A new study found that rise in shark attacks is due to defense behaviors, with animals to be bothered by influencers in search of perfect selfies.
Shark attacks are increasing, but it is not because sharks are becoming more aggressive. According to a new one published in Frontiers in Conservation, the real culprits are the influencers of social networks that engage in dangerous behaviors in search of selfies with these wild predators.
The researchers analyzed data from meetings with French Polynesian sharks between 2009 and 2023 and found that Many of the 74 bites of registered shark were not predatory, but defensive in nature. A wider analysis of Shark Attack Files revealed more than 300 similar cases, usually involving minor injuries – indicating that sharks were trying to ward off human intrusions and not hunting.
“Do not touch. Just look”Said the main author, Eric Clua, from PSL University in Paris.“ Appreciate beauty [dos tubarões]but remember that they are wild animals. It is not just a security issue, but also respect. ”
Despite expert notices, viral videos continue to show influencers involved in high -risk interactions – grabbing the shark fins, stroking their noses or making selfies poses in a large plan. Influencers like Taylor Cunningham and even conservationists like Andriana Fragola published images involving physical contact with sharks, being criticized by encourage insecure behaviors and disrespectful.
The consequences of such stunts have been serious. Recently, a Canadian tourist lost both hands When trying to take a selfie with a shark. In another incident, a father of four children in Israel was mortally attacked while filming sharks in the wild, reports.
Clua also stressed a fundamental misunderstanding among the public: while people are aware of the difference between various dog breeds, such as a Yorkshire Terrier versus a pitbull, do not make similar distinctions when it comes to shark species. This ignorance can reveal mortal, since not all sharks represent the same level of threat.
Worldwide, sharks are responsible for Less than 10 human deaths per yearcompared to thousands caused by domestic dogs. The study urges the public to reconsider the way it interacts with wildlife, especially in the age of obsession with popularity on social networks.
