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ISBN-13: 978-1-68021-640-0
eBook: 978-1-63078-477-5
Cryptocurrency
Deadly Bites
Droids and Robots
Flight Squads
NONFICTION
NONFICTION
CHAPTER 1
Beware of Biters .................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 2
Earth in Balance ................................................................... 8
CHAPTER 3
Fangs and Claws .................................................................. 14
CHAPTER 4
Pack Hunters ....................................................................... 20
CHAPTER 5
Forest and Ice ..................................................................... 26
CHAPTER 6
Small and Deadly ................................................................ 34
CHAPTER 7
Killers of the Deep ............................................................. 40
CHAPTER 8
Lurking in the Shallows .................................................... 44
CHAPTER 9
Close to Home ..................................................................... 48
CHAPTER 10
Killers That Dont Bite.........................................................52
Glossary ................................................................................58
Table of
Contents
Beware
of Biters
Bears hunt and kill people. Cougars do
too. Sharks seek out human blood. Are
any of these claims true? Many think they
are. People fear these animals. The media
adds to that fear. Attacks are big news.
However, the facts tell a different story.
Wild animals kill very few people in the
U.S. each year. On average, one person
dies from a bear attack. Sharks kill one
person too. Cougars kill less than one.
Compare this to accidents. Falling out of
bed kills many more. On average, that kills
450 people every year.
CHAPTER
FAST FACT: Saber-toothed cats
hunted ancient humans. Cave lions did too. Even
eagles ate people. This was over 10,000 years ago.
Mutual Fear
A predator is an animal that eats other animals.
Prey is an animal that is eaten. There is a reason
people fear predators. Humans used to be on the
menu. This was long ago. Animals hunted people.
They ate humans like any other prey. This lasted
millions of years. Then something changed. Human
brains grew. Weapons were made. People could
kill big animals. Over time, predators began to fear
humans.
That fear has lasted. Many predators still see people
as a threat . Most stay away from humans. The fear
is mutual . Human brains see those animals as a
threat too.
Why Animals Attack
Attacks may be rare. Yet they do happen. Some
places have more than others. India is one. Africa
is another. Lions and tigers roam wild there. Other
deadly animals do too.
Why do they attack? Some are bold. They may be
naturally aggressive . A second reason is hunger.
There are more people than ever before. They
compete with animals for food. Hungry beasts are
more likely to eat people. Some even get a taste for
humans.
There is another reason. It may be the biggest.
People have moved into wildlands. Humans and
animals share the same space. The chances of
attack go up.
FAST FACT: People kill predators
nine times faster than they die in the wild.
Humans are known as super predators. There
are no others.
PROOF OF FEAR
Experts did a test. They wanted to know if predators
really fear people. They set up a camera. It recorded
cougars feeding. Speakers played sounds. One sound
was of frogs chirping. The other was of people talking.
Cougars ignored the frog sounds. But talking people
made the cats run away. Half of those cats never came
back to finish their meal. This showed that a fear of
people is very real.
Animals eat other animals. This is a
simple fact. Earth needs both predators
and prey.
CHAPTER
FAST FACT: Baboons in Africa
eat both plants and animals. Packs of them
raid crops. Some kids stay home from school.
They have to protect crops.
Earth in
Balance
Few and Fit
Rabbits are fluffy and cute, but what if no
animal ate them? Their numbers would grow.
Soon there would be too many. Rabbits eat
plants. They would eat the land bare. Then they
would have nothing to eat. Rabbits would die
off. Other animals would starve too. Predators
need those animals for food. Whole species
could die off. Even bugs would be at risk. Many
live on plants. Their homes would go away. Birds
eat bugs. Reptiles do too. They would also be in
danger. Predators keep prey in balance.
Predators also keep prey fit. Sick animals are
slower. They are easier to catch. Stronger prey
survives. Smarter prey are harder to catch too.
