This episode of DNews is brought to you by Pacifico Beer.
Sharks: they’re the predators of the sea, but are they as dangerous as everyone thinks?
We’ve got a list of animals way deadlier than sharks - and some of them, may surprise
you.
Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews - and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t petrified of
sharks.
With their tiny, beady eyes and layers upon layers of sharp teeth.
They’re terrifying!
But you know what - in the grand scheme of animals that can kill you, sharks are actually
quite low on the list.
Only a handful of the over 375 different shark species are known for attacking humans, and
while the world sees anywhere from 50-70 shark attacks every year, less than 20 of those
are actual fatalities.
So clearly, sharks are getting a bad rap.
There are animals out there that are way cuter, and kill way more people every year.
Elephants, for example, kill almost 500 people a year - which makes them 10 times more dangerous
than sharks.
And the fact that they’re the largest land mammal, means they can easily crush someone
with their weight.
They’re also known to exhibit unpredictable behaviors, and attack people without warning
- especially during reproductive season.
The same goes for Hippos - another adorable animal that seems harmless, but is actually
super deadly.
They’re responsible for about 2,900 deaths every year, killing more people in Africa
than any other large animal.
They’re a naturally aggressive - and territorial - species, and you might not think it, but
they can run up to 20 mph - faster than a human, with jaws that open 4 feet wide and
clamp down like a sledgehammer.
They could literally chase down a baby and eat it!
Which is ironic, cause baby hippos are one of the cutest things on earth.
Not so cute, are crocodiles - but they’re still deadlier than sharks!
They’re the largest reptile in the world, with the largest bite force ever measured
- up to 3,700 lbs of pressure per square inch.
People have literally been eaten alive by crocodiles (EWWW), and while the American
ones aren’t really known for their aggressiveness - there are certain species in Africa and
Asia, like Nile and saltwater crocodiles, respectively, that attack up to 1,000 people
every year.
Which begs the question: WHY DO PEOPLE STILL GO IN LAKES AND RIVERS?
NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OF THAT.
You have no idea what’s in there!
Snails, for example?
Those seem pretty harmless, right?
NOPE!
Freshwater snails kill up to 200,000 people a year, thanks to Schistosomiasis - a parasitic
worm that snails release into fresh bodies of water.
Anyone who comes into contact with that water, especially in poorer nations, can contract
it.
And once it gets into your veins, it makes its way to your urinary tract and intestines,
laying eggs and causing lifelong problems, including death.
It may only kill 200,000 people a year - but some reports say it affects nearly 240 million
people worldwide.
Making it one of the world’s most deadly parasitic diseases, second only to…malaria.
That’s right.
Of all the animals in the world, mosquitos are BY FAR the deadliest.
These little guys infect over 500 million people every year, killing almost a million
worldwide.
It’s the Plasmodium parasite that lives in the saliva of mosquitos, and travels into
your bloodstream after you get bitten.
The classic symptom is repeated cycles of shivering cold, followed by intense sweating
and fever.
And if left untreated, it can lead to neurological symptoms, respiratory illness, and death.
It’s estimated that a child dies every 1 minute due to malaria, in Africa alone.
I’ll bet sharks don’t seem quite as bad now, huh?
I mean yeah, they might look scary - but at least you know you can avoid them, by just
not going in the ocean.
And that’s more than I can say for mosquitos: nature’s tiny silent killers.
Hopefully, none of this has scared you out of any travel plans you may have - but if
it has, no need to worry!
With Pacifico’s new campaign, you can now travel the world from the comfort of your
home computer.
Underneath every Pacifico bottle cap, you’ll find GPS coordinates to one of 21 amazing
locations throughout Baja, Mexico, and the U.S. west coast.
So the next time you crack one open, just hit up DiscoverPacifico.com on your desktop
computer or mobile phone, enter the GPS coordinates, and from there, you can watch a 1-2 minute
video highlighting what makes each of those spots truly incredible.
In the meantime, let us know what animal you’re most afraid - whether it’s sharks, ostriches,
or maybe even... humans?
That is a valid answer!
Just leave your responses in the comments below - and as always, thank you guys for
watching!