SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – Every year, people die in encounters with animals, but which states rank highest for such fatalities?
According to a report from Outforia, an outdoor and nature resource website, Texas overwhelmingly ranked No. 1, recording 520 deaths over 20 years compared to the second-ranked California, which had 299 deaths for the same time period.
Outforia collected data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify which states experience the most fatal animal attacks per year. The numbers are for a period from 1999 to 2019.
The total deaths recorded in Texas are equivalent to 26 deaths per year, while California sees the equivalent of more than 14 deaths every year.
A close third behind California was Florida, where 247 people died due to animal attacks over the 20-year period. North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York followed, respectively.
On the other side of the spectrum, Outforia also highlighted the states with the fewest animal-related deaths reported.
Three states recorded zero deaths caused by animals in the last 20 years: Delaware, North Dakota and Rhode Island, all of which are among the least populated states in the U.S.
Following those three, respectively, for the smallest number of such deaths are New Hampshire, Vermont, Wyoming, Hawaii, Maine, South Dakota and Alaska.
Outforia said the animal most commonly responsible for human deaths in North America since 1970 have been brown bears, followed by sharks, snakes, black bears and alligators.