Local Expert Weighs In After Great White Shark Attack
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Six sand tiger sharks captivate the crowd at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
While the fierce-looking predators offer very little risk to humans, sharks like the great white can be a different story.
The shark keeper says people need to be more mindful of where they're swimming.
"If they're swimming by a fishing pier, they have to know that is attracting those animals to come in," said shark keeper Jenni Lewis. "If they're hungry, they're looking for food. It might be a little bit more scarce. There has been more migration with sharks looking for food."
She says there's no reason to stay away from the water. A visitor agreed.
"We're entering their home, so it would be our fault if we got bit, not theirs," said zoo visitor Cheyenne Rychorcewicz. "So we're kind of like in their territory. But if I got bit, I'd probably go back in the ocean."
The shark keeper says shark bites are rare, partly because humans don't taste very good.
"We're definitely not on the menu," Lewis said. "A lot of time when people get bitten, is a test bite. The shark will let go because they realize it's not what they were after in the first place."
Zoo visitor Tricia Poli says recent attacks may cause her family to modify their beach experience.
"I don't think it would keep us away from the beach," Poli said. "I think we'd still travel there. I do think we'd spend a little more time a the pool when we're at the beach."
She also says it would make her family more aware of their surroundings.
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