From snappy crocodiles and venomous snakes to palm-sized spiders and not-so-cuddly drop bears, Australia has a reputation as the land where everything’s out to get you. Sure, we live alongside some of the weirdest and wildest creatures on Earth, but it’s not always the ones you expect causing harm. A new study has revealed that animal- and plant-related injuries are now the fifth most common reason for emergency room visits in Australia – and the real culprits might surprise you.
Last year, almost 33,000 Aussies ended up in hospital due to injuries caused by contact with other living creatures – a 21.8 per cent increase compared to a decade ago. This data comes from a new iSelect analysis of the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data, covering injuries and hospital admissions from July 2023 to June 2024.
So, if we’re not all being chomped by crocodiles or bitten by sharks, what’s sending us to the hospital? Considering almost half of Australian households own a dog, it checks out that dog-related injuries top the list – making up nearly a third of hospitalisations linked to animals and plants. Yep, not all four-legged friends are as cute and cuddly as they look.
The next batch of culprits confirms every tourist’s greatest fears – think mammals (15.3 per cent), reptiles (6.8 per cent), and insect bites or stings (2.1 per cent). And while snakes and spiders often dominate headlines, they only account for 2.4 per cent and 1.7 per cent of injuries.
So, who’s ending up in the emergency room? These injuries are far more common in men, with the highest rates among young adults (15–24), followed by children aged five to 14. Overall, the leading causes of hospital admissions in Australia were due to falls (43.1 per cent), contact with an object (14 per cent) and transport accidents (11.3 per cent). Animal and plant-related injuries accounted for just 5.7 per cent of emergency room visits. You can check out the full study here, or see our breakdown of the top ten animal and plant-related causes below.
The top 10 animal-related causes of injury in Australia
- Bitten or struck by a dog – 31 per cent
- Bitten or struck by other mammals – 15.3 per cent
- Bitten or crushed by other reptiles – 6.8 per cent
- Contact with allergens, allergy to animals – 5.3 per cent
- Contact with venomous snakes – 2.4 per cent
- Bitten or stung by a nonvenomous insect or other nonvenomous arthropod – 2.1 per cent
- Contact with spiders – 1.7 per cent
- Contact with venomous marine animals and plants – 1.7 per cent
- Contact with plant thorns and spines, and sharp leaves – 1.2 per cent
- Contact with marine animals – 0.8 per cent