Are Influencers To Blame For Increased Shark Bites?

A new study published in “Frontiers in Conservation” points to an unusual potential cause of shark bites: Influencers. Records of shark bites suggest that more bites fit a “defensive pattern”, meaning, a shark bit a human after being provoked. Social media stardom could be driving this trend. “I don’t encourage, as many influencers do on social networks, [people] to cling to a shark’s dorsal fin or stroke it, under the pretext of proving that they are harmless,” Professor Eric Clua said. Celebrities Zac Efron, Ciara, and Bella Thorne have all posted clips of themselves touching sharks. “Enjoy its beauty, but remember they are wild animals, predators that can act as predators,” Professor Clua concluded. (Independent)