The 10 most dangerous animals in the world

Rhinos, hyenas, alligators - devastating human predators, right? Wrong! Though an attack by one of these beasts would surely mean bad news, they're statistically least likely to kill a human. Check out the most deadly animals in the world, discover how they mete out their punishment and, most importantly, find out how to avoid them!

No 6: The elephant

Despite their friendly and approachable image thanks to zoo feeding times, these herbivores kill an alarming amount of people every year. Elephants are unpredictable creatures, and have been known to kill zookeepers who have been with them for as long as 15 years. It is recorded that even the tamest of elephants can attack without warning, though it is thought that most elephants do not realise the harm they do with almost no effort.

Responsible for: An estimated 300-500 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Africa and India.

Method of dispatch: Considering their huge size - the average elephant weighs over 6 tons - they trample and gore using their fearsome tusks and are capable of causing untold amounts of devastation.

Useful avoidance techniques: General advice on avoiding an elephant attack seems to be: don't startle the beast; he is more likely to charge if he feels intimidated. If the elephant seems intent on charging, make as much noise as you can and try to put it off - otherwise scale the nearest tree (large enough so that the elephant cannot knock it down, of course).

Search: Elephants | African elephants | Asian elephants
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