This video is part of our Kite & Key Shorts series — easy to understand ... but hard to forget.
Fear of sharks keeping you off the beach this summer?
Half of all Americans are “absolutely terrified” of sharks.
Four in 10 people won’t swim in the ocean because of this fear.i
And since there might be bears in the woods, or alligators on your golf course, it can seem like no vacation spot is safe.
So, which animal kills the most Americans?
Actually ... it’s deer.
Deer kill over 100 Americans each year, thanks in large part to traffic accidents.ii
Bees, wasps, and hornets come in second.iii
Their stings kill around 60 Americans annually.iv
In fact, the scariest animals are hardly responsible for any deaths.
There were only three fatal shark attacks in the United States in 2020.v
Bears only kill one American on average each year.vi
The average number of Americans killed by alligators each year: also one.
By comparison, dogs are responsible for the deaths of around 30 Americans each year.vii
Though even there, it’s worth remembering that Americans own over 76 million dogs.viii
So, that’s one more species you probably don’t need to live in fear of.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Deer kill over 100 Americans each year, making them the country’s deadliest animal.
- In 2020, there were only three fatal shark attacks in the U.S.
- More Americans are killed by dogs each year than by sharks, bears, and alligators combined.
