Asia is home to some of the deadliest predators in the world. If you’re planning a trip to the East, here are a few animals to avoid!
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Each year, thousands of people in Asia succumb to the diseases that wild animals carry. But sometimes, victims die more directly from the claws, teeth, mandibles, or venom of predators.
If you’re about to travel to an Asian country, here are a few animals you should definitely avoid.
Ussuri Brown Bear
Up to hundreds of kilograms heavier than North American grizzly bears, Ussuri brown bears (Ursus arctos lasiotus) pose a threat to many animals, including humans. During the 1915 Sankebetsu incident on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, a single Ussuri brown bear claimed the lives of seven people and injured three others before finally being put down by several gunshot wounds. The local government recorded over 30 fatal attacks between 1962 and 2008.
Like many bears, the Ussuri brown bear is omnivorous, feeding on wild nuts, berries, and grasses, as well as fish, fellow mammals, birds, and grubs. Rarely, these behemoths may pick fights with smaller bear species. Whether you’re a blueberry or a squirrel, you’re not long for this world if you come across a 600-kg (1300 lbs) Ussuri brown bear!
Ussuri brown bears live for about 20 or 30 years in the temperate forests of Japan, China, Korea, and Russia. The governments of such regions generally consider this beast to be endangered. Out of respect, locals give Ussuri brown bears different nicknames depending on the community.
Ussuri brown bear at Hokkaido zoo (Credit: Yuko Hara, via Wikimedia Commons)
Komodo Dragon
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are a lot more dangerous than their languid behavior and blank expressions suggest. They’re strong contenders for the most aggressive reptiles on Earth. Not only do they often take out significantly bigger hooved mammals, but adults sometimes cannibalize younger ones.
Komodo dragons aren’t picky. Along with deer, horses, and each other, they also feast on fish, birds, snakes, shellfish, eggs, or even carrion. Though Komodo dragons rely on their incredible agility and acute senses to catch prey, they’re sometimes hungry enough to settle for scavenging.
Komodo dragons sunbathe in arid grasslands across the islands of Indonesia. They live for about 30 years, but researchers aren’t certain of this estimate’s accuracy. As deadly as these solitary killing machines can be, they’re endangered by habitat loss, invasive species, and new diseases.
There's more to the island of Komodo than its famous "dragons." Take a voyage to one of the most beautiful places on Earth in this terrific MagellanTV documentary.
Asian Giant Hornet
Like many hornets across the world, Asian giant hornets are intensely predatory and feast on insects, spiders, and smaller bee species. The term “Japanese hornet” is actually interchangeable, as both terms refer to the species Vespa mandarinia.
Asian giant hornets are so large that the Japanese sometimes refer to them as “sparrow bees.” Most are over an inch long, and queens clock in at about two inches. Nests are almost always subterranean. Many set up shop among tunnels dug by small mammals and snakes.
Venom is the main threat these hornets pose to human beings, and they’re more than aggressive enough to avoid. An Asian giant hornet’s sting is exceedingly painful. A single sting likely isn’t going to kill you, but it can hurt a lot or cause fatal allergic reactions.
Asian giant hornet (Yasunori Koide, via Wikimedia Commons)
Thankfully, all three of these frightening creatures are rare enough to remain local to fairly specific parts of the world. Though Asian giant hornets, Komodo dragons, and Ussuri brown bears may not be fit for a petting zoo, you can still appreciate their roles in their respective ecosystems from afar!
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Title Image: Komodo dragon at Komodo National Park, Indonesia (Credit: Charles J. Sharp, via Wikimedia Commons)