Let's settle this! Africa's most dangerous?

[JG26Irish_2]

My very novice opinion:

1) Mosquitoes
2) Snakes
3) Crocs if you have to go near water.
4) Hippos if you have to go near water.
5) Tuskless cow elephant

If you're hunting:

1) Tuskless cow elephants

This is very close to my opinion. I guess if it is the animals that I have the most feeling of risk from, then it is:

1. Venomous snakes - Mambas, Cobras, Puff Adder, Gaboon Viper, etc.
2. Crocs
3. Hippo
4. Ele but only if you are hunting them and approaching very close

 

[Safari Dave]

On my first safari to South Africa a cow elephant had killed a PH, when he left his vehicle just to hike across a ridge to look for game just a few days before I arrived. He accidently got between the cow and her calf.

On the flight back home, I sat next to a game warden from Florida who's tracker was killed and the PH severely wounded by a leopard the previous year. (He was returning from his (successful) "free" hunt because of the tragedy the year before).



In 2022, my PH was nearly killed by a buffalo, after his client made a shot a little too far back. If he hadn't been VERY athletic, I think the buff would have got him.

Hunting DG can be dangerous, unless you aren't in for the whole experience.

(and if you're not, why bother?)

 

[mdwest]

I don’t know about you guys… but I’m terrified of the impala…

 

[fourfive8]

Highways, drivers.
But in the wild?- cow elephant

 

[Slider]

From my personal experience it is Elephants .

 

[Field28]

Mosquitoes

 

[farmer_john]

What are Africa's most dangerous in your opinion and experience? I had only 10 options for the poll, so I had to limit the number of choices, but with more options I might include other options as well (female with young, night situations, provoked or non-provoked, mating season etc). So feel free to add comments reflecting on those situations as well.

Johanasburg at night.

 

[AZDAVE]

Evil walking on two legs and Mosquitoes

Followed by:
Cow elephant
Cow Buffalo
Lioness
Hippo on land

The scariest
Wounded Leopard

 

[Longwalker]

Interesting responses, and I agree with most of them. It just depends on the circumstances. Most any animal will defend itself. Some do it better than others. I almost got killed by an unprovoked bull elephant.
But also consider that historically, the MOST dangerous African animal is the man-eater. A Crocodile, Lion, Leopard, or even Hyena that has learned to prey on people on purpose must be top of the list. They actively hunt people to kill.
Just because it's rare for the cats to prey on humans in the modern age doesn't mean they aren't capable, and willing under the right circumstances. And Crocs and Hyena continue to do what they've always done, mostly to unsuspecting rural residents who receive little publicity as victims.

 

[steve white]

You forgot to list the ANC and Boko Haram....plus other Islamic nasties.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Statistically speaking, mosquitoes kill more humans than any other animal so I'm disappointed there wasn't room for them on the list...

True. But the most common killer among large animals, other than people, is the dog. Hunters aren't likely to run into vicious or feral dogs in the bush, though on my first safari the PH did kill one that was being used by a pack of poachers. The poachers got away but we did retrieve five warthogs and a baby waterbuck that they had speared to death. Bad day to be a poacher.

 

[BJH65]

Narrowing it down to visiting hunters here’s what ChatGPT said:

when we’re talking specifically about visiting or foreign trophy hunters, the animal responsible for the most hunter fatalities is generally the Cape Buffalo, not the hippo. Hippos kill more local people overall, but buffalo kill more hunters who are actively tracking or stalking game.

Cape Buffalo — the leading killer of visiting hunters

 

[Doug Hamilton]

What are Africa's most dangerous in your opinion and experience? I had only 10 options for the poll, so I had to limit the number of choices, but with more options I might include other options as well (female with young, night situations, provoked or non-provoked, mating season etc). So feel free to add comments reflecting on those situations as well.

Out of this list I have only killed two buffalo. I really don't have the expertise to make a call on it. I have known two PHs that been were attacked by elephants. One was a cow and had the usual result of tangling with an elephant. The other PH was attacked by a bull. He he had his pelvis and femur broken but did manage to get a shot off and stagger the bull. He got out alive. So I lean towards elephant, though things did get kind of hairy with my first buffalo, and I have a little bias for buff.

This is where we need the experience of Hunter-Habib. Whatever he says, I'll believe!

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Narrowing it down to visiting hunters here’s what ChatGPT said:

when we’re talking specifically about visiting or foreign trophy hunters, the animal responsible for the most hunter fatalities is generally the Cape Buffalo, not the hippo. Hippos kill more local people overall, but buffalo kill more hunters who are actively tracking or stalking game.

Cape Buffalo — the leading killer of visiting hunters

I think you're right, and they also kill a lot of PH's, but then there are a lot more buffalo than any other member of the Big Five. Sort of like black bears killing and eating more people than grizzlies do.

 

[Pondoro]

I voted hippo..but the black mamba give me the creeps..

 

[1dirthawker]

i am in agreement that the circumstances dictate a lot of what makes hunting a certain species dangerous. is it open or bushy country. have the animals been hunted or pressured. is the animal wounded or unwounded, etc.

i too have very little personal experience hunting DG in Africa, so feel a bit under qualified to give much of an opinion.

but i can say, poor shooting and poor bullets usually makes hunting dangerous game even more so.

 

[bimbo]

Unwounded:
Elephant tuskless/cow
Elephant bull P.A.C especially(cropping)...GUARANTEED!
Wounded :
Buffalo -lion and leopard(inside bait too!) same but for different reason...
Hippo close to the water and croc in the water inside your boat while u are washing your hands inside water..!
Bushbuck...!, sable... ,greysbok...
Hyena if u are sleeping i the bush!
Baboon to the camp...(not dangerous but problem animal)
Puff adder while u are walking in the bush without legs protections
Black mamba in your lodge ...!better forget if I could...
Spitting cobra without eye glass...
Mosquitos ,violin spider ,ticks ,bees .black fly for luck of everybody...!

 

[bimbo]

Sorry again for my english spoken

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Sorry again for my english spoken

No.problem. but just out of curiosity, what country are you from?

 

[Surgeon1]

Had an encounter with a bull buffalo who was mortally injured from a snare. The 5 Ugandan Special forces men and the game ranger would not get off the truck! The PH (who barely survived a buffalo that disemboweled him and killed his hunter just 8 weeks previously) and I stalked up on to the seriously ill bull who was free from the snare that was still deeply imbedded into his neck. He had a young bull with him who was a little more timid and eventually moved off but the wounded bull still was ready for a fight. 4 shots from a pair of double rifles and a finisher into the spine he was done!
No one was happy but it turned out well and no one was hurt! I think for good reason my PH was more timid than I was given what he had experienced just 8 weeks prior. Pays to have a really good PH who will encourage his hunter to not get closer than 40y, when the hunter always says “when I’m close enough to smell his breath I’m close enough to kill him” it was actually a good lesson for me.