BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – As summer begins to heat up, many Americans are heading to the outdoors for some fun in the sun. But, outdoor activities come with risks, including dangerous wild animals. Eight people die from animal attacks annually across the US, with thousands seeking medical attention following bites each year.

A report from BetOhio.com analyzed underlying cause of death statistics from the CDC since 2000 and pulled recorded fatalities on humans by wildlife for each state to find out where residents are most likely to encounter a dangerous animal. The report found that while Texas had the most fatal attacks reported, West Virginia had the highest rate when compared with population.

Texas’s total fatal attacks far surpass second place state California, with over 200 more fatal attacks. According to BetOhio.com, most of those attacks came from dogs (79) and other mammals (207), but the state ranked the highest across categories of animals as well, including hornets, snakes, and lizards.

Despite having a high number of fatal animal attacks, Texas has only a one in 53,842 chance of being involved in a dangerous animal encounter, compared to West Virginia’s rate of one in 30,271.

People in West Virginia and much of the eastern part of the U.S. should watch out for deadly bugs. Click here for West Virginia Poison Center information about bites and stings.

Vermont, North Dakota, and New Hampshire had no reports of fatal animal attacks since 2000, making them the safest states, according to BetOhio.com. Rhode Island (1) and Delaware (2) round out the top five list.