Sharks - Why They Shouldn't Be Killed
Due to hollywood movies about sharks many people think of them as predatory creatures that will hunt down humans due to be blood thirsty. On the contrary sharks, don't even like eating humans. The blood of humans doesn't taste the same as the food they actually eat which is why when a person is attacked it usually just one bite.
The hunter's diet is comprised of fish, seals, and other assorted sea creatures. We find them so terrifying in part because of the characteristics they've evolved to fit into their ecological niche: strength, agility, and an enormous number of teeth.
Frequently, what happens is that humans cause the sharks to attack by inadvertently copying natural animal activity. They swim way out in the ocean, paddling on their surf boards as they attempt to ride the crest of a great big wave. They don't realize that they seem just like injured seals to the sharks swimming nearby. The result is a very regrettable accident, like a swimmer getting sucked up in a fierce undertow. The people shouldn't be doing what they're doing where they're doing it.
Although many millions of people visit beaches every year, only about twelve are actually killed by sharks. Out of the approximately ninety shark attacks each year, most are not vicious and result in only a bruise. Although this is not negligible, these bumps and nudges are mostly accidental, not purposefully vicious, and should not be taken out of context.
You know what's about 10 times more dangerous to people than sharks? Falling coconuts. Really. Even the most aggressive of the sharks, the tiger shark and the great white shark, rarely attack humans. Heck, driving to the beach is far more dangerous as driving kills more than 40,000 people each year in the US alone.
Of course any victim of a shark attack deserves sympathy. But in the wake of a shark attack, pity the innocent sharks that will be killed because of fear, anger, or retaliation. A shark isn't like a person; you can't explain to it why it's being punished. Our two options are to eradicate sharks completely or learn to coexist with them in peace. And trying to get rid of all sharks just won't work.
About the Author: Strange though it may seem, falling coconuts actually cause 10 times as many injuries to humans as sharks do. The Tiger shark and the great white shark may be the most aggressive type but they very rarely attack humans. You'll find yourself more at risk whilst you drive to the beach, bearing in mind that driving kills more than 40,000 people on the US each year. It is only human to feel compassion for anyone who suffers a shark bite. Unless we eradicate them all, we are going to have to learn to live alongside them.
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Print Article | Download PDF | 46 views | May 29 2008
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