Rainforests are found in different parts of the world and receive hundreds of visitors annually given the bio diversity that exists therein. In fact, if statistics is anything to go by, it is believed that over half of the species in the world resides in the rainforests. The beauty presented by the rainforests is so magical that it cannot easily be put in words. You only have to visit the one of the many rainforests, such as Amazon or Daintree or Alaska to see the lush beauty.
Nonetheless, the forests are also a home to some of the most dangerous animals in the world. There have been cases where lives have been lost when the animals felt threatened by the human presence. Illustrated herein are some of the most dangerous animals that can be found in the vast rainforests worldwide.
1. Cassowaries:
This is an animal you do not want to have contact with. They are ratites (a type of flightless bird) that live in the tropical forests of New Guinea. Male Cassowaries are overprotective parents who will kill if they and their young ones feel threatened. Try hiding and holding still as you see one of these animals. Usually they will walk away.
2. Scorpions:
Scorpions live mostly in the Tropical Rainforest. They largely eat insects and spiders. Their enemies are snakes and animals that are larger than them. Interestingly enough, the female kills and eats the male scorpion after mating.
The Scorpion kills its prey with its tail that has a stinger on it. Humans are sometimes their targets. It is thought that there are 10 scorpion inflicted deaths for every snake death in the developing countries.
3. Jaguar:
The jaguar is the largest and the most powerful wildcat; larger than a leopard. An adult jaguar can be 4 to 7 feet long, without the tail. They are mostly found in North America, in parts of Texas, Colorado and Arizona. As they prefer wet lowlands, their favourite place to live is the tropical and subtropical forests. When it comes to prey, it eats more than 80 types of animals, including cattle, rodents, deer, birds, and fish. The jaguar only hunts humans, if they feel cornered. They are the most destructive and dangerous as they do kill people’s cattle and horses.
4. Bengal Tiger:
The Bengal tiger is mainly located in rainforests found in Asia. It can live up to 15 years and can have litters of up to four cubs. As it is a carnivore, it eats boars, wild oxens and monkeys. The Bengal Tiger actually accounts for over half of the tigers that reside in the wild. Apparently, the Bengal tigers attack human beings when it feels threatened and intimidated. Although humans are not their intended target, tigers are always cautious and have shown no preference for human meat.
5. Poison Arrow Frog:
Poison Arrow Frog is the most deadly of all kinds of frogs in the world. It is mainly found in rainforests located in Central and South America. The frog measures between 1.5 and 2.4 cm long. The most toxic of all is the golden poison arrow. The venom from the frog is enough to kill ten men. They secrete toxins through their skins.