A teenager was bitten by a Shark while bathing off Cocoa Beach in Brevard County, Florida, on Saturday 26 May 2018. Cody High, 15, from San Angelo, Texas, was bitten on the lower calf by a Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas, about two metres in length, slightly after 5.00 pm local time on a section of beach without lifeguards or Shark spotters. He underwent surgery at the Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital, where he was retained for several days after the incident. His family are attempting to cover the cost of his treatment via a GoFundMe Page.
Cody High, 15, from San Angelo, Texas, recovering in hospital after being bitten by a Bull Shark off Cocoa Beach, Florida, on 26 May 2018. The Man Post.
Despite their fearsome reputation,
attacks by Sharks
are relatively rare. Most attacks on Humans by Sharks are
thought to be mistakes, made by species that feed principally on Marine Mammals
(which we superficially resemble when we enter the water), gaining the
majority of their nutrition from the thick adipose (fat) layers of these
animals (which we lack). Due to this, when Sharks do attack Humans
these attacks are often broken off without the victim being consumed.
Such attacks frequently result in severe injuries, but are seldom
immediately fatal, with victims likely to survive if they receive
immediate medical attention.
Bull Sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, are a form of Requiem Shark, Carcharhinidae,
reaching about four metres in length at their largest. They have a
reputation for aggressive behaviour, and are one of the species most
prone to attacking Humans, though this is not because they are more
hostile towards us than other Shark species, but because they inhabit
environments where they are more likely to encounter us, favouring
shallow inshore waters, and sometimes entering freshwater systems, which
most Sharks shun (Bull Sharks have been encountered in the Mississippi
River as far inland as southern Illinois). These Sharks are also
territorial, and may lash out if they feel their territory is being
invaded.
See also...
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