in England? (I believe this to be true because I saw a documentary on it a few months back) Given the role of the lowly earthworm, this could be construed as insidiously dangerousā€¦especially if youā€™re an earthworm! \*\* New Zealand flatworms - they destroy earthworm populations almost entirely - they are, at present, limited to certain regions in Britan and I have heard reports that they are now under predation by some of our native fauna (Rove Beetles IIRC), in which case they may just become another relatively unimportant part of the picture. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/26 "2003-07-05T21:38:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > \*\*The problem is though, **manhattan** , I donā€™t think anyone has been killed by a wild animal in the UK for the last few years. \*\* Bitten badly? Scratched? Given a nasty itch? You guys got _anything_ to help us out here? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/27 "2003-07-05T21:43:43Z")
I canā€™t find any evidence that wild animals in the UK hurt _anyone_. Dog attacks and the relevant solicitorā€™s advertisements are common. Apparently Scotland is lousy with black panthers. If there is a breeding population of wild panthers, thatā€™s the most dangerous animal without question. Iā€™ve seen no stories suggesting any panther attacks on humans yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/28 "2003-07-05T21:47:37Z")
I found a story about someone being killed by wasp venom in 1998. Iā€™m pretty sure there will be more recent cases. Not that this necesarily makes the wasp a more dangerous animal than, say, a badger, there are just a lot more wasps and their habitats/food sources overlap with those of humans. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/29 "2003-07-05T21:48:09Z")
Well, I was stung by a bumble bee at Windsor Castle when I was about 8 or 9 and almost pased out (it was a very hot day). Thatā€™s my worst experince with wild animals in England. ---
**Author:** ![QueenJbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3be4f8/32.png) [@QueenJbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenJbean)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/30 "2003-07-05T22:26:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Apparently Scotland is lousy with black panthers. If there is a breeding population of wild panthers, thatā€™s the most dangerous animal without question. _That_ explains why the kitty grew so big!!! But seriously - since we drove the wolves and bears to extinction weā€™ve become pretty tame. I just spent half an hour looking on the BBC website for deaths caused by wild animals. Zilch ---
**Author:** ![QueenJbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3be4f8/32.png) [@QueenJbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenJbean)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/31 "2003-07-05T22:35:18Z")
Sorry for the double post but I just found something!!! Pumaā€™s!!! _All from BBC News_ > [@](#): > > Tales of mysterious beasts abound in the UK, with sightings of large puma-like cats reported from Scotland to Kent. > [@](#): > > Last year, a 20-second video of a black, three-and-a-half foot animal roaming mid-Cornwall was released. > > Mr Thomas hailed the footage as the ā€œbest evidence yetā€ of big cats roaming Bodmin Moor. > [@](#): > > Mr Thomas said: ā€œMany people kept these animals as status symbols, a bit like we collect antiques now, in a way.ā€ > > He said that it became onerous to keep the animals when the laws on dangerous animals changed in 1976. > > ā€œIt was pretty costly and they had to abide by certain regulations. So they threw them out on the heath where there was plenty of food for them.ā€ > [@](#): > > But the Welsh can rest easy - pumas are said to be more scared of humans than we are of them. Well - it sounds dangerous at first lol!!! [![](http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/420000/images/_424775_big_cats3_300map.gif) ](http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/420000/images/_424775_big_cats3_300map.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/32 "2003-07-05T22:40:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Iteki \* > \*\*I was going to say badger as well, although IANE. The question doesnā€™t stipulate who it is dangerous to and I belive badgers are at least _blamed for_ a lot of damage to livestock, spreading disease etc. Otherwise it must be foxes, takes a dozen blokes on horses with guns dogs to take down oen of them! \*\* My take on foxhunting was that it was because foxes were the largest predators you had left in England. They used to hunt lions and bears, then they hunted deer, now they hunt foxes, in a few years theyā€™ll be hunting shrews. Yoiks and awayyyyy! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/33 "2003-07-05T22:45:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\*Bitten badly? Scratched? Given a nasty itch? You guys got _anything_ to help us out here? šŸ˜‰ \*\* Surely, some animal in Britain has at least used some biting sarcasm, causing deeply wounded feelings. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/34 "2003-07-05T22:49:33Z")
Searching for animal attacks uk on google gave me a list of funny stories from Ananova including a woman being attacked by a chicken. There actually was a badger attack article there too! However, most of the hits for ā€œanimal attacksā€ were about people attacking animals ā˜¹ Anyhoo, was just thinking here in Sweden one of (if not _the_)most dangerous wild animals are Elks. Loads and loads of people are injured and killed each year from crashing into them with their cars. Deer may not have the stopping power of an elk, but they surely cause traffic accidents? Insects in cars are also a leading cause of traffic accidents no? ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/35 "2003-07-05T23:21:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by QueenJbean \* > \*\*Yes - we heathens do tend to be considered as part of Britain šŸ˜‰ > > \*\* Ah, but the OP specifically limits the question to _England_ ā€¦ otherwise I would have mentioned the wild cats in Scotland in my response too. Julie šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![QueenJbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3be4f8/32.png) [@QueenJbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenJbean)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/36 "2003-07-05T23:35:08Z")
_Sticks tongue out_ šŸ˜‰ > [@](#): > > My take on foxhunting was that it was because foxes were the largest predators you had left in England. They used to hunt lions and bears, then they hunted deer, now they hunt foxes, in a few years theyā€™ll be hunting shrews. Was this a joke? Forgive me if Iā€™m being incredibly naive when I say - God no Foxes were hunted because it was sport. Any of the BS farmers give you about ā€˜killing their lambs and chickensā€™ is not to be listened to. Most foxes donā€™t grow larger than your average terrier and are far too urbanised to even think about taking on a lamb. I admit that there is the occasional killing of a lamb by a fox - but more from the Eagles nowadays because theyā€™re a protected species so the farmers canā€™t hunt them to extinction ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/37 "2003-07-06T00:23:10Z")
[This animal.](http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/dinos/Megalosaurus.shtml) ## Peace. Well, youā€™ll just have to be a bit more specific with your question next time, now wonā€™t you? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/38 "2003-07-06T00:59:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\*Bitten badly? Scratched? Given a nasty itch? You guys got _anything_ to help us out here? šŸ˜‰ \*\* Since you ask, that would be ferrets, with the ferret legging record being Reg Mellorā€™s of five hours and twenty-six minutes with a pissed off ferret in his pants, sans sub ubi. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/39 "2003-07-06T01:02:29Z")
Thereā€™s _something_ lurking deep in the waters of Loch Ness, I hear. Other than that, I once met a rabbit that gave me a funny look. Wasps are the most likely thing to attack in ordinary circumstances but you have to annoy them first (donā€™t ask me how you annoy a bee). Nettle stings can hurt a bit but youā€™ll be ok if thereā€™s some dock leaves nearby to rub into the sting. But then nettles arenā€™t an animal. I once got bitten by a fish in the sea, believe it or not. Clamped onto my finger and wouldnā€™t let go, I had to slap it to get it off. I donā€™t think there are any ticks or other nasty insects in English woods and I donā€™t think there are any biting spiders. Thereā€™s the occasional mosquito in the south but I think the winter kills them all off every year so thereā€™s not many of them. Seagulls can be a bit in your face if youā€™re eating a bag of chips by the seaside. Big bastards too, but not aggressive generally. Certainly not as aggressive as I am when Iā€™m protecting my food from marauding birds. Iā€™m bigger than them too so they better not try anything. More seriously, itā€™s not true to say that no one has been killed by a wild animal. [This guy](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2509375.stm) got bitten by a rabid bat up in Scotland and died - the first case of rabies in Britain for 100 years. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375/40 "2003-07-06T03:52:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by QueenJbean \* > \*\*_Sticks tongue out_ šŸ˜‰ > > Was this a joke\*\* Well, kinda, though the ridiculousness of foxhunting is kinda what inspired it. And, erm, Iā€™d like to point out that I KNOW deer are not predators. I just threw them in there to make sure you were paying attention. Honest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-dangerous-wild-animal-in-england/186375.md?page=3)