What Is the Most Dangerous Animal in the World?

Box jellyfish are widely publicized to be the most venomous creature in the world, but the real honor goes to geography cone snails (Conus geographus), which need only about one-tenth as much venom as a deathstalker scorpion to kill the same prey.

These tiny shelled marine creatures live in the reefs of Indo-Pacific region and don't come across a lot of humans, so it's pretty rare for them to kill humans. However, there are about 30 recorded deaths of divers thanks to this deceivingly cute venomous species.

In fact, 65 percent of people "stung" by cone snails will die if they don't make it to the hospital on time. Currently, there's no way to treat their potent venom; the patient just has to be strong enough to hold on until enough venom wears off.

You see, geography cones are the most venomous of the 500 known cone snail species, and have about 200 potent neurotoxins to choose from when concocting a deadly venom. When they're ready to hunt, they sting their prey using a "harpoon-like tooth," which delivers a dose of painkiller-like venom that is said to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Try getting back to the surface under those conditions!

All that said, the box jellyfish (particularly the Australian box jellyfish) comes by its reputation honestly and kills many more people per year than the geography cone snail. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration considers them to be the most venomous marine animal in the world.

Dozens, sometimes more than 100 people around the world, die thanks to the tentacles of the Australian box jellyfish every year, 20 to 40 of which are in the Philippines alone. Fortunately, there is an antidote to the venom, although survivors are generally left with significant scarring.

Itty-bitty mosquitoes might not try to feast on your flesh like some predators do, but make no mistake, they are one of the most dangerous animals in the world. This is because mosquito bites carry pathogens to humans that are ultra-deadly, including diseases like encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue fever, malaria, West Nile virus, the Zika virus and others. Between these diseases, more than 725,000 people die every year, with another 700 million sickened.

Mosquitoes earned this dubious title long ago because they are disease vectors. These are living organisms that ingest dangerous microorganisms when they feast on an infected person or animal. Without disease control, they then transmit the microorganisms into their next meal source and can keep doing so over and over again.

Sadly, the World Health Organization says that many of the deaths mosquitoes cause are preventable through protective steps like mosquito nets and bug spray, but are often hindered by various cultural and socioeconomic factors. Even a person who doesn't die from mosquito-borne disease is likely to endure significant suffering, possibly lifelong disabilities.

Whatever you do, do not wander into a hippopotamus' territory: water. They will not like it and you could be in for a world of hurt. These ultra-territorial African giants held the title of deadliest animal on that continent for years, and they wouldn't hesitate to defend their territory from other animals or people. They'll even flip over boats if they're so inclined!

Hippos kill about 500 people every year in Africa, according to National Geographic, and they don't even have to bite a person with their 2-foot (61-centimeter) long teeth to get the job done. They can easily crush a person under their up to 9,900 pounds (4,500 kilograms) of girth. So, if you're in Sub-Saharan Africa or Colombia anytime soon, keep an eye out. Real-life hungry-hungry hippos are not nearly as cute as the game.

We already mentioned hippos kill humans, but they've got nothing on this next aggressive animal. We're talking about the croc. Whether it's the saltwater crocodile, the Nile crocodile or some other species, crocodiles take the title of "most aggressive" animal in the world.

In particular, saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) don't even need to be provoked to go after a human. These enormous (up to 23 feet [7 meters] in length), foul-tempered predators consider anything that they set their sights on to be fair game. And when humans come close to their territory, all bets are off.

Saltwater crocodiles, which live in the Indo-Pacific region of eastern India, Southeast Asia and northern Australia, also have the strongest bite of any animal on Earth, and are responsible for several dozen attacks on humans every year.

But it's the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) that has a reputation for the most attacks on humans annually. Though researchers in 2019 analyzed 67 years of crocodile attacks on people in South Africa between 1949 and 2016 and found 214 verified, unprovoked attacks — most of the wild encounters were in rivers and most victims were young boys.

Some people confuse the Nile crocodile for the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), a federally threatened species in Florida. There has never been a report of of any humans killed by an American croc in the wild. Just be sure not get the two mixed up. And best to steer clear and be aware anytime you're in a place the largest crocodiles call home.