‘You can hear the terror in their voices’

News 12 Long Island reported that a fisherman experienced an extremely close encounter with a shark.

What’s happening?

A fisherman kayaking off the coast of Long Beach, New York, had a shark approach him multiple times. The fisherman dumped his catch from the day into the water, hoping it would entice the shark away from him. But the shark kept returning.

Luckily, the fisherman was able to wave down a passing boat to help him escape. Someone on that boat was filming as they approached and caught the shark swimming around the man in the kayak.

As the reporter from News 12 Long Island said in their report, “You can hear the terror in their voices.”

Why is this shark encounter concerning?

The fisherman in this scenario ended up being extremely lucky. It seems he managed to get away from the shark safely.

When people encounter sharks and other wildlife, however, these encounters often don’t end well, resulting in serious injury or death.

Encounters such as these aren’t only potentially deadly for humans either. Many times when wildlife attacks, authorities will hunt down the animal that attacked and euthanize it — even if a human provoked it. These events can hinder conservation efforts and contribute to population decline.

However, when wild animals attack, it usually isn’t their fault.

It’s unclear why this shark was so interested in this fisherman. But in many cases, wildlife gets very close to people now because of our changing climate and extreme weather. These events have resulted in the loss of their natural habitats and increased food shortages.

Food shortages and the loss of other natural resources force wildlife to move to new areas. Their new homes are often more densely populated, leading to increased human-wildlife encounters.

In this particular case, the booming tourism industry and population growth in the area may also have contributed.

How can I protect myself from human-wildlife encounters?

One of the most critical ways to protect yourself, whether you’re in water or on land, is to remain vigilant at all times.

Additionally, increased protection of wildlife habitats will help reduce the need for these animals to move into areas where humans are. Conservation can prevent habitat loss and allow ecosystems to thrive.

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