The United States of Animal Attacks – Texas is the Most Deadly By Far

Here’s some not-so-good news for those of us who live in the Lone Star State.

Nature is a scary place, there’s no denying that – even for someone like me who grew up in the country and feels comfortable outdoors. The fact of the matter is that there are a whole lotta critters out there that can do some serious harm to you.

With alligators, bears, snakes and big cats, North America is home to some of the deadliest animals in the world. With that in mind, the outdoor website Outforia set out to determine which wild animals were the deadliest and which states had the highest number of deadly attacks.

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When it comes to deadly animals in North America, the brown bear is the deadliest by far. The brown bear is responsible for 70 deaths over the course of the last 50 years.

Deadliest Animals in North America

1. Brown bear, 70
2. Shark and snake, 57
3. Black bear, 54
4. Alligator, 33
5. Cougar, 16
6. Polar bear, 10
7. Wolf, 2

Now here’s that not-so-good news for Texans I was talking about earlier. When it comes states with the most fatal attacks, Texas is the deadliest by far. Our state sits at the top of the list with 520 deaths. That’s over 200 more than California, which had the second most animal-related deaths over that same period of time.

Top Five Deadliest States

1. Texas, 520
2. California, 299
3. Florida, 247
4. North Carolina, 180
5. Tennessee, 170

Sure, those are some scary statistics, but don’t let that deter you from enjoying the great outdoors. As Outforia founder Carl Borg says, the best advice is to be prepared:

My main advice to anyone going on these adventures in places you might come across a wild animal is to be prepared. I would always recommend you research the most prominent animals in the area you are visiting, as different animals mean different protocols when facing an attack. There are lots of things you can do to avoid an animal attack but knowing whether to stay calm or fight back is key.

So, there you go. Next time you’re gearing up to head outdoors, go here for a list of things to do when you encounter animals in the wild.