The 7 Cutest Animals That Can Still Destroy You

Swans are known worldwide for their spectacular beauty and grace, and they are often considered one of nature’s gentlest creatures, but the mute swan has an aggressive dark side that has been proven to be both dangerous, and in some cases deadly.

Overly combative, mute swans are known to bite, piss and attack anyone who disturbs their nesting process and have even drowned children who tried to play with them. Their powerful wings and long necks aid in the attack, allowing them to make quick painful strikes with hidden razor-sharp teeth that can easily tear the skin.

It’s best to leave mute swans to their own devices and to resist the temptation of trying to feed or pet them. 

With its large eyes in general floundering demeanor, the pufferfish has long been a favorite of children’s animation, From Mrs. Puff and SpongeBob SquarePants to bloat in finding Nemo. However, the puffed-up defense mechanism of the pufferfish comes at an extremely deadly price for all predators.

When inflated, the fish releases the fatal poison known as tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them taste bad to fish. In fact, pufferfish are so toxic that the amount of tetrodotoxin one fish carries is enough to kill 30 full-grown adults.

While pufferfish are considered a dangerous delicacy in some part of the world, the poison tastes bad to other fish, which proves to be a successful defensive maneuver. However, to humans, tetrodotoxin quickly spreads throughout the human body and rapidly shuts down the diaphragm causing instantaneous suffocation. Furthermore, there is no known cure for the sting of the pufferfish. Needless to say, if you ever find a pufferfish swimming in an aquarium or the wild, stay away at all costs.

Slow Loris has become one of the most desirable pets in the entire world; however, professional animal handlers are quick to point out two major issues.

The first is that the animals are illegal to have due to their near-extinction status and second; they’re incredibly poisonous.

Slow Lorises secrete a poison from their elbows and are known to wipe the poison all over their fur in the attempt to protect themselves. They will even mix the poison with their own saliva and transfer it through strong painful bites. Anaphylactic shock is the major result of contact with the poison, causing instantaneous death in most cases.

Scientists are still studying the charming creature of the slow loris, and some believe that its protective movements mirror that of the king cobra snake. While they don’t believe the animals to be genetically related, they do find it fascinating that two creatures so different in terms of species would share the same defensive patterns.

Considered the most dangerous bird in the world. Cassowaries are stunningly beautiful Australian creatures with an overly aggressive behavior and terrifying attack method.

With the ability to run up 30 miles an hour, the cassowary charges after an opponent and leads through the air with its long sharp talons extended, it then buries them into the stomach or back of its prey or aggressor and proceeds to rip out its on trails disemboweling it completely.

The talons of the bird are so sharp indefinite that in ancient times, the bird was hunted specifically so its claws could be removed and tied to native spears or weapons.

While human deaths by cassowaries are extremely rare, they are on record. So humans are told to stay out of the way of these territorial birds for fear of having your internal organs entirely ripped out.

The Giant Anteater is docile, has a diet exclusive to small insects, and is generally considered one of the most harmless animals on the planet. However, it has been reported that the defensive side of the anteater is not something mankind would wish to encounter, as its dual nature can be terrifying and prove fatal.

While not aggressive in the slightest, anteaters are known for defending their territory and using their enormous sharp claws to do so. Further, in order to swipe it in more deadly and accurate rate, they are known to pounce upon on their back two feet and stand upright. They have attacked and in rare occasions killed human beings by mauling them to death.

Anteaters are often the choice prey for large cats like pumas and Jaguars. So many are experienced in fending off larger creatures, which make their encounters with people all the more terrifying.

It’s best to view these lovable vegetarians from a safety of a zoo exhibit, and we’re sure that’s what they would prefer as well.

With the name in nature made famous by the popular x-man character, Wolverines are high-energy attack creatures with a pension for aggression and violence.

Known in the wild to be combative with prey much larger than itself, Wolverines chase, fight and maul anything that stands between them and a meal. They are lightning fast. naturally, mean and capable of bringing down prey up to three times its size. In fact, it’s a common occasion to see one wolverine pounce on a deer and take it down at top speed with quick swipes and bites to either the neck or the soft underbelly.

Easily considered one of if not the most aggressive creatures on the planet.

Leopard Seals on the surface are almost too adorable to believe. Their cute faces and slick exteriors make people want a dozen of them for pets, and they proved to be a major attraction at zoos all over the world.

However, leopard seals probably have more in common with crocodiles than they do with dogs. As they are curiously expressive nature and means of attack have led to a number of human injuries and fatalities.

Rivaled only by killer whales, leopard seals are the ultimate hunters of the Antarctic, often targeting penguin specifically, but in the rare cases in which they have encountered humans in the wild, they have been known to attempt to leap up from the water and pull people in, drowning them in the process.

Their powerful jaws are capable of ripping off large chunks of flesh and like crocodiles, they spin their prey in the water repeatedly in order to cause panic and drowning.