It's been argued that humans are one of the most dangerous animals on Earth - but that doesn't stop us being the victims of other beasts. Let's take a look at...
The Propeller Plane That Crashed... Because of a CrocodileIn 2010 a propeller plane was approaching a landing zone in Africa when a smuggled crocodile wriggled free from the luggage. The reptilian predator may not have been big, but it was enough to cause a panic - passengers rushed to the other side of the plane, causing it to become unbalanced.
The pilot lost control of the tilting craft and crashed, killing the crew and eighteen passengers. The sole survivor of the wreck is the only reason we know how events unfolded.
Now snakes don't just fall out of the sky - one possible explanation is that the snake had been caught by a bird and was being taken away to be eaten, only to be dropped in a moment of clumsiness. This might explain why a hawk zoomed out of the sky to join the melee, trying to capture the snake and repeatedly raking Peggy's arm in the process. The hawk eventually dragged the serpent free and flew off - fortunately before the snake could land a venomous bite.
The Official Mobbed to Death by MonkeysWho do you think would win, a grown adult male or a troupe of marauding rhesus macaques? Delhi Deputy Mayor Sawinderjit Singh Bajwa found out that these creatures can be more of a menace than their 10kg weight would suggest. The deputy was taking tea on his balcony when he was attacked by a troop of the primates. He fell from his balcony in the struggle and succumbed to the resulting injuries a day later.
The monkeys have been a menace for some time, stealing food, attacking residents and allegedly scattering classified documents. The primates avoid being culled as they are considered sacred to Hanuman. Troublesome monkeys used to be kept away by captive langur monkeys - but since keeping the caged primates is now illegal, the job is given to langur impersonators!
Lampreys typically don't attack humans... but one made an exception for marathon swimmer Christopher Swain. The athlete was attacked by a lamprey as he swam in Lake Champlain in Vermont, with the persistent fish latching back on every time he pulled it free. Eventually he managed to get a hold of the fish and hurl it away - flying through the air seemed to discourage the creature.
The Hiker Killed by Moose-Hunting CoyotesWhen the aspiring folk singer Taylor Mitchell went for a walk in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, she should have been safe. Instead, she became one of the only (there's one other known case) people killed by coyotes in North America.
Coyote normally avoid humans, but living in a national park may have acclimatized them to us. The animals were known to scavenge meat from moose carcasses - and had learned how to take down a moose themselves. If they'd figured how to hunt a 700 pound horned and hooved slab of muscle, a lone human woman wouldn't have seemed like difficult prey.
What happened next is fit for a nightmare. Tatiana Moskalyova received a phone call from her daughter, begging for help as the bear gnawed on her leg. The sounds of a feeding bear were audible throughout the call.
While Tatiana frantically tried to organize a rescue party with local authorities and family members, she received a second call from Olga. The bear had brought her three cubs to feed on the critically injured girl.
Approximately an hour after the first call, Olga made a third and final call. She told Tatiana that she wasn't feeling the pain any more, said her goodbyes... and that was the last time she was heard alive. When rescuers arrived on scene half an hour later, the bear was still eating Igor's remains.
The Devil-Cat of ChampawatBig cat attacks on humans are hardly unheard of - but there is one tigress that deserves special mention. Known as the Devil of Champawat, this feline fatale holds the record for the highest number of documented human kills at a staggering 436. That's more than either of the worst known human serial killers in history, Pedro Alonso López and Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos.
It's thought that the devil turned to human prey after being injured by a hunter. A shot to the jaw made catching normal prey difficult - so it turned to the villagers of Nepal for food.
The devil proved much more cunning than your average animal, hunting isolated humans in the day and moving locations after each kill - much like a relocating sniper. Hunters and the Nepalese military were unable to take her down, though she crossed the border into India to avoid the hunt
It was Jim Corbett who eventually followed the blood trail from a recent kill and faced her alone. Their first encounter was a draw - his shot went wide, but caused the charging tigress to flee. Changing tactics, Corbett had villagers drum to flush the tigress out - and she emerged in front of him and a tehsildar (local official) who had volunteered to help. Emptying his rifle into the charging feline to no avail, Corbett grabbed a shotgun from the tehsildar and finished her with a nearly point-blank blast.
Though Corbett went on to hunt down many man-eaters (often with a similar injury) he would eventually become a conservationist!
- The Propeller Plane That Crashed... Because of a Crocodile
- The Woman Attacked by an Air-Dropped Snake
- The Official Mobbed to Death by Monkeys
- The Swimmer Bitten by a Bloodthirsty Lamprey
- The Hiker Killed by Moose-Hunting Coyotes
- The Walker Slowly Eaten Alive by a Bear
- The Devil-Cat of Champawat
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| Not usually an airborne hazard... (Eunkwang Choi) |
The Propeller Plane That Crashed... Because of a CrocodileIn 2010 a propeller plane was approaching a landing zone in Africa when a smuggled crocodile wriggled free from the luggage. The reptilian predator may not have been big, but it was enough to cause a panic - passengers rushed to the other side of the plane, causing it to become unbalanced.
The pilot lost control of the tilting craft and crashed, killing the crew and eighteen passengers. The sole survivor of the wreck is the only reason we know how events unfolded.
The Woman Attacked by an Air-Dropped Snake
Peggy Jones of Texas, America, got a deeply unpleasant experience literally dropped on top of her. She was riding a motor-mower when a snake fell out of the sky and coiled around her arm. Her panicked attempts to dislodge the reptile only angered it, and the ornery ophidian took several strikes at her face (fortunately these were blocked by a set of glasses.)Now snakes don't just fall out of the sky - one possible explanation is that the snake had been caught by a bird and was being taken away to be eaten, only to be dropped in a moment of clumsiness. This might explain why a hawk zoomed out of the sky to join the melee, trying to capture the snake and repeatedly raking Peggy's arm in the process. The hawk eventually dragged the serpent free and flew off - fortunately before the snake could land a venomous bite.
 |
| Plotting their next misdeeds... (Vishal Yadav) |
The Official Mobbed to Death by MonkeysWho do you think would win, a grown adult male or a troupe of marauding rhesus macaques? Delhi Deputy Mayor Sawinderjit Singh Bajwa found out that these creatures can be more of a menace than their 10kg weight would suggest. The deputy was taking tea on his balcony when he was attacked by a troop of the primates. He fell from his balcony in the struggle and succumbed to the resulting injuries a day later.
The monkeys have been a menace for some time, stealing food, attacking residents and allegedly scattering classified documents. The primates avoid being culled as they are considered sacred to Hanuman. Troublesome monkeys used to be kept away by captive langur monkeys - but since keeping the caged primates is now illegal, the job is given to langur impersonators!
The Swimmer Bitten by a Bloodthirsty Lamprey
Lampreys are living fossils, primitive fish with a skeleton made of cartilage. They are jawless but have a circular and tooth-filled opening for a mouth. Most lampreys are parasitic, grabbing on to passing fish like a living suction cup and slowly boring their way through the scales with a rasp-like tongue. They can stay attached for weeks as they gorge on the blood of their host.Lampreys typically don't attack humans... but one made an exception for marathon swimmer Christopher Swain. The athlete was attacked by a lamprey as he swam in Lake Champlain in Vermont, with the persistent fish latching back on every time he pulled it free. Eventually he managed to get a hold of the fish and hurl it away - flying through the air seemed to discourage the creature.
 |
| I'm sure it's harmless... (jl1262) |
The Hiker Killed by Moose-Hunting CoyotesWhen the aspiring folk singer Taylor Mitchell went for a walk in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, she should have been safe. Instead, she became one of the only (there's one other known case) people killed by coyotes in North America.
Coyote normally avoid humans, but living in a national park may have acclimatized them to us. The animals were known to scavenge meat from moose carcasses - and had learned how to take down a moose themselves. If they'd figured how to hunt a 700 pound horned and hooved slab of muscle, a lone human woman wouldn't have seemed like difficult prey.
The Walker Slowly Eaten Alive by a Bear
In 2011 Olga Moskalyova and her stepfather Igor Tsyganenkov were walking along a river in Siberia when they were attacked by a bear. The bear's initial rush brought down Igor, crushing his skull and snapping his neck. Olga managed to flee around 200ft before the bear grabbed her leg and threw her to the ground.What happened next is fit for a nightmare. Tatiana Moskalyova received a phone call from her daughter, begging for help as the bear gnawed on her leg. The sounds of a feeding bear were audible throughout the call.
While Tatiana frantically tried to organize a rescue party with local authorities and family members, she received a second call from Olga. The bear had brought her three cubs to feed on the critically injured girl.
Approximately an hour after the first call, Olga made a third and final call. She told Tatiana that she wasn't feeling the pain any more, said her goodbyes... and that was the last time she was heard alive. When rescuers arrived on scene half an hour later, the bear was still eating Igor's remains.
 |
| On the hunt... (Donnie Ray Crisp) |
It's thought that the devil turned to human prey after being injured by a hunter. A shot to the jaw made catching normal prey difficult - so it turned to the villagers of Nepal for food.
The devil proved much more cunning than your average animal, hunting isolated humans in the day and moving locations after each kill - much like a relocating sniper. Hunters and the Nepalese military were unable to take her down, though she crossed the border into India to avoid the hunt
It was Jim Corbett who eventually followed the blood trail from a recent kill and faced her alone. Their first encounter was a draw - his shot went wide, but caused the charging tigress to flee. Changing tactics, Corbett had villagers drum to flush the tigress out - and she emerged in front of him and a tehsildar (local official) who had volunteered to help. Emptying his rifle into the charging feline to no avail, Corbett grabbed a shotgun from the tehsildar and finished her with a nearly point-blank blast.
Though Corbett went on to hunt down many man-eaters (often with a similar injury) he would eventually become a conservationist!
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