Occurrence, Causes and Consequences of Predator Attacks to Humans

Attacks on humans by predators occur worldwide. This paper analyzes several documented and reported attacks in the available literature and discusses the causes and consequences of this type of human-wildlife conflict. We make a characterization of types of attacks and discuss a possible biased report of accidents between developed countries and exotic places with increased ecotourism activities. Finally, we propose a set of major suggestions to minimize both accidents and conflicts with predatory wildlife. We provide here a thorough comprehensive discussion on the following main topics: a) why predators attack humans, b) why accidents are apparently increasing and c) how to better report those accidents in order to make them available for proper study by the scientific community. The need to reduce the number of attacks and conflicts with wildlife is crucial for the safety of populations living close to protected areas, predator conservation and, sustained and safe development of ecotourism.