If you question whether animals have the intelligence to hold grudges and act accordingly, you might be surprised to learn that many do. 

As humans, vengeful acts are ordinary and generally stem from emotion. However, most don’t realize that animals have the same vindictive tendencies due to feelings similar to ours. 

In the article below, you will learn about five of the most vengeful animals on the planet. 

List of Most Vengeful Animals

• Siberian Tigers
• Crows
• African Buffalos
• Lions
• Elephants

Siberian Tigers

• Scientific Name: Panthera tigris altaica
• Type of Animal: Mammal
• Diet: Carnivore
• Range: Eastern Russia and Northern China

Siberian tigers are beautiful and majestic animals, but they are also some of the most vengeful creatures out there.

If you cross a tiger, there’s a good chance you’ll be stalked as its prey. 

One of the most famous of these accounts is the story of a Russian poacher, Vladimir Markov, who made the mistake of taking food from a tiger. In an effort to kill the tiger, the man only injured him. 

This tiger, in particular, located the man’s cabin, destroyed his belongings and waited for him to return home to execute his attack. 

Additionally, a female tiger raised in captivity escaped the zoo habitat after having objects thrown at her by a few intoxicated men. The tigress only went after the men who had taunted her upon her escape. 

Crows

• Scientific Name: Corvus
• Type of Animal: Bird
• Diet: Omnivore
• Range: Worldwide

Once a crow has been wronged, it remembers the face of the person and has a widely known tendency to seek revenge. Additionally, crows spread the message to other members of their flock, who will help them exact their revenge.

It’s no secret that crows are highly intelligent. Studies have shown that crows can remember the faces of those who crossed them for as long as five years. 

In one reported case, a man believed he was helping a baby crow, but it died while he was holding it. 

Afterward, he was tormented by a group of crows every time he went outside his home. This lasted for at least three years. 

The good news is, if you do good to crows, they also remember that. 

African Buffalos

• Scientific Name: Syncerus caffer
• Type of Animal: Mammal
• Diet: Herbivore
• Range: Sub-Saharan Africa

Another animal known for getting the herd together when it’s time to seek revenge is the African Buffalo, also known as the Cape Buffalo. 

Cape buffaloes are known to be some of the most dangerous, aggressive, and bravest animals on the planet.

If a lion injures a herd member, the herd of buffalo will band together and seek revenge on the lions. Sometimes, they will even wait until the lions are sleeping and trample them to increase their advantage. 

Furthermore, there are many accounts of hunters being attacked by cape buffalos while on an African hunt. 

For example, while loading his fresh kill, Claude Kleynhans was ambushed and killed by one of the buffalo’s fellow herd members. 

These things, along with other acts of aggression, have given the breed famous nicknames “The Widowmaker” and “The Black Death.”

Lions

• Scientific Name: Panthera leo
• Type of Animal: Mammal
• Diet: Carnivore
• Range: Sub-Saharan Africa

Lions are also commonly known to seek vengeance when an enemy has crossed them. 

When it comes to the vengeance of lions, they will even retaliate against their own species if a lion strikes them from another territory. 

In the wild, it’s not uncommon for lions to go after another animal that has harmed or killed one of their fellow lions. They are fiercely protective of one another, their territory, and especially their lionesses. 

There have also been many reported attacks on trophy hunters. 

In many of these cases, the hunters are attacked by what is likely another lion from the group seeking to harm the one that caused harm to their fellow troop members. 

Elephants

• Scientific Name: Elephantidae
• Type of Animal: Mammal
• Diet: Herbivore
• Range: Africa and Asia

As the number of incidents involving elephants rises, so does the number of studies that suggest that these attacks are launched with vindictive intent.

Given elephants’ memory and intelligence, it’s now being brought to light that their violent outbursts are likely acts of revenge. 

There are known instances of elephants attacking other animals, such as buffalo, that have harmed a member of their herd. These instances are inarguably acts of vengeance. 

However, elephants have recently begun targeting humans more and more. The number of human attacks and attacks on their villages has risen significantly over recent years. 

Scientists now believe that these attacks are due to watching hunters cause harm to their kind for so long. So, in turn, they now seek to harm our kind. 

Related: Animals That Can’t Jump

Conclusion

If you ever wondered if animals seek revenge – you now know the answer. And while no scientific studies prove that animals are capable of revenge, more than a few events demonstrate that they actually do.

Besides humans, many creatures practice revenge; however, some of the most vengeful animals include tigers, elephants, lions, crows, and Cape buffalos.

Thank you for reading. If you liked this article, you might also be interested in another popular read: Most Rude Animals.