10 Deceptively Dangerous Animals

When you think dangerous animals your probably going to think along the lines of scorpions, snakes, spiders, sharks, lions etc, there is no doubt that these animals can be extremely dangerous but what about swans? The predefined concepts people have about certain animals can end up putting them in great danger! There are animals out there that may look fluffy and cuddly but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous than the obvious ones. Improve your odds of survival in the wild or even just your local park with a 10 Deceptively Dangerous Animals!

10. Polar Bear

Polar Bear

The Polar Bear is on this list for one reason, too many people see the fluffy little guy above as a sweet cuddly little bear and not for the natural born killer that he is! Maybe this little guy is soft and cuddly and not so dangerous but his parents certainly are. Polar Bear’s are very fast and very strong and if you encounter one in the wild you will learn how ‘cute’ and ‘cuddly’ they are the hard way. Just look at the picture above, see the evil in its eyes? That bear could rip you too shreds in a heartbeat, he knows it, i know it and so should you!

9. Stingray

Stingray

Look at this happy chap, doesn’t he look content? that’s probably because his barbed stinger is currently lodged in that guys insides! You have to look at the story behind the picture folks. Stingray’s have always been a very popular attraction at sea life centers the world around however after the death of Aussie legend Steve Irwin at the hands of one of these sea demons you’re forced to take a closer look at these cute little guys. The fact is that Stingray’s are indeed very dangerous, sporting a very sharp, venom filled,  barbed stinger on the end of their tail Stingray’s can cause excruciating pain to humans. Although generally the venom isn’t fatal from a Stingray attack as with Steve Irwin, if the Stingray manages to jam its stinger into an organ like your heart then your chances look very slim.

8. Elephant

Elephant

Did you grow up watching Babar, Dumbo or Jungle Book? If so then surely you will know that Elephant’s are harmless, right? Wrong! So, so, wrong. Elephant’s are extremely dangerous, the picture lulls you into a false sense of security but do you see the mothers foot behind the baby? you go any closer to that baby and your going to end up flat as a pancake! It may be true that Elephant’s have personality and that they can even grieve for their dear very much like a human however that doesn’t deny the fact that you have utterly no chance of defending yourself against these giants. Elephant’s have even been known to attack unprovoked, especially in the mating season when male Elephant’s testosterone levels are sky high.

7. Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus

There is certainly no denying the fact that hippos are cute, especially the young ones and that’s even been confirmed by films such as Madagascar. Cuteness aside hippos are actually fearsomely territorial and wont think twice about ripping you limb from limb if you even think about trespassing and they aren’t even carnivores! Hippos may look like big fat lumps of lard that spend all day laying in mud but surprisingly they can run at speeds of up to 20mph and can bite down with 6000 pounds of pressure! Just try and survive that.

6. Duck-Billed Platypus

Duck-Billed Platypus

The Duck-Billed Platypus is one weird animal that’s for sure. Looking like  combination of domesticated pets, a duck and an otter this little guy just oozes cuteness. Unfortunately that ‘cuteness’ is a deception for this little guy is venomous! You may have never known but the Duck-Billed Platypus has sharp spurs on its hind legs that it uses to inject venom. Luckily the venom rarely proves fatal too a human unless an allergic reaction is caused however it is excruciatingly painful.

5. Siberian Chipmunk

Siberian Chipmunk

After growing up with cartoons like Alvin & the Chipmunks and Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers its hard to accept that Chipmunks could be dangerous but in reality they are just glorified rats. Not dangerous in a traditional sense like most of the other animals on this list Chipmunks are dangerous because just like rats they can carry a wide variety of lovely diseases. These plague carrying little bandits can carry diseases such as rabies and lyme disease, while not always fatal these diseases will kill you if they are left undetected without treatment.

4. Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee

The Chimpanzee is though to share a common ancestor with humankind and even share some physical traits with us such as opposable thumbs. However, just like humans chimps can be prone to extreme violence and lets face it that poor kitty in the picture above has its days numbered! Chimps are carnivores and in the wild they kill each other and kill and eat smaller monkeys. Even ‘tamed’ chimps are still very dangerous and its a wonder why people think its safe to keep these animals as pets. To solidify the claim of how dangerous chimps are you only have to read up on the recent account where a pet chimp turned on its owners friend and ripped off her eyelids, lips and both hands!

3. Bottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

Its no secret that the Dolphin is much loved by people around the world. Dolphins are cute, friendly (usually) and very intelligent. Dolphins also have sex for pleasure (just like humans) and have even been known to save humans from shark attacks. Not all is well with Dolphins however  as they have on occasion shown a darker side. We know that dolphins can kill sharks but they can also kill humans and have done so in the past. These attacks usually occurs when a female Dolphin is present and is probably just the male defending his mate however the worst thing about these attacks is that Dolphins are very intelligent so this is likely not animal instinct but rather an intelligent decision made by the Dolphin to attack and kill a human.

2. Slow Loris

Slow Loris

We have already established that primates are not always the most friendly of chaps but the Slow Loris stands out among others and is dangerous for a very rare and unique reason not usually attributed with primates. The Slow Loris is both venomous and poisonous! I bet you never saw that coming right? This unique primate has specialized glands on its inner elbows that secretes a toxin which the Slow Loris uses to both protect and attack. The Slow Loris uses this toxin by smearing it over its young to protect them from predators and will also suck the toxin up into its mouth to provide it with a very vicious bite.

1. Swan

Swan

No this is not a joke, the Swan is indeed our number one this time round! The reason the Swan has claimed the title for most deceptively deadly is because it really is just that. Although the birds are generally revered as graceful creatures and a symbol of love, they are very aggressive when it comes to protecting their young. Swans will literally fight to the end to protect their young from predators and won’t hesitate to bite you and hit you to try to deter you. The sneakiest trick that the Swan has is to try and drown would be predators by attacking from above and forcing the predator underwater with the hopes of drowning the predator. This goes for humans as well.

That wraps up our 10 Deceptively Dangerous Animals, maybe next time you fancy a trip to the zoo or a walk in the park you will consider that fact that you are risking your life? No? Well don’t say we didn’t warn you!