They may be cute, but these animals are dangerous if you’re not careful when you encounter out!
As you probably already know, the animal kingdom is unpredictable and there are a lot of animals that can attack you when they feel threatened or for other reasons.
In general, all types of animals can be dangerous when you approach them, especially those that live in the wild, but in this article, we will talk about those creatures that are more likely to attack you, even though you have not threatened them at all.
Of course, wild animals usually spend their time in a free and natural environment where they are generally not looked after by people. So, they have created their own habits and behaviors that can be harmful to humans.
Before approaching a wild animal, you should know that there are many reasons that can make them feel threatened, such as if you penetrate their territory, they believe that their family is in danger, you have probably injured them or made a gesture that mimics an act of violence and so on. Or they are simply lost and scared because they are exploring new territories so they can act accordingly.
For example, according to a media case about a bear attack, a couple who explored a mountainous area approached a lost bear to take pictures of him. Unfortunately, the woman came too close to the animal and the bear attacked her immediately because he was scared and felt threatened. The woman died instantly because the bear scratched her abdominal area and she lost too much blood, her organs being completely destroyed. Overall, you should never get too close to see a wild animal because it can attack you, even if you have good intentions.
That being said, here are some animals that are more likely to attack you. Read on for more info!
Polar bears
What many people don’t know about polar bears is that they are hyper-carnivorous bears, which means that their diet contains more than 70% meat. The polar bear is the largest extant bear species, as well as the largest extant land carnivore. Adult males are called ‘boars’ and females are known as ‘sows’, and, in general, males are larger than females. For example, an adult male can weigh between 350 and 700 kg (770–1,540 lb), while females are about half their size.
They are closely related to brown bears, but polar bears have additional body characteristics that allow them to survive cold temperatures, move across snow and ice, and hunt seals (their diet consists mostly of seals). Even though polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time on sea ice, and this species is scientifically known as the ‘maritime bear’.
According to animal experts, polar bears are among the most dangerous animals in North America to approach, because they can attack you if they feel threatened. They have an excellent sense of smell, being able to detect seals up to 1.6 km away. So try to stay away from them, because they can kill and eat almost anything they can catch, even people.
Cougar
The cougar (Puma concolor) is a large cat of the subfamily Felinae. They are native to America and are the most widespread of all large wildland mammals in the Western Hemisphere. This beautiful feline is the second largest cat, after the jaguar. They are considered both nocturnal and crepuscular creatures. According to animal experts, cougars are more closely related to smaller cats, such as the domestic cat, than to any species of Pantherinae, such as tigers and leopards. They feed on ungulates, especially deer, but they can hunt rodents and other small animals as well.
Cougars are territorial and reclusive animals, and they try to stay away from people. However, even though attacks on humans are rare, they can be really dangerous when people enter their territory. In general, they stalk and attack you, so you will have no clue about their presence until they are on top of you, trying to kill you. Males can weigh between 115 and 220 pounds.
Grizzly and brown bears
As I said at the beginning of this article, bears can be really dangerous if they feel threatened, so you should definitely avoid interacting with them and try to not take pictures when you see them on your mountain vacation.
Grizzly and brown bears are actually the same species, but the difference between them is regional, namely, bears found inland are known as grizzlies, and those on the coasts are known as brown bears. According to animal experts, grizzlies are a subspecies of brown bears, Ursus arctos horribilis. However, they have different diets but share the same personality traits, which means that both can be very unpredictable, so you should stay away from them.
Wolves
Wolves (Canis lupus) are actually large canines native to Eurasia and North America. They are the largest extant members of Canidae, and males can weigh about 40 kg (88 lb) and females approx. 37 kg (82 lb). Wolves are closely related to the coyote and the golden jackal.
As you probably already know, the wolf is mainly a carnivorous creature that feeds on large wild-hooved mammals, as well as smaller animals, livestock, carrion, and garbage.
Generally, wolf attacks on humans are rare, because there are fewer and fewer wolves and they actually hide from people. However, if you see one, you should avoid interacting with them because they can attack you if they feel threatened. In addition, adult gray wolf males in North America can weigh up to 100 pounds, which means that they are capable of hunting large prey as well.
Bison
Bison are large ungulates in the genus Bison and the subfamily Bovinae. According to animal experts, there are two extant and six extinct species of bison. What many people don’t know about bison, is that the North American bison is one of the largest bovines in the world that has unpredictable behavior as well. So, you should stay away from them because they can attack you.
American bison have muscular bodies and can weigh from around 400-1,270 kilograms (880 to 2,800 pounds). Even though they usually seem peaceful, lazy, and friendly, the truth is that most of the time they may attack anything, without warning or apparent reason, and yes, even people. Unfortunately, you can’t run from them, and if they want to catch you, they will succeed, because they can move at speeds of up to 56 km/h (35 mph), covering long distances at a gallop.
Wild boars
The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it can be found in many countries around the world. According to animal experts, wild boars are some of the widest-ranging mammals and the most widespread subform. They live in matriarchal communities, which means that their families consist of females and their young (males and females).
The truth is that there are many people who still hunt wild boars and usually try to shoot them in the kill zone because an injured wild boar can be very dangerous and attack the hunter back. That’s how the hunter becomes the hunted.
Alligators
An alligator is actually a crocodilian in the genus Alligator (Alligtoridae family). There are two extant species of alligators, namely the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis). Researchers say that by analyzing fossil remains, there were a lot of species of alligators, but only two remained alive today. More than this, researchers believe that alligators first appeared about 37 million years ago.
An adult American alligator can weigh about 360 kg (790 lb) to 450 kg (990 lb) or more, but it depends on the species and environment. For example, according to the media, the largest alligator ever recorded was found in Louisiana and measured approx. 5.84 m (19.2 ft). Nevertheless, the Chinese alligator is actually smaller with a length of about 2.1 m (7 ft).
However, even though they are less aggressive than the larger crocodile, alligators can be dangerous as well, especially in or near cloudy waters. Their bites are not only painful, but you risk developing an infection that can cause death.
Lions
Well, we all know that lions or other big felines can be really dangerous if you approach them, even if you are at the zoo, because they are, in fact, wild animals with unpredictable behavior. So, even though they live in captivity and see a lot of people every day, they can actually become aggressive if you get too close to them.
The lion is a species in the family Felidae and the genus Panthera. They have a muscular body and a changeable temperament, which means that they can attack you without warning or apparent reason. In general, lions are sexually dimorphic – in other words, males are larger than females, having a bigger mane. They are social creatures, forming groups called ‘pride’.
As you probably already know, females hunt together and their diet consists mostly of large ungulates. Lions are generally more diurnal – and this feature is rare in other big cats.
Leopards
The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera, a member of the Felidae. They appear as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Although they are large felines, their legs are relatively short. According to researchers, both melanistic leopards and jaguars are known as black panthers. Just like any other wild animal, leopards can become aggressive if you come near them.
Most of the time, they hunt at night on the ground, but in the Serengeti, leopards have been observed to hunt by jumping from trees. Of course, they are carnivorous felines that feed mainly on medium-sized prey, such as impala, bushbuck, common duiker, and chital.
Hippopotamuses
Many people don’t know the real power of hippos, but it is very important to understand that they can become very aggressive and attack everything that is standing in their way, from other animals to humans.
The hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic, and ungulate mammal that can be found in sub-Saharan Africa. There are two main species in the family Hippopotamidae, namely the Hippopotamus amphibius and the pygmy hippopotamus. They are the third-largest of all land mammals and the heaviest extant artiodactyl, after the elephant and rhinos.
What is interesting about hippos is the fact that they are actually closely related to cetaceans, such as whales, dolphins, and so on. Researchers say that hippos diverged from cetaceans approx. 55 million years ago.
African elephants
The African elephant (Loxodonta) is actually a genus of two extant species of elephant, namely the African bush elephant (L. africana) and the smaller African forest elephant (L. cyclotis). Nevertheless, both are herbivorous creatures, but their size makes the difference.
Unfortunately, since 2004, both species have been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and fragmentation. It is known that African elephant males, also known as bulls, are aggressive when they feel threatened.
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