Species identification of the shark involved in the 2007 Lifou fatal attack on a swimmer: A reply to Tirard et al. (2015). (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Clua, Eric; Séret, Bernard
• Is Part Of: Journal of forensic and legal medicine. Volume 40(2016)
• Page Start: 58
• Page End: 60
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Shark attack -- Wound -- Misidentification -- ISAF -- New Caledonia; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine légale -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 614.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2016.03.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-928X

Abstract

Abstract: Based on new photographs of the wound, Tirard et al. (2015) tried to demonstrate that the shark involved in a fatal attack on a human in Lifou in 2007 had homodont teeth and that it sawed the femur instead of directly cutting it, promoting the hypothesis that it was a tiger shark instead of a white shark. They also contested the data provided by the direct witness of the attack about the behaviour of the shark, specific to this former species. The evidences they provide are not convincing and, based on the absence of tissue loss and description of a jumping behaviour, we still believe that it was a single bite-and-spit attack by a white shark. Highlights: Arguments of Tirard et al. (2015) are mainly based on a clean cut wound and femur sawing. Although it is frequent, bites inflicted by white shark do not always involve shredding. Tirard et al. (2015) do not provide any evidence that the femur of the victim was sawed. When wound features do not allow the species ID, one must rely on the behaviour of the shark. Based on a breaching behaviour we maintain that it was a white shark single bite-and-spit attack.