Here are 8 of Russia's most dangerous animals.
Find out what deadly beasts lurk in the largest country on Earth.
Number 8: The Common Northern Viper These venomous creatures are found throughout
Russia and inhabit a wide variety of terrain.
Typically black in color, the common northern viper can reach up to 22 inches in length.
Its fangs, however, are only 0.15 inches long (or 4 millimeters); not enough to penetrate
jeans or even shoes.
If bitten, antihistamine will prevent any further illness.
Northern vipers have been known to be deadly to children, as they crawl into small spaces
during colder periods.
These snakes will hiss when a person is 3-4 meters away, leaving you ample time for escape.
Because of this, human attacks and fatalities are uncommon.
Experts suggest stomping your feet loudly if you see one with hopes of the vibration
driving them away.
Number 7: Ticks These dreaded pests are the scourge of travelers
all over the world, especially Russia.
Microscopic in size (with some measuring a mere 0.2 millimeters long), these abominable
little beasts live along footpaths and animal trails in the more arid regions of Russia,
waiting to pounce on any passing prey.
Once it spots you, it burrows deep into the skin and launches it’s deadly probes into
the blood vessels of its victims.
This leads to cases of encephalitis (or swelling of the brain) and Lyme disease (another potentially
life-threatening infectious illness).
In 2009, a woman living in Houston, Texas, contracted chronic Lyme disease after visiting
her family in Russia.
Upon her return to her home country to seek medical help, she was astonished at how cutting
edge the medicine treatment was for herself and her daughter, who had also contracted
the vicious illness.
Thankfully, she and her daughter recovered.
Doctors advising on her case, however, recommend that if traveling through wooded areas or
marsh lands, travelers should be wary of any permanent black spots on their skin and that
they should be admitted to a hospital immediately if one is discovered.
Number 6: The European Black Widow Also known as the Karakurt spider, this menacing
creature is one of the 10 most dangerous spiders in the world and is known to have an extremely
fatal bite.
It's predominantly found in the Astrakhan region of Southern Russia, although it has
been known to turn up almost anywhere including as far north as Moscow!
These black-bodied spiders usually contain 13 scary looking red spots on their abdomen.
If bitten, you can expect searing pain in as little as 15 minutes, which will eventually
spread to your body and chest; causing death if left untreated!
Hunters suggest holding a burning match to the bitten area if you are in the wilderness,
as this can kill off any poison.
Otherwise you may find yourself in serious trouble if you cannot reach a hospital in
time.
Only the female’s bite is dangerous as the male’s fangs are too short to penetrate
human skin.
The European black widow is often found in moist ravine slopes, but have often proved
dangerous in areas where grain is gathered.
In 2004, a large population of these spider’s swarmed into Kazakhstan, causing death and
destruction to camel farmers in the Mangistau region.
Over 180 animals were killed along with 2 nearly fatal human bites due to the fact that
there were no vaccines available.
Number 5: The Russian Gray Wolf The Russian gray wolf (or Eurasian wolf) may
look like a cute dog, although they're anything but!
As the most common predators found throughout Russia, they are the oldest of the Old World
wolves and can weigh up to 86 pounds (or 39 kilograms).
With short, tawny fur coloring, the Russian gray wolf can even be found on the country's
vast island networks!
Living in packs, these wolves have often been dangerous to man.
In Old Russia, one of the most common forms of punishment was to leave criminals tied
to tress in the woods for them to be devoured by these feral creatures!
Attacks often take place in spring when food is scarce.
Hunters advise that if you become a target of a wild pack, you should climb the nearest
and tallest tree available to avoid being eaten!
Over a 10-year span from 1944 to 1954, the people of the Kirov region suffered a series
of vicious attacks by the Russian gray wolf, resulting in the deaths of 22 children between
the ages of 3 and 17.
Number 4: The Siberian Tiger The Siberian tiger—also known as the Amur
tiger—has become an endangered species as of 2007.
This beautiful yet deadly creature lives along the banks of the Amur and Ussuri rivers in
southeastern Russia.
Weighing up to 750 pounds (or 320 kilograms), they are larger than their southern counterparts
and can even grow larger than lions on occasion.
If approached, they become extremely aggressive, with night vision 5 times greater than that
of humans.
Cases of attacks are rare but often result in death.
One of the famous cases occurred in the Syr-Darya region in the 19th century when a military
officer walking through reed thickets was devoured by a hungry Siberian tiger.
These fear-inducing animals are often known to wander into villages and maul people, with
various cases reported of tigers attacking while also being held in captivity.
Number 3: The Russian Brown Bear The Russian brown bear—also known as Mishka—is
a strange and lethal creature that leaps onto its prey’s back at speeds of up to 31 miles
per hour.
The Komchatka brown bear—as it is fondly known—is a direct ancestor of the Kodiak
Bear, the largest known bear on the planet.
While standing on its hind legs, the Russian brown bear can reach 10 feet in height and
carry a weight of up to 1,400 pounds – more than enough to overpower any known man.
They can also kill with one fatal swipe of their paws that are armed with razor sharp
claws!
Known attacks are rare, as only 1% of sightings result in an attack.
This is due to the fact that the Russian brown bear is easily scared off by the slightest
human presence.
In July of 2008, an unfortunate mining compound in Kamchatka Krai came under vicious attack
by a group of 30 hungry Russian brown bears when they laid siege to the miners's workplace!
Food was scarce that year and the brutal episode led to the deaths of 2 guards and workers.
Their families were unable to leave their homes for days.
Hunters were eventually brought in to chase the starving creatures away.
Number 2: Polar Bears Just like their furry brown counterparts,
these bears strike fear in the hearts of many.
Male polar bears can reach monstrous weights of up to 1,500 pounds.
Living largely in areas of open water and ice where they hunt for seals, these agile
and speedy creatures will attack humans if provoked and hungry.
Their killer claws and perfect camouflage make them extremely lethal.
They're known to sneak into the fishing villages of Chukotka, looking for the slightest scraps
of food to devour.
Unfortunately, these gorgeous but deadly creatures remain endangered in the region.
But this has not prevented the World Wildlife Fund from issuing concerned warnings that
poaching will increase due to shrinking ice in and around Chukotka.
One such brutal polar bear attack case took place earlier this year in Cape Schmidt, when
a polar bear wandered into town and became fixated with a woman, who tried feeding it
chicken bones.
A man standing nearby attempted to help her by throwing a dog towards the starving bear!
After being brutally pinned down, the dog miraculously escaped by crawling under a nearby
garbage bin.
The polar bear then proceeded to attack the woman, who eventually wriggled free and escaped
with minor bruises and cuts.
This was an uncharacteristically lucky escape by an individual and the beast was eventually
chased away.
Number 1: The Giant Russian Boar These fearsome creatures are regarded as being
even more dangerous than bears.
Largely found in the watery and marshy terrains of the Amur region, the giant Russian boar
has not only been known to attack people, but cars as well.
While bears have excellent vision and are wary of humans, boars have poor eyesight and
cannot see a person standing only 15 feet away, which often leads to an attack with
little provocation!
They do, however, have a superb sense of smell, which they use to find food sources buried
underground.
Using their tusks to cause penetrating injuries when threatened, human attacks have often
resulted in fatal wounds to the thighs and lower abdomen.
In 2015, Peter Manimov of Chelyabinsk decided to set foot into the forest to search for
a behemoth boar that had been spotted nearby.
After days of tracking, he came upon it and was amazed at the sight of the 1,100-pound
monster!
After laying bait for the boar, Peter came face-to-face with his worst nightmare.
He was charged by the creature and escaped unharmed, which led him back into the village
of Shokorov to find the aid of another hunter.
They searched for days...and when their paths crossed once more, Peter managed to wound
the animal with his rifle.
But despite its injury, he was charged by the beast yet again.
RussIn the end, a third shot brought an end to the misery, and so heavy was the dead animal
that they had to drag its body into town using a jeep in order to show off their trophy to
the townsfolk.