Dangerous to Man: The Definitive Story of Wildlife's Reputed Dangers

by Roger A. Caras

The definitive study of those animals that are potentially dangerous to man. The author , a well know naturalist, separates facts from fiction, stating with the big cats and ending with the jellyfish. Also included are fish, reptiles and birds. 433 pages including an excellent index and 7 technical Appendices

Genres: Natural History, Nonfiction, Nature, Wildlife

422 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Roger A. Caras was an American wildlife photographer, writer, wildlife preservationist and television personality.

Known as the host of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Caras was a veteran of network television programs including "Nightline," "ABC News Tonight" and "20/20" before devoting himself to work as president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and to becoming an author.

Reviews

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first encountered Dangerous to Man, I immediately recognized it as the source from which those "Dangerous Animals" books I loved as a kid shamelessly plagiarized. Whereas those books sought to scare kids with sensational tales of creepy creatures, naturalist Roger A. Caras wants to dispassionately examine how much of a threat wildlife actually proves to human beings. Caras explores the animal kingdom by class, from mammals, snakes, fish and assorted invertebrates (even the giant clam makes an appearance!). While occasionally detailing some gruesome case studies, Caras makes clear that the majority of animals, whether predators or herbivore, warm-blooded or reptilian, only attack humans under extreme circumstances: being harassed or hunted, unwarranted intrusions into their territory, injury, poor food sources or other external factors that lead to "vicious" or uncharacteristic behavior. Caras delights in knocking down myths about milk-sucking snakes and man-eating wolfpacks, though he propagates some of his own (like the absurd story of crocodiles massacring Japanese soldiers in World War II). The book, originally written in 1964, was already dated enough in 1975 that he revised significant passages of it: notably, Caras rewrote the chapter about octopuses to reflect that the blue-ringed octopus, previously dismissed as a danger, had been discovered venomous after killing several divers. Even if Caras's book is no longer the last word on dangerous animals, it's still commendable as a sober, reflective study that generally prefers respectful analysis of nature to hype, fear and cruddy children's books.

[Taylor Gunnells · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dangerous to Man”, by Roger A. Caras offered thorough descriptions of many of the most dangerous animals known to man. It described their appearance, habitat, and the defenses they use against nature and other animals. However, this book is also warning us not to kill these animals, as most of the animals listed are an endangered species.The book jacket includes several pictures of some of the animals found inside the book. I found it interesting because it includes some animals I like, some animals I don’t like, and some animals I would like to learn more about. The cover art definitely fits the overall theme of the book because it shows pictures of the animals found inside. Inside the book, there were photographs of most of the animals talked about. The title fits with the theme because it mostly explains what animals are dangerous to humans in the book. The pictures all include a brief caption of what is pictured.The author’s purpose was to describe the animals inside the book to the reader. There were also a few warnings about some of the animals and their potential. The intended audience is for high school students and older to learn about these animals. The author has written many other books similar to this about just one family of animals or one species. He has also gone on many expeditions around the world including trips to the south pole, several trips to Asia, five safaris in Africa, and many trips to unvisited parts of the US and Canada.This book was written to inform the reader about these animals. There is no plot or any main characters for that reason. The animals listed include at least one species from each family of animals. The families are mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. There were many species included within these “chapters”. Though this book did not have a plot or characters, it included stories from newspapers and witnesses of people being attacked by the animals and many accounts of some of the things these creatures are capable of. One of them that I found kind of interesting was a little boy that got attacked by a cougar and a woman ran to him and pulled the large cat off the child by its ears.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I really like learning about animals. I liked the format of the book and I don’t think I would change a thing about it. The theme of the novel was definitely based on something I found interesting. I liked learning about the different species in the book and I agree with the author’s opinion that we should preserve these creatures and we should not try to hunt them, especially for sport.I would recommend this book to any high school or even college student studying to pursue a biology or zoology career. This is also a great book for anyone, like me, who has an interest in some of the animals in the book.