What is zoophobia?
Zoophobia is an extreme fear of animals. Many people who have zoophobia fear one specific type of animal. Others fear many types of animals or all animals.
The fear of animals is a type of anxiety disorder called a specific phobia. Specific phobias are intense fears of certain objects, situations, people or animals. Many people with specific phobias know that the intensity of their fear isn’t proportionate to any actual threat. Still, it can be challenging to manage phobia symptoms.
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What are the types of animal phobias?
Some people who have zoophobia are afraid of one specific type of animal. For example, studies have found that the two most common types of animal phobias are ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) and arachnophobia (fear of spiders).
Other common animal phobias include:
- Chiroptophobia (fear of bats).
- Cynophobia (fear of dogs).
- Entomophobia (fear of insects).
- Musophobia (fear of mice and rats).
- Spheksophobia (fear of wasps).
How common is zoophobia?
Specific phobias are common. More than 12% of adults in the United States have a specific phobia.
In particular, zoophobia is one of the most common specific phobias. Some research has found that a fear of animals is one of the top three most common specific phobias.
