As I type, one of the most searched topics on Google, according to Google Trends, is "Caribbean shark attacks". This follows reports yesterday that Italian tourist, Antonio Straccialini, 56, was attacked by a shark, and later died due to his injuries, as he swam just off the Caribbean island of San Andres. The attack has been attributed to a Tiger shark, which is known to swim near coastlines and be one of the least discerning predators, with a wide and varied diet. However, attacks on humans are still extremely rare.
According to National Geographic (nationalgeographic.com/animals), Tiger sharks "are second only to great whites in attacking people." As well as this, they are known to be less discerning than other shark species and will take a wide variety of prey, if they are able to do so. Indeed, tiger sharks have been recorded with stomach contents that include dogs, cats, car license plates, and oil cans. This lack of a discerning palate means that they are more likely to persist with an attack after an initial bite, unlike other shark species. However, once again, attacks on people are still extremely rare.
Statistics and scientific observation, of course, will, do little to ease pain for the loss of Antonio Straccialini, for his friends, family, and loved ones. We can only hope that, in time, they take comfort in the good memories they have of him, and that the pain of loss does not overwhelm.
What we mustn't do is to allow tragic events like this one to colour our perception of these animals, we mustn't demonise them for their behaviour. Rather than calling the shark a "beast" (dailymail.co.uk), implying rage and monstrosity as that word does, we must remember it is just an animal living according to its physiology, the needs it has according to its nature. As we come into contact with the natural world, conflicts may sometimes arise. Sometimes, it will be us that loses in those conflicts. Most of the time though, it is nature that is the loser.
Tiger sharks are a threatened species, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature, with a declining population trend (iucnredlist.org). This unenviable status is due to heavy fishing by humans, for the fins, flesh, and livers of these animals. In seas where this shark was once common, such as Arabian waters, it has either declined noticeably or disappeared completely. There are some scattered efforts to conserve the species, but nothing cohesive and specific. These are not monsters, rage-fuelled killers, but an animal doing what it must to survive and which, on rare occasions, has come violently and tragically into our lives, through no fault of its own.
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