The "You Just Never Know What Can Kill You!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about five of the deadliest critters you will find on the face of this earth.  Sure, there are the tigers and lions as well as the big snakes that can scare the crap out of you, but there are also five critters that may not be as scary, but are certainly as deadly as those found in the biggest cages of your local zoo.  In one recent year, over half-a-million people died at the hands of another human, but that number pales in comparison to what one of these deadly critters can do to the population of the world.  

The Polar Bear

The first animal is the Polar Bear.  While most deadly animals will protect their territory and their young ones, the polar bear is one of the few animals that will attack humans for food.  Not the food you have in your hand at the time, but for your body.  Luckily they do have a instinctual fear of humans due to a lack of natural exposure, but they can easily overpower a small mammal or a human and their attack is often fatal.  

The Emu

The Emus doesn't prey on humans, but don't care to have humans moving around in their surround- ings.  In the winter of 1932, Australian settlers found acquired lands encroached upon by emu migrations numbering in the tens of thousands.   The large presence of emus made agriculture nearly impossible and sparked what was knnwn as "The Goat Emu War."  Machine guns, bounties and organized parties proved no match for the flightless birds who evaded attacks and left settlers with an awkward truce and miles of barrier fencing.  Are you one who can stand to see a spider?  I find them fascinating, but at times worry they may have gotten me and I can't find them.  

Funnel-web spider

Well, the Funnel-web spider is in the list of deadly creatures of the Outback.  They are the most toxic species of spiders that there are on the planet.  They are attracted to water and are often found near swimming pools.  Most attacks are from the males and the bite can kill a child in hours or an adult in a day.  They were a significant cause of death during early human colonization of their habitats, though anti-venom treatments are fast and effective.  That's provided you know you were bitten and are close enough to a location to obtain the anti-venom.  Another large creature that can be deadly is the Hippopotamus.  

The Hippopotamus

Sometimes known as "River Horses", they are aquatic and live in herds.  They are so dense and heavy that they can walk under- water.  Their calves are frequently targets of crocodiles and adults have been observed engaging in anti-predator behaviors.  These creatures are a threat to wandering and fishing humans with the death toll ranging from 500 to 3,000 a year.  If you see a baby hippo, stay away since they perceive threats to their young as a good reason to attack.  The final deadly creature doesn't bear fangs or claws, but are responsible for the largest number of human deaths related to animals in the past few years.  They have fragile wings and a thread-like proboscis and carry diseases as diverse as dengue fever and Zika virus.  

The Mosquito

The mosquito has spread disease throughout the developing world with malaria being one of the top killers with about 212 million cases in 2015 and 429,00 of those cases resulting in death.  So hard to spot and at times you don't know they are with you until you feel that little prick on the arm or neck.  If you know you are in a locale that may frequent mosquitoes, use a spray before going out in the open.  That may prevent you from being the next victim of the deadly mosquito.  The five deadliest critters I have just told you about aren't necessarily large in size or easy to spot, but be aware of your surroundings wherever you go and try and avoid becoming a victim of a deadly attack.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.