Australia is renowned for its dangerous fauna. It is home to some of the world's most venomous snakes, an array of deadly spiders, enormous crocodiles and huge, flightless birds that can apparently disembowel a man with one kick.
How deadly is Australia's wildlife?
However, these species don't flaunt their deadly abilities. The inland taipan is the most lethal snake on the planet, yet there has only been a few recorded fatalities ever.
Funnel-web spiders are certainly toxic, but account for fewer than one fatality a year. The saltwater crocodile (one of the world's deadliest animals) is the world's largest reptile, with males growing up to seven metres in length, yet fatal attacks on humans occur less than once per annum. And cassowaries (billed as the world's most dangerous bird) are rarely seen, let alone seen assaulting anyone.
In fact, almost every Australian animal that has been labelled as dangerous is actually shy and retiring.
And what about great white sharks, that can occupy the waters off Australia? Well this much maligned-fish definitely does not deserve its killer reputation. Out of the estimated 600 million individual who visit the Australian coast in 2023 there were just four fatal shark bites and over the last 10 years there has been, on average, 20 shark incidents a year with 2.8 fatalities a year
- The world's deadliest sea creatures: Meet the most dangerous animals in the ocean
- Discover incredible, hard to believe shark facts that celebrate this fascinating, yet much-maligned fish
Mosquitoes (the world's deadliest insect) are the obvious exception - nevertheless, malaria has been eradicated in Australia, and mosquito-borne diseases probably kill as few as five people per year (though some 3,000 suffer unpleasant viral arthritis after contracting them).
The most dangerous animal in Australia is probably the human. About 19 million of them reside here, and they are particularly dangerous behind the wheel of a car - 1,600 people are killed and 22,000 injured in traffic accidents each year. The bush is the safest place to be.