# Which animal has killed the most humans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441 "2014-05-01T15:06:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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 1, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/61 "2014-05-01T23:27:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The internets are full of noise on the subject, but most sites report 2900 deaths by hippo each year, 2500 or less for crocs, less than a 1000 for puff adders. If you lump together all snakes they may win. “Crocs” also = multiple species. The biggest killer by far appears to be the Nile Crocodile, but precise statistics are lacking. This [table](http://www.iucncsg.org/pages/Crocodilian-Attacks.html) puts attacks at over 300 a year with a 63% mortality rate in attacks ( which would almost certainly be a higher rate than most venomous snake when you factor in “dry bites” - Black Mambas might beat them though ). 2500 deaths however seems unlikely based on those numbers. But let’s assume that is correct. Hippos do get cited at ~3,000 a year, which is a lot ( though I’m curious where the original citation comes from ). But very recent studies have indicated that snake bites and fatalities are vastly under-reported in the old Third World. A more recent estimate of mortality in India alone was 46,000/year. Of those the great majority would be by the above ‘Big Four’ - even if those guys only accounted for 30,000 of those fatalities and you then divided that evenly by the four ( but it wouldn’t really work that way of course ), you’d get 7,500/species. I think any of several species of snake are in the race for the top of the list for vertebrates. I wouldn’t be surprised if they fill out the top five slots. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/62 "2014-05-01T23:44:07Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > Wouldn’t that be “Agent 31573”? She was a cow, wasn’t she? > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Sorry, it was a [classical reference.](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283867582736480455/) And mine was a\*\* calculator\*\* reference… ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/63 "2014-05-02T02:31:18Z")
Dragons. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/64 "2014-05-02T02:40:54Z")
Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, is a protozoan, and to me, that’s close enough. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/65 "2014-05-02T02:45:24Z")
I once read a book about snakes that listed several reasons why we fear them and ended the list with “and of course there is the fact that a bite from a venomous species can lead to a rapid and dramatic death.” Thanks guys, I’m going to irrationally check my windows and door locks again and then try to not have nightmares about a dramatic death from the bite of a viper. ---
**Author:** ![turtlescanfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@turtlescanfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtlescanfly)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/66 "2014-05-02T02:56:48Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Thank you. So far, just about everyone has been interpreting the question to be “Which animal _species_ has killed the most humans?” But I couldn’t help wondering what the answer would be if you interpreted it as " **Which individual animal has killed the most humans?"** This was how I interpreted the OP. I was actually very surprised to see people listing _species_ instead of individual animals. Anyone have any cites for how many Christians were thrown to the lions over the years? Anyhow, I’m now off to read more about that tigress that killed 400+… ---
**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 2, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/67 "2014-05-02T06:10:02Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > The Puff Adder probably takes first place in Africa …and since I was responding only to the issue of African animal deaths, that’ll do for me. > [@TriPolar](#): > > But for one species Puff Adder isn’t going to do it. Nope, worldwide it’d likely be the Russel’s, like Tamerlane said. But unless you have cites more scientific and recent than the work I cited, it’s clear that snakes have crocs, carnivores and large herbivores beaten by at least an order of magnitude, and since puff adders are \> 50% of African snakebite fatalities, I’m confident I was right the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Echo\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Echo\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Echo_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/68 "2014-05-02T09:34:00Z")
> [@turtlescanfly](#): > > Anyone have any cites for how many Christians were thrown to the lions over the years? [Not many.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2841/were-christians-really-thrown-to-the-lions) ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/69 "2014-05-02T12:57:58Z")
[Deer kill about 200 people in the US in vehicle accidents each year](http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/10/24/267786.htm). (That’s the people driving the vehicles, not the deer. Just to clear things up). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/70 "2014-05-02T13:57:34Z")
I don’t know about other parts of the world, but in Yellowstone, bison lead the tally for direct kills. Yes, ahead of wolves and both species of bear. This is probably mostly due to idiots who think that just because they’re herbivores, they’re harmless. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/71 "2014-05-02T14:20:20Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > The OP asks “which animal has killed the most humans?,” not which animal is responsible for the most human deaths. There’s a difference. > > Mosquitos don’t kill humans. They deliver parasites that kill humans. > > Cows don’t kill humans in any appreciable numbers. Even if obesity is considered a cause of death (a debatable point), and even if eating beef is a significant cause of obesity (a debatable point), that’s still not a case of cows killing humans. Humans killing themselves, maybe, but not cows killing humans. Are hamburgers made from cows anyway? AFAIK cow meat is only good for dog food. The beef we eat comes from bullocks or steers. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/72 "2014-05-02T14:32:33Z")
McDonalds hamburgers are made from a mixture of fatty steer meat and lean cow meat. This allows them to precisely control the fat content, and is less expensive for them. It doesn’t really matter, though, since we’re talking about species here, not sex, and “cow” is also the common general term for _Bos taurus_. ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/73 "2014-05-02T14:46:14Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I’m going to go with cows. Hamburgers lead to obesity which leads to heart disease which is the #1 killer in the world today. Why hamburgers and cows? The most major change in diet that could account for obesity epidemic in the last century is the widespread availability and affordability of simple sugars, NOT protein. “Cows” is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/74 "2014-05-02T15:17:16Z")
> [@Batistuta](#): > > Another vote for mosquitoes here. > > Although it could be argued that rats killed a larger proportion of the human population than mosquitoes back in the day (The Black Death and all that) There was an article just a few weeks ago that said there’s evidence the Black Death was airborne so the rat theory is falling out of favor. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/75 "2014-05-02T16:53:52Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > We can just decide that ourselves eh? Ok, it has to be direct, not just carrying a disease. > > I’ll stick to cows. > > 1.4 billion people worldwide are obese. […] Even apart from the issues others are pointing out, I’m not seeing how humans dying of effects of obesity would count as “direct”. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/76 "2014-05-02T17:04:03Z")
A case could be made for locusts, causing massive starvation by competing with man for available food resources. Not as high on the list as mosquitoes, but certainly more than large predatory mammals. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/77 "2014-05-02T17:44:09Z")
Klingons. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/78 "2014-05-02T18:35:20Z")
Not really sure how this should be answered. I mean, I saw a chart just the other day showing how bees and mosquitoes have killed more humans than sharks have (I think the chart was made in “defense” of sharks). But bees generally can’t kill you unless you’re especially vulnerable or are hyper-sensitive to their venom or you get stung by 100s or 1000s of them at one time, so far as I know. And mosquitoes? No mosquito alive can kill a human, that I know of. At least not directly. So, to me, those don’t really count. When I think of an animal killing a human I think of one that can actually attack you and stomp on you or tear you to shreds or eat you. Anyway I don’t think this question has been formulated very well and even if it had been in the entire history of human existence is it really possible to know the answer to it? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/79 "2014-05-02T18:56:23Z")
> [@AnthonyElite](#): > > Why hamburgers and cows? The most major change in diet that could account for obesity epidemic in the last century is the widespread availability and affordability of simple sugars, NOT protein. > > “Cows” is wrong. It’s a cow-spiracy. > [@ZenBeam](#): > > Even apart from the issues others are pointing out, I’m not seeing how humans dying of effects of obesity would count as “direct”. See the comparison above about beef vs aids. _looks up dramatically_ COOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWSS! ---
**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 2, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/80 "2014-05-02T19:47:13Z")
> [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > There was an article just a few weeks ago that said there’s evidence the Black Death was airborne so the rat theory is falling out of favor. Just to be clear plague is clearly associated with rats as the semi-stable zoonotic reservoir. The argument has always revolved around whether the rapid transmission throughout Europe during the Black Death was associated with infected rodents spreading the disease. A lot of arguments ( good ones ) have been put forward that particularly in England there just isn’t good evidence for that type of transmission. The latest info to come out has supported the hypothesis that the Black Death seems to have been at least in part a virulent [pneumonic plague](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonic_plague) outbreak with rapid human-to-human transmission and very high mortality rates. But it is without a doubt that the plague originally started _somewhere_ as rodent-transmitted [bubonic plague](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubonic_plague). It’s the same causative organism, just in different stages of infection. So those filthy rats ( really their filthy fleas ) did start the ball rolling at some point. And you can’t even blame the poor flea - plague is killing them as well by functionally starving them. Poor little blood-sucking fleas :(. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441.md?page=5)