What Animals Are Most Likely to Kill You This Summer?

With the news that two children had their arms severed in separate North Carolina shark attacks this past weekend and the sightings of a black bear in Northeast Iowa recently, you’re probably wondering what the odds are that you’ll find yourself in a deadly face-off with a wild animal this summer. To answer that question, The Washington Post has just compiled data from the Centers for Disease Control to show the average rates of death by various animal attacks. Between 2001 and 2013, here’s how many Americans were killed on a yearly basis:

• Sharks: Kill 1 person/year
• Alligators: 1 person/year
• Bears: 1 person/year
• Venomous snakes and lizards: 6 people/year
• Spiders: 7 people/year
• Non-venomous arthropods: 9 people/year
• Cows: 20 people/year
• Dogs: 28 people/year
• Other mammals: 52 people/year
• Bees, wasps, hornets: 58 people/year

Deadly Showdown - Giant Hornets vs. Honey Bees (BBC Earth Unplugged via Youtube)