Our planet has a rich fauna. There is a huge variety of insects, mammals, reptiles and other living beings. A person in the middle of this kingdom feels like a ruler, but nature periodically makes it clear that this is not so. Around us there are many living creatures that carry a mortal danger to humans. With far from all of our main enemies, we also represent. That is why you should talk about the most dangerous animal creatures on the planet.

African elephant. Who is the real king of the jungle? Not a lion at all. In fact, this is an elephant - a strong and powerful beast, the largest of all living on land. Harmless at first glance, the herbivore does not even have a single natural enemy, though this role is successfully played by a person. Elephants seem harmless to us, but such an acquaintance usually takes place in a zoo or in a circus. In the same conditions wildlife this animal is deadly to anyone who approaches it closer than a distance of half a kilometer. However, do not think that the elephant will certainly attack anyone who is close. A large animal will closely observe a moving object without attacking. But if the elephant feels threatened, he will immediately join the fray. In addition, these giants have excellent vision, hearing and smell, which allows them to see their enemy in advance. Adults can smell 1600 meters. And the size of elephants does not prevent them from being excellent runners. They can accelerate to a speed of 40 km / h, keeping it at a distance of up to 100 meters.

If one of the representatives in the herd falls ill or is injured, then his other relatives will be next to him until he recovers or dies. This situation is skillfully used by poachers. As a result, the elephant is one of the five most desirable animals for hunters on the Black Continent. However, some authorities even issue official permission to kill a large animal. Such a trophy will cost the hunter 50 thousand dollars. True, permission is given to kill the old elephant, which will soon die a natural death. And the proceeds will go to the conservation fund.

In general, the amazing strength and power of elephants have been known to man for a long time. That is why large animals were used even in military operations. But do not assume that elephants are just a pile of muscles. These are very smart creatures, whose brain weighs as much as 5 kilograms. The level of development of elephants is comparable even to some primates. And hyperaggression in these animals falls on the mating period. During mating season, they produce 60 times more testosterone than usual, which makes males extremely irritable. In addition, there is also a struggle for superiority between individuals. Males are already in a bad mood, and they still need to prove their right to mate. As a result, the elephants injure each other. At such a time, it is better not to get caught in the way of the herd. There are cases when angry elephants trampled hunters and safari participants to death.

African lion. The danger of this beast lies in its agility, strength and speed. Although the tiger is on average larger than the lion, it is this creature that he calls the king of beasts. This is the smartest feline, the only one that hunts in a pack. Such collectivism allows lions to kill prey that is many times larger than themselves. Once the victim is appointed, the lions in ambush wait for the right moment. Predators swiftly attack their prey, while trying to quickly knock it down. This avoids a long chase.

The weight of a lion is on average 180 kg, ranging from 150 to 250 kg. It seems that such a mass does not allow the predator to move quickly. However, when hunting, lions can cover 100-meter distances at speeds up to 80 km / h. These cats can jump over 12-meter chasms by jumping up to a height of 4 meters. There were cases when males jumped over a high fence even with heavy prey in their teeth.

The main enemy of lions is the hyena. Relations between animals are quite complex, saturated with hostility, and even hatred. When fighting for prey, both single and group skirmishes can occur. Although in cartoons and children's fairy tales the lion appears as a kind and fair king of beasts, in real life everything is not at all like that. This predator is very dangerous, including for humans. There are cases when entire prides of lions attacked jeep safari with tourists. The cunning animals even bit through the tires of cars to immobilize them. The man figured out how to protect himself from aggressive lions. The guides turn on audio recordings of the sounds of elephants, thereby scaring away the big cats.

In history, there are many testimonies about man-eating lions. Although the hunting of lions is prohibited, these monsters are allowed to be killed. The most famous murders took place in 1898 in Kenya. There, from March to December, bloodthirsty lions killed 135 employees. railway. At the same time, the animals were huge, more than 3 meters long. It took 8 shots from a Lee-Enfield rifle to kill them.

Jellyfish "sea wasp". This is the most poisonous creature living in the sea. Most of our planet is hidden by water. There are also many deadly creatures hiding in the depths of the sea. Marine life originated three billion years ago, becoming home to many animals, including deadly ones for humans. One of these enemies is the jellyfish Chironex fleckeri, or the sea wasp.

Her weight fluctuates around 2 kilograms. The dimensions of the jellyfish dome are comparable to a basketball. The length of 15 tentacles reaches 3 meters. The size of the creature does not inspire much danger, but its poison is enough to kill 60 people. The dangerous substance is concentrated in the tentacles. Any slightest touch to the skin of a person or other creature immediately leads to the appearance of a severe burn. Jellyfish releases a substance that has three types of effects on the body at once - the skin is destroyed, it is paralyzed nervous system and the heart stops. The hug of the "sea wasp" kills a person in 3 minutes, that's how long it takes for the heart to stop beating.

At night, the jellyfish rests, hiding on the seabed. During the day, she goes hunting, watching for small fish and shrimps. Interestingly, dangerous creatures are not afraid of turtles. After all, those have such a dense shell that the poisonous tentacles simply do not work. And for the turtles themselves, jelly-like creatures are a delicacy.

I must say that the jellyfish poses a mortal danger to the victim if someone gets entangled in its tentacles. This is not so difficult, since the dome itself, like the tentacles in the water column, is hardly noticeable. Having escaped from the deadly embrace, the victim has every chance of surviving. People who have suffered a jellyfish sting say that the pain from the burn is simply unbearable. Rescuers even say that in the event of significant contact of a jellyfish with a limb, it is easier to cut it off than to endure it. hellish pain. And you can meet "sea wasps" along the northern coast of Australia, in Malaysia and the Philippines. Since 1884, this jellyfish has killed over 70 people, mostly Australians.

Inland taipan. This creature is the most poisonous on the planet. The inland taipan is also called the fierce snake. It should not be confused with its family mate, the coastal taipan. The most dangerous snake in the world has a venom that is 180 times stronger than that of a cobra. Only 44 mg of this substance is enough to kill 100 people or 250 thousand mice. The inland taipan lives in the central part of Australia, in eastern Queensland. Outwardly, the snake is not particularly large, adults reach an average size of 1.9 meters. At the same time, the maximum record for this creature is 2.5 meters. These snakes, unlike their coastal counterparts, shy away from people and do not attack first. Snakes prefer to live in old abandoned burrows or deep crevices. The victims of the dangerous taipan turned out to be such by accident, just hitting them through negligence. The number of deaths associated with this snake is small. She lives in remote places where there are no large factories or settlements. Taipan feeds on small rodents. To make them die faster, the hunter stings his prey several times. Taipan does not wait for the painful death of its prey, finishing it off immediately.

On average, a snake injects 44 milligrams of venom during a bite, although the lethal dose is 30 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. As a result, one bite of a dangerous snake can kill a victim weighing up to 1.5 tons. By the name of the creature itself, its poison was given the name typoxin. It is one of the most powerful toxins known to scientists. Influencing the body, it destroys the connections between the brain and muscles, which ends in paralysis. Due to the failure of the muscles of the respiratory organs, they stop working, and suffocation occurs. The antidote will be effective if administered within a few minutes of a dangerous bite. Herpetologists believe that if it were not for its poison, the taipan could become an excellent pet for home terrariums. This is facilitated by the non-aggressive nature of the snake.

Human. A person knows how to show literally the same animal anger, becoming the main enemy of his own species. Make sure of this even just by reviewing history. People launched numerous wars that led to catastrophes in the economy, social sphere and ecology. The result of all this was numerous human casualties. There was even a unique profession - the military. These people actually figure out how best to destroy their own kind. And we are paying for this by actually endorsing mass and targeted killings.

Mankind has learned to cover up its bloody activities with grandiloquent words. They talk about following orders, justifying murder, neutralizing the enemy. But the fact remains that man is the only living being that is capable of revenge, hatred, and sadism.

The saddest thing is that many of the deadly tools of man were invented for completely peaceful purposes. Chinese alchemists accidentally invented gunpowder while looking for the secret to longevity. The unusual powder was originally used for fun, creating fireworks, but then people learned to kill with gunpowder. When the Wright brothers came up with their plane, they clearly did not do it in order to sneak into the territory of other countries and shoot at people there. No one imagined the possibility of transferring the war into the sky. Tesla's scientific developments formed the basis for the creation of the Death Rays, and Einstein's developments served as a source for the creation of the atomic bomb.

Of course, in the history of mankind there was a place for truly peaceful representatives - Jesus, Indira Gandhi, Martin Luther King. But the power of their words each time was not enough to stop the killer people who continue to destroy all life in their path.

Mosquitoes. These mosquitoes kill quite a few people. Although they have tiny sizes, their harmlessness is deceptive. Indeed, among all small insects, it is mosquitoes that carry away the largest number human lives. The mosquito is not dangerous until the moment of its bite, so that a vigilant person can have time to destroy his potential killer.

The danger of mosquito bites lies in the possibility of contracting some kind of infection. The fact is that mosquitoes carry many dangerous and even fatal diseases. This is malaria, various fevers. West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, tularemia. Malaria occupies a special place in this list. This is one of the most dangerous diseases carried by these insects. Even in conditions of timely treatment, about 20% of sick people die.

Mosquitoes don't just kill by carrying infections. In the south of the Sahara and in the outback of Australia, seasonal floods occur. There, excellent conditions are formed for the reproduction and growth of a large number of mosquitoes. As a result, up to a billion individuals unite in terrible flocks. A huge swarm of mosquitoes attacks cows and camels, insects literally suck out all the blood from the unfortunate animal in just 10 minutes.

Sharks. This killing machine is one of nature's most advanced. As already mentioned, the depths of the ocean are home to many dangerous creatures. Even against the background of poisonous and toothed organisms, the shark clearly stands out. This predator has no natural enemies, except, perhaps, its own larger counterparts. Curiously, the largest shark, the whale shark, feeds exclusively on plankton, krill and small fish.

The most dangerous is the white shark. It is about her that the famous thriller by Steven Spielberg "Jaws" tells. Sea killers can reach a length of 6 meters and weigh 2.5 tons. Their speed is up to 50 km/h. For example, the fastest swimmer in the world, Michael Phelps swims 8 times slower. Sharks also have an excellent sense of smell. Thus, their sense of smell somehow compensates for poor eyesight. A shark can smell a drop of blood for 8 kilometers. The danger of predators also lies in the fact that they are almost always hungry. These large fish are also very strong. The largest individuals have a bite force of 1800 kilograms, and in one bite they are able to immediately eat 14 kilograms of flesh.

Sharks are generally quite interesting creatures that have many amazing qualities. Electroreception alone is worth something. There are special capsules of Lorenzini in the head of the predator. Each movement of the body in the water results in a small electric field, and the shark is able to calculate this. The shark's sensitivity allows it to detect voltages of one billionth of a volt. Thus, a predator will hear the beats of a human heart in the water from a distance of 100 meters.

African buffalo (black buffalo). The danger of the buffalo lies in its enormous strength and unpredictable behavior in conjunction with the quarrelsome evil temper. These wild animals kill more than 200 people every year with their hooves and horns. In terms of the number of victims among terrestrial animals, buffaloes are second only to crocodiles and hippos, overtaking even such recognized killers as lions and leopards in this indicator.

The buffalo is a pretty desirable prey for hunters. Together with the lion, elephant, rhinoceros and leopard, it makes up the big five African animals. However, buffalo hunting is a difficult and dangerous undertaking. After all, the animal is not just quick-tempered and violent, it is also very smart and cunning. Buffaloes are able to deceive people who are waiting for them, they bypass them and hide in the bush. Then, from their ambush, these artiodactyls attack careless hunters. Buffaloes can pretend to be dead in order to let potential prey get closer to them.

Although the skin of a buffalo is not as thick as that of an elephant, a large caliber with a bullet weight of 23-32 grams is still used for hunting. Moreover, the animal does not even try to consider its prey and goes on the attack immediately, without delay. The hunter has a few seconds left for a well-aimed shot. If the buffalo is not killed immediately, but wounded, then its behavior will be especially unpredictable and aggressive. So The best way do away with the attacks of the African buffalo - do not meet at all on his way. After all, even in a car, a person cannot feel safe. Adult bulls easily overturn jeeps, vans and even trucks with their huge horns. And do not hope to run away from an angry buffalo, the male can accelerate to a speed of 65 km / h.

Clostridium botulinum. This creation is dangerous for its highest toxicity. Clostridium Botulinum is a spore-forming bacillus that produces botulinum toxin. This makes it possible to call the creature one of the most dangerous on the planet. After all, one teaspoon of such poison is enough to kill the entire population of the United States. Four kilograms of botulinum toxin is generally enough to destroy all of humanity. The effect of this poison is similar to that of the taipan poison. The botulism stick leads to paralysis of the diaphragm, the connection between the muscles and the brain is lost, asphyxia occurs.

And this bacterium is found on all continents, it lives in the ground. She does not care about salty sea water, she exists in the heat of the Sahara and the cold of Antarctica. The microorganism can adapt to any environmental conditions. From human infection, gastric juice saves, which stops the development of bacteria and kills it. If the disputes began to grow, then it will be quite difficult to stop them. Even a 10-minute boil will have a hard time removing these bacteria. The optimal conditions for the development of botulism bacillus is cold canning. If the food is contaminated, just one bite can lead to infection and death within one day. There is no immunity to botulism in humans, nor in any known living creatures on Earth. One gram per kilogram of body weight of a spore-bearing bacillus is enough. To guarantee botulism and later death. So, an adult elephant weighing 5.5 tons will die in 3 days with the use of only 0.005454 mg of this poison.

African army ants. These insects in themselves do not pose a danger, but in their mass they become a deadly weapon of nature. Africa in general is a dangerous place for humans, there are still many natural threats to us there. Among the dangerous fanged and clawed creatures, the Siafu army ants do not stand out. These insects are medium in size for ants, they don't even have eyes. But some of them have wings. They navigate the terrain thanks to their sense of smell. Siafu don't even have a nest, they lead a nomadic lifestyle. Their anthills are just temporary homes. Insects prey on any invertebrates that they meet on the way. Up to 50 million army ants live in one colony. It is hard to imagine that 5 cm insects turn out to be so dangerous for any animals. However, when it comes to the colony, this is the case. Nomads live in central and eastern Africa, having chosen the savannahs and jungles. The colony changes its place of residence every few years, the temporary nest is left in search of better and richer territories.

When these ants begin to move, they form original columns. At the same time, the soldiers protect the workers from danger. The danger of ants lies in the fact that they are also poisonous. During the bite, a toxic substance is released, although it does not have enough strength to kill a large animal. The main weapon of nomadic ants is their jaws. They are so powerful that they can even bite through the thick skin of a rhinoceros. But the multi-million army of these insects can feel the enemy at a distance of 25 meters, what will happen as a result of the attack is hard to imagine.

If one ant attacks a person, then it can still be dropped and trampled. But it is useless to fight the colony. In addition, the nomads are quite smart and even cunning. If you start using a flamethrower against them, then they will go around the fire or even hide, waiting for the attack to stop. Then the ants will attack again. The only way to escape from them is to run. While the Siafu can take down any creature they encounter along the way, they cannot run fast. The victim will be the animal that cannot escape from the hordes of nomads. So sick or injured creatures become prey for ants. In a month, the colony is able to gnaw the carcass of an elephant to bare bones. At the same time, no one dares to approach their prey, except perhaps bacteria.

Not even water can stop an ant attack. Other ant species would stop chasing prey hidden in the water, but the Siafu species is relentless. Adults can hold their breath underwater for 3 minutes, all this time they are still able to bite the victim with their powerful jaws. When ants prey on small insects, they either bite them to death or kill them with their poison. If a large animal becomes the object of persecution, then Siafu with its entire colony either bites it or sneaks into the lungs, making death truly painful.

Most wild animals pose a threat to humans in one way or another. But the most dangerous animals on the planet do not always have large sizes, huge fangs and incredible strength.

Some of these creatures are very small, sometimes outwardly they look attractive and do not inspire fear at all. In this rating, we will talk about the most deadly creatures on the planet, a meeting with which can lead to a tragic ending...

1 African Boomslang Snake

Despite its beautiful coloration, this snake, which lives mainly in the southern regions of Africa, is one of the most dangerous on the planet. She has very large fangs, with which she can easily bite through a person’s leg, protected by clothing.

The boomslang has excellent eyesight, the best among its species, which makes it an excellent hunter. There are eyewitness accounts who saw how this snake caught birds on the fly, hanging from tree branches.

The skin of the boomslang is green or light brown in color, this coloring perfectly camouflages the snake among the grass and wooded areas where it lives, because of this, people often step on it, receiving an unexpected and fatal bite in response.

The poison of this snake is so strong that if it enters the blood, it causes death within two hours. The death from the bite of a boomslang is terrible ... A person literally begins to bleed, blood will ooze from every hole on the body: from the eyes, ears, nostrils and genitals.
And the worst thing about this situation is that the only place in South Africa where you can get an antidote is the city of Johannesburg, in other, less populated cities and villages, there is simply no antidote.

2. Poisonous cone snail

Another representative of the most dangerous animals on the planet is the cone snail, which lives in warm tropical waters. The shell of this clam is very beautiful and inexperienced divers, when trying to pull it out seabed a colorful souvenir for memory, while receiving a strong prick with a sharp, poisonous thorn.

They say that the pain from this injection is simply indescribable, the snail-cone contains the poison conotoxin, which, after entering the bloodstream, causes severe dizziness, nausea, and numbness at the site of the lesion. Half an hour later, death occurs from paralysis of the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. According to statistics, every third victim of a cone snail injection dies, simply because they do not have time to administer the antidote.

3. African hippopotamus

To ignorant people, hippos are perceived as slow and stupid animals that chew grass all day or escape from the heat in the swampy reservoirs of the African continent.

But in fact, according to statistics, in Africa, under the paws of these seemingly harmless creatures, more people die every year than from all other animals combined! Hippopotamuses are territorial animals, and in principle, they don’t give a damn about a person until he wanders into their territory. Unfortunately, hippos hide excellently in the water, leaving only their nostrils on the surface, and people trying to go fishing or just get water often disturb the giant.

And then the outwardly clumsy herbivore turns into an angry death machine weighing 4 tons, with a huge gaping mouth, he rushes to the poor fellow who disturbed his peace. The unfortunate person has practically no chance to escape, the hippopotamus will pursue its victim to the last, until it crushes it with its huge paws.

And after making sure that the offender is dead, he will calmly return to his place in the reservoir and will continue to swim, perfectly disguising himself in the water. Of course, hippos are the most dangerous animals in Africa.

4 Dart Frogs

These deadly, but also surprisingly beautiful frogs live in some regions of Central and South America. The bright yellow, red or orange coloring of these creatures attracts attention, but in no case should you touch the poison dart frogs with your bare hands.

When danger arises, the poison dart frog emits the strongest poison of animal origin - batrachotoxin, which can kill a person. There are only 10 species of poison dart frogs, of which only three are deadly. And the most poisonous species is Phyllobatesterribilis (terrible leaf climber).

With the poison of these frogs, local Indians processed arrowheads and spears, with the help of which they hunted animals and repulsed warring tribes.

The most amazing thing is that these frogs are very small, reaching a length of 2-5 cm and at the same time weighing only a few grams. These one of the most dangerous animals on the planet develop their deadly poison by eating a certain type of tropical beetle.

5. Bicolor Bonito

A two-color bonito, or as it is also called, is a yellow-bellied sea snake, one of the most beautiful and. This creepy creature lives in the sea and can hunt at any time of the day. She does not attack a person herself, but if she gets close enough to her, then the bonito will definitely attack.

The most terrible thing about this snake is its poison, which can lead a person to a monstrous death.. Not only is the bonito toxin several times more powerful than cobra venom, one drop of it can easily send three adult men to the next world.

After a bite, the poison causes paralysis of the respiratory system and it becomes very difficult for the victim to breathe, but this is not the worst thing. A person simply cannot move, any slightest movement is given by unbearable pain in the muscles. Intolerable suffering can easily cause shock and death of the bitten.

Before the arrival of doctors and the introduction of an antidote, only artificial respiration and cardiopulmonary resuscitation can save the victim. Many people who were rescued after being attacked by the two-colored bonito later complained of excruciating muscle pain, even months after the bite! The two-colored bonito takes pride of place in the ranking of the most dangerous animals on the planet.

6. Blue-ringed octopus

A born killer, the pygmy blue-ringed octopus attracts the attention of divers with its bright and colorful coloration. But in fact, one must stay as far away from this deadly creature as possible.

The poison of this creature is an "explosive" cocktail of various powerful toxins: tetrodotoxin, serotonin, taurine, dopamine, etc. After the defeat, the victim has only 5 minutes to scream and ask for help, after which paralysis will come and the person will not be able to move.

The only way to save the victim is to immediately perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and do chest compressions before the arrival of doctors. In most cases, death occurs from cardiac arrest and suffocation.
If help is not provided on time, a person can survive, but at the same time, he risks losing his sight or even remaining paralyzed.

7. Bicolor Thrush Flycatcher

If you are suddenly lucky enough to be in the jungle of Papua New Guinea, try to look up more often, because among the crowns of tropical trees the most poisonous representative of the feathered family can flutter - a two-colored thrush flycatcher or a two-colored pitohu. This is the only poisonous bird species on the planet.

The feathers and internal organs of the flycatcher contain the poison batrachotoxin - the same as that of poison dart frogs.

If you just touch the feathers of this beautiful, bright bird, you can get a severe chemical burn, itching and irritation on the skin, but if there are small wounds or cuts on the hands, a large amount of poison that has entered the bloodstream may well cause death from paralysis. Scientists call the flycatcher "flying poison" and consider the toxin it releases to be one of the strongest on the planet.

8. Yellow Palestinian scorpion

This arachnid inhabitant of the hot deserts of Africa and Asia, with its toy appearance and small size, does not inspire fear, but rather causes only disgust and disgust. It looks like a child's toy due to its unusual acidic green-yellow coloration. But this representative of the animal world is extremely dangerous!

They say that it was this scorpion, because of its aggressiveness, that inspired the creators of the game "Mortal Combat" to introduce a character called "Scorpion" into the game. He is quite capable of being the first to attack and sting a person who did not even disturb him.

The poison of this deadly creature is so strong and terrible that during a bite a person experiences indescribable pain, “as if the claws of a beast are tearing living flesh”, and the strongest, unbearable pain is worse than the bite of any other creature on the planet. If timely assistance is not provided to the victim, a person may die within a few hours after a scorpion attack from paralysis or pain shock.

People who were lucky enough to survive after meeting this, one of the most dangerous animals on the planet, spoke of severe headaches and joint pains that did not let them go for many months after being bitten.

9 Puffer Fish

One of the most dangerous marine life on the planet is the puffer fish, whose deadly poison can easily kill a person. But the most interesting thing is that this fish is much more dangerous after death than during life. Fugu dishes are considered a great delicacy in Japan, they are obscenely expensive, and they are eaten by real extreme people.

Chefs who prepare food from puffer fish go through a long training and receive a special license. In the past, if the cook made a mistake in cooking and the visitor who tasted the dish died, the cook had to finish the rest of the meal or commit ritual suicide.

The venom of this sea creature contains two deadly toxins - saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin, which by themselves can kill an adult, and their combination turns into just a deadly cocktail.

In the ocean, the puffer fish has almost no enemies, even such marine predators at the top of the food chain as sharks try to avoid meeting this small fish. And only a person is ready to eat it in order to "tickle his nerves", risking an incredibly painful death in the event of an inept cook's mistake.

10. Terrible killer caterpillar or Lonomia

Why do you think Lonomia, one of the most dangerous animals on the planet, only got to the end of our rating? Yes, because, despite its harmless appearance- is one of the most scary creatures on the planet, left it "for dessert".

In principle, people have long known about the existence of this caterpillar, which perfectly camouflages itself under its surroundings. But the attention of scientists, this creature began to attract the last 20 years, during which time the killer caterpillar killed several hundred people in Brazil alone. Previously, there were no cases of Lonomia attacking a person.

Lonomia stings a person almost painlessly and one bite of it is not capable of causing serious harm to the body, but traveling through the rainforest, you can accidentally touch this disgusting creature more than once and then the consequences will be very serious ...
Several dozen Lonomia bites can lead to kidney failure, destruction of red blood cells and, as a result, profuse internal bleeding.

And to make the victim even “happier”, then the blood will simply stop clotting and will ooze from the eyes, ears and nostrils, dooming the victim to a painful death. Scientists still cannot understand such a strange behavior of these caterpillars, which have never sting a person before.