Animals, no matter how tame or domesticated they may seem are still animals and just like the Steppenwolf song that goes “like a true nature’s child we were born, born to be wild”, animals are, yes, born to be wild. When they are agitated, hungry, or scared they go back to the very essence of what makes them animals – the animal instinct, the instinct to survive no matter the cost. In 25 worst animal attack in recent memory, we look back at the events that remind us to never be complacent around our beastly friends.
On February 24, 2010 Dawn Brancheau, a Seaworld Orlando trainer was killed after a 12,300-lb. killer whale attacked her during a “Dine with Shamu” show. The whale, Tilikum, reportedly yanked Brancheau by her ponytail and dragged her down to the bottom of the pool. Witnesses stated that by the time Tilikum and Brancheau were underwater, he had her by the waist and the pool quickly turned red.
Hubbard was a finalist in the Miss Teen USA pageant and planned to join the big leagues some time in the near future. It seemed to dim in a instant however, when a Siberian Husky sank its teeth into her face and shook her head like a toy. Taylor’s teeth and jaw were also broken. 200 stitches were required to repair the damage caused by the attack;
On October 5, 2003 American bear enthusiast, environmentalist, amateur naturalist, eco-warrior and documentary film maker, Timothy Treadwell was killed in Katmai National Park in Alaska where he lived for 13 summers. Willy Fulton, the Kodiak air taxi pilot tasked to pick up Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, found an empty campsite. Treadwell and Huguenard’s mangled bodies were found by local park rangers. Rescuers found Treadwell’s disfigured hand, partial spine, and right forearm in various locations. A large male grizzly tagged Bear 141 was necropsied onsite and it was confirmed that the bear had partially eaten Treadwell and his companion.
Bryan Jeffrey Griffin was swimming in the Dead River in Lake County, Florida when his friends watching onshore saw alligators and yelled for him to get out of the water. One of the alligators, however, quickly grabbed him by its jaws, thrashed him around and pulled him down. It was too late by the time one of the rescuers retrieved the boy. He was pronounced dead when he got to the hospital.
