Strange Occurrence in the Mississippi River
One summer, a couple of commercial fishermen were fishing with baited box traps in the Mississippi River, near Alton, Illinois. It was 1937, and a typical summer for the most part. However, while they fished in a deep section of the river the nets on their traps were getting torn. At first, they thought that their traps were being intentionally damaged, perhaps by some jokester. But, after looking closely, they decided it was a large fish, but what kind?
So, they crafted a net out of wire, baited the trap with chicken parts, and left it over night. In the morning, they lifted out the trap, and a 5 foot bull shark.
What, sharks in Illinois? Well, yes, it did happen, but it is not likely to be an everyday thing. However, bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, is likely the most dangerous species of shark to humans. While not nearly as well known as the great white shark, the bull shark is responsible for far more attacks on humans.
This fact is primarily because bull sharks like to hang out where people do—in shallow water close to shore. This means they are in more frequent contact with swimmers and beach-goers. They are large predators, with adults being able to reach 10-13 feet in length and weighing as much as 500-700 pounds. They can be unpredictable in their behavior, and sometimes aggressive, a combination that is not good for people.
And rare for sharks, they have a very high tolerance for fresh water. Most sharks cannot survive out of sea water, and do not even venture into bays and lagoons because it is to low in salt concentration. But the bull shark is able to tolerate fresh water, and even seems to seek it out from time to time. They have been found very high up the Amazon River in South America, and the Alton example shows they can get far up the Mississippi River basin.
However, while sharks might be scary animals, fatal attacks on people are actually very rare. Worldwide there are about 4 deaths a year. Compare that with the more than 37,000 deaths from automobile accidents in the United States alone. Driving is far more dangerous than swimming in the ocean, or the Mississippi in this case. Sharks in the Mississippi River is just one of many fun facts about the natural world.