Fatal attack by dusky sharks in Israel due to feeding frenzy, species not known threat to humans: Experts

The

death of a 40-year-old man

in a shark attack off the coast of Hadera in Israel in April was an atypical incident, likely caused by an instinctive response that triggered a feeding frenzy, scientists said.

In a research paper published in the latest edition of the Ethology science journal, two shark scientists said dusky sharks - the species involved in the attack - do not usually view humans as prey.

And although they can grow to a large size, sometimes pushing past 3.5m, dusky sharks have not been identified as causing any human deaths between the 19th century and 2024, they added.

Ethology is a monthly journal that focuses on animal behaviour, and the paper was published in the November edition.

In this incident, the scientists said the victim’s GoPro camera could have been somehow viewed by the sharks as prey because of the slight electromagnetic signal it emits.

Sharks are equipped with specialised sense organs that detect electrical currents, and use electro-reception to hunt for prey, which give off faint electric currents when they contract their muscles.

“In the presence of these electrical signals, the shark can trigger a reflex/clumsiness bite,” the scientists said.

“Begging” behaviour - where sharks approach humans for food because humans keep feeding them - is another likely cause for the sharks biting out of reflex, they added.

Although a shark’s first bite may not be borne out of intent to prey on the man, it would have caused severe bleeding and triggered a feeding frenzy that attracted other dusky sharks.

The scientists said the competition for access to the food resource - the underlying basis for a feeding frenzy - overrides the usual behaviour of dusky sharks.

Describing it as a very rare case, the scientists said one key measure the authorities could adopt to ensure people’s safety is to “eliminate the begging behaviour in sharks”.

To do this, they would have to ban people from feeding the animals, and also prohibit spearfishing, which often drives sharks to seek food from humans.

Although culling sharks in the area is another possible solution, the scientists said it would be the worst decision to take “since the responsibility for this specific incident lies essentially with humans”.