5 of Asia’s most dangerous animals, from king cobra to box jellyfish

From vast mountain ranges to lush jungles, Asia’s habitats are home to a wide variety of animals. While most of them usually stay away from humans, some can be dangerous if they are scared.

Are you ready to discover five of the continent’s most ferocious creatures?

1. Box jellyfish

These sea creatures can be found in the waters around Southeast Asia and Australia. Their venom can harm your heart, nervous system and skin. When humans are attacked by box jellyfish, many go into shock and experience heart failure.

Box jellyfish are also called sea wasps and marine stingers. Photo: Shutterstock

2. Bengal tiger

Found in India and Bangladesh, these tigers weigh 110kg to 220kg, and their canine teeth are about 7cm long. To hunt, they wait in the shadows before attacking their prey with a quick and powerful jump. They can reach speeds of up to 64km/h, but they only hurt humans when they sense danger.

Bengal tigers are one of the biggest cats in the wild. Photo: Shutterstock

3. Asiatic black bear

Asiatic black bears live in mountainous areas of China, Japan and India. They have strong claws, and scientists believe they use violence to survive because they live near tigers. Their eyesight is also poor, so they get scared easily.

The Asiatic black bear mainly uses its sense of smell to find food. Photo: Shutterstock

4. Saltwater crocodile

These reptiles live in India and Southeast Asia. Their bite strength is similar to that of the mighty dinosaur, the T. rex. They wait under water until the perfect moment to drag their prey away. They are aggressive, making them dangerous to humans.

The saltwater crocodile can reach lengths of more than 6.5 metres and weight more than 1,000kg. Photo: Shutterstock

5. King cobra

The world’s longest poisonous snake can be found in India, southern China and Southeast Asia. They can grow to be 5.5 metres long, and the poison in one bite can kill 20 people. They usually stay away from humans but might attack when threatened.

King cobras are vulnerable to extinction because of human activities. Photo: Shutterstock

Remember that humans are more dangerous to animals than they are to us, and we should respect their habitats by keeping a safe distance away.

Use the crossword below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.

Sample answers

• Before you read: Komodo dragon, poison dart frog, cone snail (accept other reasonable answers)

• Think about it: Humans can be dangerous to animals because of things like pollution and hunting. These can harm or even threaten their survival as their habitats are disappearing. (accept other reasonable answers)