Viral Tweet: Which Animal Can You Survive 20 Minutes With?

The world is filled with dangerous and deadly animals, many of which have posed major challenges to humans over the centuries. Whether it's massive grizzly bears or prowling alligators, some of nature's most beautiful creatures also pack a deadly punch. But face to face, which one are you most likely to survive against?

A recent tweet on the subject garnered more than 68 million views with a simple question: which animal do you think you could survive 20 minutes with? The theoretical prize? $100 million. 

While it's unlikely that anybody is offering a real payday here, the age-old question drew thousands of responses on Twitter. Many respondents were drawn to the alligator, which—while deadly—offers a more limited set of skills. Others offered up unique answers for evading grizzly bears, tigers, and hippopotamuses. 

You have to survive 20 minutes with one of them for $100 Million

Which are you picking? pic.twitter.com/2JY9rXuC8F

— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) July 15, 2023

While the gator was the most popular foe, some commenters were quick to dispel the popular myth that you can evade alligators by running in a zig-zag pattern, and also noted that they can even climb trees. 

While brute strength is one consideration, overall statistics offer a different perspective. Of the four animals, only hippopotamuses appear on several lists of the world's deadliest animals, with an estimated yearly death toll of around 500. Tigers and bears, while deadly in close quarters, have far fewer fatal encounters with humans. Alligators—like the one pictured in the tweet—also do not appear on these lists, although crocodiles, their larger and deadlier counterpart, do. 

No matter what animal you pick, it's likely to be the longest 20 minutes of your life.