Yesterday I talked about 20 August being World Mosquito Day. If you read yesterday’s entry, you’ll remember that some authorities think the mosquito is the most dangerous animal on Earth. Well, I just read a USA Today article that confirms that may be the case….
The animals that roam the Earth aren’t always the most peaceful — especially those that we categorize as “wild” animals. According to a study done by Utah State University’s Department of Wildland Resources, over 47,000 people in the United States seek medical attention after being attacked or bitten by wildlife every year.
So what’s the one animal that outranks all others in terms of danger? Of course, if you read yesterday’s blog, you already know the answer, but for the others, mosquitos are the deadliest animals in the world, killing an estimated 750,000 to 1 million humans yearly. Mosquitos can carry lethal diseases like malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus and Zika virus — and — there are 110 trillion mosquitoes on the planet — 16,000 mosquitoes for every one person.
So there you have it…. and you may havre read it here on “What Would Jimmy Do?” first — watch out for the mosquitoes.
For the sake of completeness, I should pass along that the most aggressive animal in the world is the Nile crocodile — mostly because it considers humans a “regular part of its diet.” At least a Nile crocodile is a little easer to spot than a mosquito — they weigh up to 1,650 pounds. Fire ants and hippos make up the second and third spots on the list of aggressive animals.
Be safe — it’s a dangerous world out there….
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