Part 1
For too long crocodiles, sharks and man-eating lions have been getting all the glory when it comes to any discussions of creatures we really wouldn't want to come across in the wild. But what about all those other dangerous beasties, the lesser known, but still equally vicious creatures, that inhabit our planet? Here we present those sadly ignored but still incredibly dangerous animals...
Number 1: The Pyrrenean Pouncing Goat (Capra hopperii)
A distant relative of domestic goats, the Pyrrenean Pouncing Goat generally preys on other goats. However, when cornered, taunted or just in a foul mood it will attack humans. Hiding in gaps in cliff faces, the goat will wait for it's prey to pass below then leap out and, as it's name suggests, pounce on the hapless victim. Using it's savagely sharp teeth it will soon make a meal of it's capture. This creature is considered very dangerous - as a result of environmental change, it has taken to hiding amongst herds of normal mountain goats then leaping out on unsuspecting passers by. Luckily it only lives in a small area of the Pyrrenean mountains near to Andorra, however there are fears that it it may eventually begin migrating towards the Mediterranean coast where it would pose a risk to holiday makers on the Spanish Costas. Over the last 10 years, some 20 people have been attacked by Pyrrenean Pouncing Goats, 17 of them fatally. However all these people were Spanish.
Number 2: Vampire Llama (Lama draculosus)
Now thankfully on the verge of extinction, the Vampire Llama has been attacking both other llamas and their herders in Peru for thousands of years. Stalking it victims at night, this unpleasant species of llama does away with the typical spitting behaviour of it's more common cousin and instead uses it's well developed fangs to suck the blood of it's prey. The Vampire Llama will attack anything warm blooded and should be avoided at all costs. Luckily there are thought to only be around 10 Vampire Llamas still in existance in the wild. Attacks by Vampire Llamas are invariably fatal.
Number 3: The Namibian Spiny Killer Shrew (Sorex bastardi)
Although only 1 inch long, this creature is deeply feared by the tribesmen of Namibia and the surrounding areas of southern Africa. Hunting at night in packs, the Spiny Killer Shrew attacks it's victims whilst they are asleep, a pack of 10 to 20 shrews being sufficient to reduce a grown man to bones in a matter of minutes. So dangerous is the Spiny Killer Shrew that in areas where it lives it is advised not to sleep at all. In one village in Namibia the tribesfolk are believed not to have slept ever as a result of the danger posed by these shrews.
Number 4: The Manchurian Spitting Newt (Triturus hydrochloricus)
The 10 inch long Manchurian Spitting Newt lives in and around streams in Manchuria, an area in the north of China. It is rightly regarded with equal measures of awe and suspicion by those people that share the land with it. When disturbed the newt will rear up on it's hind legs and squirt concentrated acid from special glands in it's front feet. This acid can travel some 56 metres with deadly accuracy and will burn any flesh it touches. In some villages, almost all the population bear the scars of attacks by these vicious amphibians. Although not normally deadly this creature seriously injures some 40 to 50,000 people each year.