Are stingrays actually dangerous? 3 reasons you shouldn’t fear these sea pancakes

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:46:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/are-stingrays-actually-dangerous-3-reasons-you-shouldnt-fear-these-sea-pancakes-196390>

"To beat the summer heat, many of us in the Southern Hemisphere are hitting the
beach – and this raises our chances of encountering potentially dangerous
marine life beneath the waves.

So should we be worried about stingrays? You might still think so, even if it’s
been 16 years since the death of wildlife icon Steve Irwin.

Irwin wrangled some of the world’s most dangerous animals, from crocodiles to
venomous snakes, yet it was a stingray that tragically took his life. When I
tell others I study stingrays, they usually respond with shock, followed by a
quick reminder about this. In fact, I am surprised when an Australian doesn’t
mention it.

Despite their reputation as being dangerous, stingray-caused deaths are
actually rare. Accidental injuries do happen, but understanding how and why
“barbings” occur could help prevent them and help beachgoers overcome the
stingray stigma."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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