Latest news with #FrontiersinConservationScience
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘Misplaced concerns', ‘misconceptions': In paper countering Project Cheetah criticism, officials say animals are now well-adapted
Amid continuing criticism of various aspects of Project Cheetah, wildlife officials and field scientists from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have authored a paper seeking to counter what they termed 'persistent criticism' and 'sensationalised media narratives' against the project, and defended its progress. The officials and scientists said some of the criticism against the project was 'rooted in ideological biases'. Published in Frontiers in Conservation Science journal, the paper said that cheetahs imported to India have adapted ecologically and that the project had demonstrated significant progress in 2.5 years. It added that the project was on a promising trajectory, even as cheetah reintroduction was a 'gradual and risky process, with inevitable and adaptive learning'. NTCA's assistant veterinary officer Sanath Krishna Muliya is the paper's lead author, and Project Tiger head Gobind Sagar Bharadwaj is among the co-authors. Project Cheetah was launched in September 2022 and introduced African cheetahs into India from Namibia and South Africa. Initially, 20 cheetahs were imported from the two countries. The paper delved into issues such as the project's scientific merits, 'misplaced concerns about cheetahs in captivity', 'misinformed ethical and justice concerns', and 'misconceptions about veterinary capabilities and field interventions.' It sought to rebut criticism that the cheetahs were held in enclosures for a long duration, as well as questions raised on what criteria were followed for the same. The government officials said in the paper that the cheetahs were held in 'soft-release bomas' or large enclosures, where they hunted locally available prey, and no prey was provided. They added that the soft-release practice was internationally recognised for carnivore reintroductions. The cheetahs, the paper said, are now well adapted to the landscape after the phased release process resumed in early 2025 after setbacks such as deaths during May-June 2023 due to what it called 'unforeseen challenges' of tick infestations due to unseasonal winter coats. As per the paper, six introduced cheetahs and 18 cubs are currently free-ranging in Kuno's wilderness and others await release. The government is also negotiating with the governments of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, for more cheetah translocations, the paper said. However, the paper did not touch upon the death of male cheetah Pawan, who died due to drowning in August 2024, as per the Madhya Pradesh forest department. The paper also cited the birth of 25 cubs in 2.5 years as a sign of a stress-free environment. On criticism regarding the project's social impacts, the paper claimed that there was no unjustified displacement or coerced relocation of local communities, and much of the relocation had happened long before. On the stress faced by the wild cats due to recurring immobilisation, the paper said that zero deaths were recorded due to immobilisation. Since the project began, there have been 90 immobilisations of over 20 cheetahs in a span of 2.5 years, for preventive care, medical treatment, and radio-collar deployment.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Influencers are being blamed for a rise in shark attacks
Influencers get a lot of stick these days. The latest thing they're being blamed for: shark attacks. Big Lots stores reopening update: Here's the full list of locations that will open this week This is how it feels at the beginning of the end of the world The kerning on the pope's tomb is a travesty Scientists have noted a recent rise in shark attacks, and according to new research published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science, of the 74 recorded bites in the seas around French Polynesia, 5% were assessed as acts of self-defense. Professor Eric Clua of PSL University in France, who led the research, holds social media responsible. '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,' Clua told The Times. 'The sharks here feel like family,' one such influencer with 111,000 followers wrote in the caption of an Instagram post. In one picture, she is seen grabbing the nose of a shark; in another, she reaches out and gently pushes its nose as it swims toward her. 'Don't get it twisted, the sharks don't give a f*** about me,' she adds in the caption. 'Which absolutely makes me a crazy shark lady.' While they might feel like family, that doesn't mean the sharks consent to being used as props in a social media post—a lesson some people have unfortunately learned the hard way. Earlier this year, a tourist vacationing in the Caribbean was allegedly trying to take a photo of a bull shark swimming in shallow waters when it bit off both her hands. Although sharks are not naturally inclined to bite humans, they are wild predators that will act in self-defense. Researchers examined a global database known as the Shark Attack Files and found more than 300 incidents fitting the same defensive pattern, dating back to the 1800s. Most of these bites involved small and medium-size sharks, including gray reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and nurse sharks. When it comes to great whites, which are more dangerous, humans are generally wise enough to steer clear. 'People know the difference between a [Yorkshire terrier] and a pit bull, whereas they don't know the difference between a blacktip reef shark and a bull shark, which are their marine equivalents,' Clua said. 'They are responsible for fewer than 10 human deaths a year worldwide. Whereas dogs are responsible for more than 10,000 deaths and are perceived positively by the public.' Even using the term 'shark attack' is misleading, researchers argue, as it creates the perception of sharks as aggressors and undermines conservation efforts that rely on public support. Around 100 million sharks are killed annually (about 274,000 per day), targeted for their fins, meat, and as bycatch. As it stands, they have more reason to be scared of you than you have of them. So, if you find yourself swimming alongside a shark, the scientific advice is simple: Look, don't touch. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Sign in to access your portfolio
Euronews
26-04-2025
- Science
- Euronews
Some shark bites are ‘survival instinct', researchers say in defence of threatened predator
ADVERTISEMENT 'It's more scared of you than you are of it' is a refrain parents use to humanise spiders to their children. That's a little harder to believe of sharks, given their mighty appearance and characterisation in the media. But researchers have found that - like snakes and spiders - sharks do sometimes bite humans in self-defence. "We show that defensive bites by sharks on humans - a reaction to initial human aggression - are a reality and that the animal should not be considered responsible or at fault when they occur," says Dr Eric Clua, first author of the new study published in the Frontiers in Conservation Science journal. "These bites are simply a manifestation of survival instinct, and the responsibility for the incident needs to be reversed,' according to Clua, a shark specialist and researcher at Université PSL in Paris. Related Shark and ray populations have halved since 1970 and overfishing is to blame More than 80% of the world's coral reefs hit by worst bleaching event in recorded history What makes a shark bite in self-defence? Firstly, shark attacks are rare, occurring only 100 or so times a year. Just around 10 per cent are fatal; statistically , you are more likely to die in a lawn mower accident. To understand more about shark bite motivations, which are already known to range from competition to predation, the researchers focused on the territorial waters of French Polynesia. This 5.5 million square kilometre zone is home to more than 30 shark species, and has been a designated shark sanctuary since 2006, making it an ideal place to study shark behaviour. The team used shark bite data collected systematically over the past 60 years in French Polynesia to identify self-defence bites on humans. They looked for incidents where sharks bit in response to aggressive human actions, such as spear fishing or attempts to grab the shark. In contrast to 'feeding-motivated' bites, sharks acting in self-defence generally bite repeatedly and leave superficial, non-lethal wounds. This lower-grade violence matches the kind of defence-motivated bites inflicted by land predators like bears and large birds such as cassowaries, the researchers note. Related What are milky seas? 400 years of sailors' stories are shedding light on ocean bioluminescence How common are self-defence shark bites? Between 2009 and 2023, 74 bites were documented in French Polynesia. Four of them were likely motivated by self-defence, the study found, which may trigger 3 to 5 per cent of all shark bites. Collecting this data on a global scale is tricky, but the researchers made a start by applying their approach to the Global Shark Attack Files, which records almost 7,000 bites since 1863. This database categorises bites as 'provoked' or 'unprovoked'. The researchers focused on the former, and bites linked to activities that might put people in proximity to sharks. They found that 322 bite events could have been motivated by self-defence, a figure close to the percentage (around 5 per cent) of self-defence bites recorded in French Polynesia. "We need to consider the not very intuitive idea that sharks are very cautious towards humans and are generally afraid of them," Clua says. ADVERTISEMENT When sharks strike in self-defence, they might use disproportionate force and deliver greater harm than is threatened (not unlike humans). "The sharks' disproportionate reaction is probably the immediate mobilisation of their survival instinct,' adds Clua. 'It is highly improbable that they would integrate revenge into their behaviour and remain above all pragmatic about their survival." Related The climate crisis may cause more whale shark collisions with ships - here's why How can you avoid being bitten by a shark? To avoid being bitten by a defensive shark, people should steer clear of any activity that could be considered aggressive, the researchers advise. This includes attempts to help stranded sharks, which are liable to be misinterpreted by the big fish. "Do not interact physically with a shark, even if it appears harmless or is in distress. It may at any moment consider this to be an aggression and react accordingly," Clua cautions. ADVERTISEMENT "These are potentially dangerous animals , and not touching them is not only wise, but also a sign of the respect we owe them." Knowing your coastal sharks is important, too. For some species, such as the territorial-minded gray reef shark, a human merely intruding into their space is likely to trigger their survival instinct. Related Toxic dust and stressed seals: What the shrinking Caspian Sea could mean for people and nature Reviewing our view of shark attacks 'The existence of self-defence bites … calls into question the practice of labelling all shark bites as attacks,' the researchers conclude. The media plays a key role in this perception, tending to portray sharks as the aggressor even when people initiate the interaction. In April 2016, for example, reports on a bite incident involving two Polynesian fishermen who were aggressive a gray reef shark all had the word 'attack' in the headlines. ADVERTISEMENT 'This simplistic approach damages the image of sharks and, indeed, their conservation, which relies on public support,' the researchers add. With 'negative interactions' between humans and sharks on the rise due to our increased use of the sea, they hope their study will feed into a more sustainable style of wildlife management. As in other areas of the animal kingdom, a better understanding of what motivates endangered species to attack people can help develop non-lethal strategies.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts Warn Influencer Behavior May Be Leading to More Shark Attacks
Like tapping the glass on a fish tank, influencers are getting a little too bold with wild sharks—pushing boundaries in the predators' own territory. And despite Hollywood's killer-shark narrative, researchers say many so-called attacks are just defensive moves. The sharks didn't sign up to be part of anyone's viral stunt. According to a new study in Frontiers in Conservation Science, French scientists say the spike in shark attacks isn't random—it's fueled by selfie-chasing influencers egging tourists on to pet the ocean's cold-blooded predators. '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,' lead researcher Professor Eric Clua of PSL University in Paris, France, told The Times of London. To examine the cause of recent shark attacks, Professor Clua and his team examined records of encounters off the coast of French Polynesia between 2009 and 2023. They found that of the 74 bites recorded during this period—most of which were from smaller and medium-sized sharks—around 5 percent were likely to have been the result of sharks acting out in defense. Clua pointed out that these defensive bites often happened without warning and usually involved multiple quick bites, typically leaving only minor injuries, and superficial wounds. A deeper dive into the Shark Attack Files—a global database dating back to the 1800s—uncovered over 300 similar incidents driven by self-defense. In the study researchers focused on bites linked to activities that might put people in proximity to sharks and were classified as 'provoked.' This showed that 322 bite events could have been motivated by self-defense, which coincides with the 5 percent of self-defense bites that were recorded in French Polynesia. Scientists believe that these observations might be transferable to the rest of the world. While experts like Clua, work to prevent more attacks, sharing messages like "these are potentially dangerous animals, and not touching them is not only wise, but also a sign of the respect we owe them.' Influencers continue to produce content that encourages contact with sharks. Popular Instagrammer Ocean Ramsey is an example of the behavior Clua and his team are discouraging. The influencer is one the more controversial figures in the shark encounter scene, and regularly posts close footage and offers tips on avoiding contact with tiger sharks—like minimizing splashing and staying upright in the water. In a previous post Ramsey shared her deep admiration for sharks. "I want to help people to overcome their fear of sharks, so they will help protect them, but a high healthy level of respect while working in water with them should remain with a constant awareness of their behavior and proximity," she said to justify her close interaction with sharks. Another influencer and wildlife photographer Taylor Cunningham is often pictured touching the nose of a tiger shark off of Hawaii. 'The sharks here feel like family,' the self-proclaimed 'crazy shark lady' and went on to say "It's an unrequited love. I know this is a one way relationship. But I can't help but be attached." As mentioned in The New York Post, the study comes just two months after a Canadian tourist lost both her hands after getting bitten by a 6-foot shark that she was trying to take a photo with in Turks and Caicos. Earlier this month, Barak Tzach, 40, a father of four who was killed while trying to film sharks in the water off Hadera, Israel. However, it's unclear in either case if the victims touched or fed the predators. For context, approximately 100 million sharks are killed annually. This translates to roughly 274,000 sharks per day. The primary drivers of this high mortality rate include shark finning, bycatch in fishing nets, and targeted fishing for sharks and other marine life, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). With that in mind, the odds are sharks are at higher risks of getting killed daily than humans are likely to encounter a shark attack. During an interview with The Times, and in addition to reducing the number of such bites in the field, Clua made his message clear. "We hope that one of the major effects of our study will be to modify the vision and attitude of journalists by suggesting that they take a closer look at the conditions in which bites occur, without systematically blaming the animals, but rather making humans more responsible, Clua said.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Some shark bites are ‘survival instinct', researchers say in defence of threatened predator
'It's more scared of you than you are of it' is a refrain parents use to humanise spiders to their children. That's a little harder to believe of sharks, given their mighty appearance and characterisation in the media. But researchers have found that - like snakes and spiders - sharks do sometimes bite humans in self-defence. "We show that defensive bites by sharks on humans - a reaction to initial human aggression - are a reality and that the animal should not be considered responsible or at fault when they occur," says Dr Eric Clua, first author of the new study published in the Frontiers in Conservation Science journal. "These bites are simply a manifestation of survival instinct, and the responsibility for the incident needs to be reversed,' according to Clua, a shark specialist and researcher at Université PSL in Paris. Related Shark and ray populations have halved since 1970 and overfishing is to blame More than 80% of the world's coral reefs hit by worst bleaching event in recorded history Firstly, shark attacks are rare, occurring only 100 or so times a year. Just around 10 per cent are fatal; statistically, you are more likely to die in a lawn mower accident. To understand more about shark bite motivations, which are already known to range from competition to predation, the researchers focused on the territorial waters of French Polynesia. This 5.5 million square kilometre zone is home to more than 30 shark species, and has been a designated shark sanctuary since 2006, making it an ideal place to study shark behaviour. The team used shark bite data collected systematically over the past 60 years in French Polynesia to identify self-defence bites on humans. They looked for incidents where sharks bit in response to aggressive human actions, such as spear fishing or attempts to grab the shark. In contrast to 'feeding-motivated' bites, sharks acting in self-defence generally bite repeatedly and leave superficial, non-lethal wounds. This lower-grade violence matches the kind of defence-motivated bites inflicted by land predators like bears and large birds such as cassowaries, the researchers note. Related What are milky seas? 400 years of sailors' stories are shedding light on ocean bioluminescence Between 2009 and 2023, 74 bites were documented in French Polynesia. Four of them were likely motivated by self-defence, the study found, which may trigger 3 to 5 per cent of all shark bites. Collecting this data on a global scale is tricky, but the researchers made a start by applying their approach to the Global Shark Attack Files, which records almost 7,000 bites since 1863. This database categorises bites as 'provoked' or 'unprovoked'. The researchers focused on the former, and bites linked to activities that might put people in proximity to sharks. They found that 322 bite events could have been motivated by self-defence, a figure close to the percentage (around 5 per cent) of self-defence bites recorded in French Polynesia. "We need to consider the not very intuitive idea that sharks are very cautious towards humans and are generally afraid of them," Clua says. When sharks strike in self-defence, they might use disproportionate force and deliver greater harm than is threatened (not unlike humans). "The sharks' disproportionate reaction is probably the immediate mobilisation of their survival instinct,' adds Clua. 'It is highly improbable that they would integrate revenge into their behaviour and remain above all pragmatic about their survival." Related The climate crisis may cause more whale shark collisions with ships - here's why To avoid being bitten by a defensive shark, people should steer clear of any activity that could be considered aggressive, the researchers advise. This includes attempts to help stranded sharks, which are liable to be misinterpreted by the big fish. "Do not interact physically with a shark, even if it appears harmless or is in distress. It may at any moment consider this to be an aggression and react accordingly," Clua cautions. "These are potentially dangerous animals, and not touching them is not only wise, but also a sign of the respect we owe them." Knowing your coastal sharks is important, too. For some species, such as the territorial-minded gray reef shark, a human merely intruding into their space is likely to trigger their survival instinct. Related Toxic dust and stressed seals: What the shrinking Caspian Sea could mean for people and nature 'The existence of self-defence bites … calls into question the practice of labelling all shark bites as attacks,' the researchers conclude. The media plays a key role in this perception, tending to portray sharks as the aggressor even when people initiate the interaction. In April 2016, for example, reports on a bite incident involving two Polynesian fishermen who were aggressive a gray reef shark all had the word 'attack' in the headlines. 'This simplistic approach damages the image of sharks and, indeed, their conservation, which relies on public support,' the researchers add. With 'negative interactions' between humans and sharks on the rise due to our increased use of the sea, they hope their study will feed into a more sustainable style of wildlife management. As in other areas of the animal kingdom, a better understanding of what motivates endangered species to attack people can help develop non-lethal strategies.
