Surprising result found for most lethal animals

Sharks might be intimidating, but they don’t lead list

When one thinks of scary animals, specific species tend to rise to the surface first. Thanks to movies like “Jaws,” many have a fear of great white sharks, for example.

As it turns out, the critters we should fear tend to be much more common than that so-called scary great white — although to be fair, sharks do have intimidating teeth.

According to a Stanford University study, the animals that kill the most Americans are farm animals; followed by hornets, bees and wasps. Dogs came in third.

The study found that there were 1,610 animal-related deaths from 2008-2015, and of those, 57 percent were from nonvenomous animals, Business Insider reports.

Farm animals such as horses and cattle are the biggest killer, claiming an average of 72 fatalities a year, Business Insider reports.

Stinging insects aren’t a necessarily a surprising inclusion on the list, because people can have lethal allergic reactions to bees, wasps and hornets. In an average year, such insects cause 60 deaths.

The surprising entry on the list is man’s best friend. Business Insider reports that during that time frame, 272 people were killed by dogs, and children under four are most at risk. Stanford surgeon Jared A. Forrester reports that “it’s usually family dogs or dogs known to the children who are doing the killing.”

Forrester notes, “These are preventable deaths,” if families are more aware of the potential dangers of dogs, and take preventative measures. The report is definitely interesting food for thought. Business Insider reports, “In the same period in which dogs killed 272 people, 49 people lost their lives to spiders, and 48 to snake (or lizard) bites. Marine animals (including sharks) killed 13, and scorpions killed just two.”

There could be a variety of reasons why farm animals and dogs are higher than these other categories.

Is it because people are more alert to the dangers of spiders, snakes, scorpions and sharks? Do people let their guard down more with animals such as farm animals and dogs, because they are considered known quantities?

If there is a clear message, it’s this: people need to be alert and vigilant during animal interactions, regardless of it’s a shark or a more common critter.