Animal Attacks - Animalistic or Accidental?

On Sunday, a 40-ton whale attacked a yacht near the coast of Cape Town. According to the owners of the yacht, Palomo Werner and Ralph Mothes, they were out sailing when they spotted the whale 100 meters from them. The couple did not think anymore of the whale until it suddenly leaped out of the water, crushing the yacht.

Marine protection officials are currently investigating the incident, after reports were made stating the whales are being harassed. Whale protection laws state that ships must remain 300 meters away, and leave the area if a whale should approach.

This event has not been the only animal attack the world has seen. According to PubMed.gov, there were 1,882 animal-related deaths in the United States between 1979 through 1990. That number almost doubled since 1991 through 2001, when 2,700 were deaths recorded.

What causes an animal to attack? In August of 2009, TheDenverChannel.com reported that Donna Munson had been killed and partially eaten by a bear. Munson loved bears, and found sheer pleasure in feeding them. Her fatal encounter came when she was feeding an injured baby bear, and was then attacked by a grown bear.

How about back in March, when CBS Channel 4 reported a mountain lion invading Michelle Bese's home. The lion got in through a doggie door while pursuing one of her five dogs. This encounter led to one dog killed, while two were seriously injured. Bese and her 5-year-old son got out of the attacked unharmed. However, police say the lion was no more than 40 lbs, clearly underweight. The attack at Bese's resident was no more than a starving animal hunting its food.

The Huffington Post wrote about the most memorable of all the attacks. A trainer at SeaWorld died by the exact whale she trained. Dawn Brancheau suffered traumatic injuries before drowning in front of a live audience. At the time, authorities said they were unsure of the whale's intent, but one onlooker said the whale appeared to be upset at the time.

Bees, bears, sharks, even dogs have all caused deaths over the years. The one question that everyone asks is, why do the animals attack?.

Animals used to have the room to run freely, but humans have taken over their environment, forcing these poor creatures to move on or starve. Animal attacks, like the recent whale attack, exist for one reason: They are trying to survive.

When they are hungry, they go find food. When they are in danger, they will do all they can to protect themselves. Animals do not want to attack. They attack when they are threatened, as was the case with the whale in Cape Town. They attack when they are hungry. Most shark attacks occur when humans are mistaken for fish. The reason animals attack is because they are trying to survive.

Writer Robert A. Waters summed it up nicely when he said, "Wild animals don't abide by the rules of man. Instead, they live by the law of the jungle: kill or be killed."