The Predators We Overrate

Sharks, wolves and bears combined kill fewer people in a whole year than mosquitoes do in a single day.

The top 3

1. Sharks: about 6 fatal bites a year: The International Shark Attack File logs roughly 60-70 unprovoked bites and only single-digit human deaths worldwide in a typical year.
2. Wolves: essentially zero: Fatal wild-wolf attacks are so rare that North America recorded almost none across the entire last century.
3. Bears and big cats: dozens, not thousands: Bears, lions, tigers and leopards together cause dozens of deaths a year — real, but a rounding error beside the mosquito.

Sources

• Florida Museum — International Shark Attack File
• Our World in Data

Open the full topic