Australia is known to be inhabited by the most dangerous animals in the world. As much as we would like to say “No, that is not true!” we have to admit that we DO house a great number of dangerous animals in our wonderful country. Here are some of them:
Box Jellyfish
This wonderful looking creature is known as the Box Jellyfish. Its almost invisible tentacles have millions of little harpoons, which carry a very strong venom. This venom can kill within minutes and being stung by one of the tentacles is horrifyingly painful.
During the ‘stinger season’ (October- May) it can be found in great numbers along our beaches. Be careful to follow displayed warnings at the beach! Wearing a stinger-suit is a very easy solution to prevent any awfully painful encounters with this creature.
The Inland Taipan Snake
This creature lives in very remote areas and it is very unlikely that you run into it on your daily stroll through the park. The Inland Taipan snake is rarely seen above ground and lives in the centre of Australia. Having said that though, the venom it carries can kill up to 100 people!
Eastern Brown Snake
You are more likely to have a coincidental meeting with this fellow- the Eastern Brown Snake. This species feeds on mice and likes populated areas. Because of their aggressive nature, they have caused most snake-related deaths in Australia. If provoked, it will lift its body off the ground and prepare to use its venom, which will cause blood clotting. If you happen to see this creature, stay away from it, slowly back away and the snake will move away as well.
The Saltwater Crocodile
The Saltwater Crocodile, affectionately known as the ‘saltie’, is the largest living reptile and also has the strongest bite of any creatures. This creature mainly lives in the northern areas of Australia. The Mary River in the Northern Territory is known for its high ‘saltie’ population. Most crocodile attacks happen because people fall asleep along the riverbank at night. Always ask for advice before jumping into any waterhole in the Northern Territory!
Sydney Funnel Web Spider
This cuddly-looking creature is called the Sydney Funnel Web Spider. It might not be very big in size but oh my, those fangs are very powerful- they can pierce even toenails! We are very likely to encounter one of them as they live in populated urban areas in New South Wales, strolling around in garden or falling into pools. They are very venomous and the bite itself is very painful, but luckily an anti-venom was developed in 1981 and there haven’t been any fatalities since. Make sure to shake out any boots and clothes before putting them on as these places provide shelter to these creatures.
Most of these ‘endearing’ animals are hard to encounter, so you don’t have to worry about an escape or fight plan. When you DO come across one of them, stay calm and do not provoke them. If you stay out of their way, so will they.
BUT you have to be careful about the most ferocious animal that has ever lived on this planet. It lurks in trees and waits for innocent tourists to walk below the branch it is angrily sitting on. Once it has spotted its prey, it will launch itself off the tree and attack anyone- no matter the size or strength!
It is the evil DROPBEAR!
PS: Don’t worry, the drop bear doesn’t really exist. It is a trick to scare innocent tourists as a joke 🙂