 | Many
situations pose no threat whatsoever to humans, even though a large shark may
be swimming around. The dangerous shark is just as rare as the nonaggressive shark.
Obviously there are species which - simply due to their size - should only be
approached with great caution, for body size is a problem when it comes to dealing
with sharks. Still, even though most sharks shown on television or in aquariums
are mostly imposing in size, it must be emphasized that of the over 460 shark
species only a small fraction of them grow so large as to cause serious injuries
to people. Most are much too small to accomplish this. However, size alone only
plays an indirect role. Much more important is the fact that many large species
of sharks seek prey whose size is comparable to that of human beings. In order to attack their prey, sharks inevitably need the respective "tools". Undoubtedly, shark teeth can cause serious wounds on humans. However, these teeth were developed amidst a natural environment unrelated to humans in order to guarantee survival in the natural environment. Yet human beings often tend to view nature and its inhabitants from a very narrow-minded, anthropocentric perspective which may completely overshadow the true circumstances. |
| The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) belongs to the potentially dangerous sharks. This rather large species can grow to a length of 350 cm and weigh 230 kg. |
