When we think of Australia, we imagine vast countryside, wave-enticing beaches and, of course, the venomous wildlife we'd rather not come face to face with.
But, according to new research, there is a surprising killer amongst the animal world in Australia that you may never have suspected - mainly because, here in Britain, that very same animal is, more often than not, a gentle giant.
It turns out that horses have killed more people in Australia in recent years than all of the venomous creatures combined. Though here in the UK we think of horses as graceful animals that graze and gallop in idyllic countryside fields, helping farmers and riders alike, it seems their Australian counterparts may be a little more dangerous.
In a study by the University of Melbourne's Dr Ronelle Welton, for the Internal Medicine Journal, data from hospital admissions found that, between the years of 2000 and 2013, 74 deaths in Australia were caused by horses.
Bees and other stinging insects were responsible for 27 deaths, as were snakes. But the research also showed that spiders didn't claim any lives during that period. The bad press surrounding these eight-legged beasts from down under is clearly undeserved.
Speaking to the BBC, Dr Welton admitted, "Australia is known as the epicentre of all things venomous," so she hopes that her findings will change stereotypes and people's perceptions about the country. Although, sadly, it doesn't promise to do much for the reputation of horses.
