Dangerous Animals In Cairns
Understandably a question on every traveler's mind is: are there dangerous animals in Cairns?
Australia is world-famous for its vast array of potentially dangerous wildlife. And with Cairns being situated in Far North Queensland, it is probably the prime example for the entire country as a melting pot of all of them. With croc-infested rivers, dense rainforest and tropical ocean literally on its doorstep, there’s no shortage of environments where these potentially dangerous species reside. 
It’s worth mentioning now that not a single one of these species is inherently dangerous to humans (besides the crocs) unless interfered with or threatened. The majority are just going about their own business and have no interest in us, so long as we leave them alone. So while they are all capable of potentially posing danger to us, they all play their own roles in contributing to the natural ecosystem and are best admired from a distance. To put this into perspective- horses and cows kill far more people in Australia than sharks, crocodiles, snakes and spiders combined.
Below is a list of a few of the animals that could be considered dangerous in Cairns:
Saltwater Crocodiles
What would an article about dangerous animals in Cairns be without featuring saltwater crocodiles?!
These gigantic, prehistoric reptilian beasts are abundant in north Queensland, and the Cairns area is often considered the best place on the East Coast to see them in the wild. Inhabiting a wide variety of environments, from rivers, creeks, estuaries and coastal waters, these apex predators are the only animal that can be considered actively dangerous due to the fact that they will happily attack a human unprovoked.
Their colossal size, their speed and their intelligence combined with ferocious power means that they are almost impossible to get the better of in their natural habitat, so it’s best to avoid getting caught out in their territory at all costs.
That being said, to witness them in the wild or on a tour is truly a memorable experience, and there are a multitude of tours that offer this. Book a day at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures or a river cruise down the Daintree River to get to see these majestic creatures in an exhilarating but safe environment.
Snakes
You would think with Australia being home to 21 out of the 25 most venomous snake species in the world, that this would give anybody legitimate cause to be terrified. And more specifically in the Cairns area, the extremely diverse array of ecosystems combined with the year round warm climate, means that it’s an unbridled paradise for herpetologists.
Venomous species such as Eastern Browns, Red Belly Blacks, Coastal Taipans, Death Adders and Eastern Small-eyed snakes can all be found in and around the Cairns area on land, in addition to the Elegant and Dubois sea snakes in the water.
Each of the snakes listed above are capable of a potentially fatal bite (if left untreated), however the abundance of antivenom everywhere means that these sleek, slithery reptiles are only responsible for one to two bite fatalities per year in the whole of Australia.
If you’re lucky enough to find yourself face to face with one of these majestic creatures, make sure to remain completely still and if safe to do so, back away very slowly. If left alone and unthreatened, the snake will simply go about its business as usual.
Stingers
Inarguably the least intimidating looking creatures in this article, both the Australian box Jellyfish and the Irukandji Jellyfish (both part of the wider Box Jellyfish family) are considered to be some of the most dangerous species on Earth.
The extreme toxicity of their venom is only half of the reason as to why they are so feared, as these little monsters are incredibly difficult to spot in the water due to their diminutive size. Generally, by the time you spot one, it’s already too late.
Stings by either species are known to cause excruciating pain and can lead to heart rhythm problems and ultimately death by causing non stop contraction of the muscles. Another adverse side effect is the intense feeling of impending doom, where many people feel as though they’re about to die.
Victims experience Irukandji Syndrome anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours after being stung, and it can last in some cases up to four days. There is no anti-venom currently available for such stings, however there are a multitude of different pain remedies that can at least suppress the symptoms and pain.
Thankfully, these demonic gelatinous creatures are only around for a few months of the yearr, from December through until April. With the wearing of stinger suits on many water based tours compulsory, and stinger nets on most popular swimming beaches, stings are extremely infrequent.
Spiders
For any arachnophobes reading, you’ll be happy to learn that there have been no deaths in Australia from a confirmed spider bite since 1979. This was a result of the development of effective Funnel Web anti-venom in 1980.
However, this will do little to reassure a lot of people out there as the fear of spiders is generally not to do with the venom, but how terrifying and large these eight-legged creatures can appear.
The huge variety of different ecosystems around Cairns mean that it’s home to many Australian species of spider. These include Huntsman, Red Back, White Tailed, Garden Orb Weaver and Whisper Tarantulas, amongst many others.
All of these species possess venom of variable potency, however like with almost all wildlife out there, are extremely reluctant to bite unless threatened. Many Australians like to keep some of these species around their properties as they are extremely effective for pest control (particularly huntsman spiders).
So while these arachnids are pretty scary to look at, the chances of actually getting bitten are relatively small, and therefore pose little danger to us humans.
Southern Cassowary
Often considered to be the world's most dangerous bird, these giant prehistoric-looking arboreal creatures definitely deserve their spot in this article. The Southern Cassowary is the only species on this list endemic to North Queensland (although two sister species can also be found in Papua New Guinea), and can frequently be spotted around the area, in particular in more remote parts like the Daintree Rainforest. You can also see these majestic birds at most of the wildlife parks in the area.
Second only to emus in terms of size in Australia (and third in the world), these birds certainly have a reputation due to their territorial nature. Growing to nearly 6ft tall with razor sharp claws and beaks, and with a direct lineage to dinosaurs, an attack from a cassowary on a human could certainly end very badly.
Of the 150 documented wild cassowary attacks on humans, only one death has occurred after the bird was attacked by 2 teenagers decided to attack it with clubs, so in this case the animal was justifiably acting in in self defence.
