What scavenger can actually chase you down at speeds of more than 35 miles per hour?
Which snakes are the most treacherous in all of Africa?
Find out as we look at the Most Dangerous Animals In Africa.
#13 Rock Python Among the top six largest snakes in the world
is the African rock python.
Reaching lengths exceeding 20 feet, this great serpent is capable of constricting and eating
prey as large as antelopes and even crocodiles.
Attacks on humans are rare, but they do occur.
As potential pets, they run the risk of mistreatment or malnourishment and will become a danger
to humans if they escape captivity.
But in the wild, they can be equally vicious as mother rock pythons will behave with extreme
aggression against those who wander too close to their nests.
#12 Emperor Scorpion Averaging nearly 8 inches in length, the monstrous
emperor scorpion is a titan among its kind.
Its ominous onyx carapace grant it a natural stealth, making it much harder to avoid the
sting of this arachnid in the wild.
Fortunately, this species doesn’t pack a punch capable of ending human life in its
venom, with emperor scorpion stings being more akin to bee stings: painful, but only
lethal to those who are allergic.
That doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you though.
Between its somewhat mildly venomous tail strike and its huge front claws, the emperor
scorpion can easily break skin and draw blood if agitated enough.
You’ll be safe, though, as long as you have a black light.
The ultraviolet light emitted from such a source will cause emperor scorpions to grow
blue or green, revealing their immediate location should you approach them.
#11 Baboon Monkeys are typically thought of as fun-loving,
curious creatures with an intelligence only slightly exceeded by their athleticism and
agility.
But Africa’s various species of baboon are much more ferocious than their depictions
in media may let on.
Sporting pointed canines that surpass a lions fangs in size, these primates can shred prey
with little difficulty.
While they are omnivorous, baboons can subsist on other animals ranging from insects and
fish to antelopes and even other monkeys.
Some baboons have even shown a versatility in attacking goats and sheep amid farms in
rural South Africa.
Even more dangerous for any unsuspecting bystanders is the baboon propensity to hunt in groups
called troops.
If running into just one of these merciless monkeys seems like a nightmare, imagine encountering
a dozen of these ravenous creatures on the prowl.
#10 Spotted Hyena The largest of all the hyenas, the spotted
species can reach almost six feet in length and just over two and a half feet in height.
Spotted hyenas feed primarily on hooved animals like gazelle, wildebeest, and zebra, among
others.
In certain regions of the continent, these carnivores feed primarily as scavengers, but
in others they can be seen chasing down live prey in packs, reaching speeds of up to 37
miles per hour.
Despite their land speed, spotted hyenas are most dangerous when they stalk their target,
utilizing the night for a stealthy approach.
Africa has a long history of spotted hyena attacks, as they might hunt children, women
or sick men under the cover of darkness.
In modern times, hyena attacks are fairly rare, but given the nature of scavengers to
pick bones dry, it’s believed that many attacks simply go unreported.
#9 Cape Buffalo Of all the hoof-cloven, cattle-like creatures
that roam the wilds of Africa, the Cape Buffalo reigns supreme.
Similar to its Asian kin, the water buffalo, in appearance, this animal is very much its
own creature, as chiefly demonstrated by its behavior and interaction with humans.
Highly unpredictable in nature, people run a real health risk when encountering the Cape
buffalo and as such have never domesticated the animal.
Reaching weights between one and two thousand pounds, and growing up to eleven feet in length,
these creatures can be incredibly dangerous.
Each year, 200 people are gored by the large horns of the cape buffalo.
This has unfortunately encouraged thrill-seeking big game hunters to continue pursuing them
in safari expeditions and hunts.
#8 Black Rhino Scattered across southwestern Africa are the
remnants of one of the most iconic animals of the region: the black rhinoceros.
At one point in history, near the turn of the 20th century, it is believed that hundreds
of thousands of these beasts roamed the jungles and plains of this land.
But today, between five thousand and fifty five hundred rhinos remain thanks to poaching
and the black market ivory trade.
These great, noble behemoths may have been targeted to the point of critical endangerment,
however, they’re still a force to be reckoned with.
Up to six feet in height and twelve feet in length, these multi-thousand pound crushers
are like a biological SUVs...but with a two to four foot horn!
Given their small number and daunting stature, it’s probably best for all parties to simply
avoid the black rhinoceros at all costs.
#7 Great White Shark The legendary great white shark is a fearsome
hunter all around the world, but in South Africa, these man-eaters thrive like nowhere
else.
Between the South African isles of Geyser Rock and Dyer Island is a narrow channel with
such a heavy great white population, it’s earned the name Shark Alley.
Here the shark species is so prolific that the nearby fishing town of Gansbaai has converted
their presence into their chief tourist attraction.
Since 1995 visitors to the town have been able to pay to actually cage dive with these
fifteen to twenty foot long leviathans.
Just because they’re a crowd-pleaser doesn’t mean this one to two ton fish is to be taken
lightly.
Over the years, great white sharks have racked up hundreds of reported bite incidents.
And in South Africa alone, over the past 9 years, five separate shark-related fatalities
can be blamed on the great white.
#6 Elephant Floppy eared and supposedly full of wisdom,
elephants are one of society’s most beloved animals.
But it’s impossible to deny the overwhelming destructive power of the titanic, trunked
beast.
African elephants in particular are the largest elephant species on the planet, outgrowing
their Asian brethren with heights averaging more than 10 feet tall and weights eclipsing
thirteen hundred pounds.
Moving this much mass isn’t easy, but once an elephant gets rolling, good luck stopping
it.
The large mammal can perform a combination of running and walking, reaching a maximum
speed of 16 miles per hour.
That may not sound like much, but with that much weight behind it, they might as well
be living steamrollers.
Add in a pair of tusks up to 10 feet long, and the danger of elephants truly begins to
sink in.
Luckily, attacks are relatively rare, though around 500 people per year are believed to
suffer fatal results after wandering too close to an elephant’s territory.
#5 Lion Feeding on everything but the largest of grazing
animals, African lions earn their crown by force, eliminating rivals like hyenas, cheetahs,
and leopards while prowling the savanna.
With males potentially growing upwards of 10 feet in length from nose tip to tail end,
and capable of weighing beyond 550 pounds, these are largest wild cats on the continent.
Lions prefer to stalk and ambush their prey, attacking in short bursts of fury with the
ability to take down animals up to twice their size.
Because of their dominating presence, lions are considered not only an apex predator but
also a keystone species, meaning the entirety of the ecosystem’s success rides on the
shoulders of this creature.
As such, think twice before stepping to an African lion, both for your safety and the
safety of the environment.
#4 Nile Crocodile Intimidating, immense, and ill-tempered, the
crocodiles of the Nile are easily some of the scariest creatures on this list.
These gargantuan reptiles can reach more than 20 feet in length and weigh more than a ton!
This size is even more dangerous when paired with the crocodiles’ giant jaws, with 64
to 68 teeth able to deliver a crushing five thousand pounds of bite force.
Normally, Nile crocodiles are fairly docile, opting to bask for long hours with their mouths
agape for proper cooling.
But as soon as they enter a hunt, they become agile beast-slayers, weaving through the water
with dangerous urgency.
Attacks by Nile crocodiles on humans occur in the hundreds yearly, with 63% of them proving
fatal.
Those that run the greatest risk are fisherman, laundry workers, or regional guides who must
spend extended periods of time working in the river’s waters.
#3 Hippopotamus Like a tremendous, hairless cow of the Serengeti,
the common hippopotamus has a calm, almost lounging behavior when observed from a distance.
But should you approach a hippo’s home, you’ll see the dangerous transformation
first hand as it becomes more resemblant of an angry bull.
The deeply territorial mammals won’t shy away from unwanted guests, preferring to tackle
their would-be threats head on.
With a gigantic set of jaws, huge incisors, and weighing somewhere between three and five
thousand pounds, there are few beasts that can stand toe to toe with a hippo.
Factor in its semi-aquatic nature and the size of this animal loses all of its typical
disadvantages, becoming a stealthy, weightless wrecking ball for unwary boaters.
Hope that you are never unfortunate enough to cross a hippopotamus, or its jaws might
be the last thing you ever see.
#2 Black Mamba Regarded as one of the most venomous snakes
in existence, the notorious black mamba is an African native that lives up to its reputation.
Wandering both the tree-tops and floors of Sub-Saharan savannas and jungles, these snakes
can reach up to 14 feet or more at maximum length.
Their striking distance is incredible with the potential to deliver multiple bites in
quick succession.
It’s foreboding appearance reeks of gloom and doom as its head shape is often compared
to a coffin and the inside of its mouth looks dreadfully black as it rears up to strike.
Bites from the snake can cause a slight tingling sensation at first, followed by symptoms such
as drooping eyes, metallic taste and a variety of involuntary movements and behaviors related
to neurological malfunctions.
These effects occur within just 10 minutes, and can eventually develop into sickness and
ultimately demise in just 7 to 15 hours.
#1 Mosquito Terrorizing the entire globe, mosquitoes are
a pest that seem to pose problems everywhere they go.
But in Africa, where people are plagued by a litany of rare diseases and little to no
access to immunizations, these bugs become a much more dangerous element.
Spreading viruses and illnesses like dengue fever, malaria, West Nile and Zika virus,
the blood-sucking insects are responsible for transmitting diseases to 700 million people
a year worldwide.
Which of these African animals frighten you the most?
Let us know which one and why in the comments below.