Why Do New Yorkers Bite More Than Sharks?

No one wants to run into a shark while swimming. A shark’s bite can definitely ruin your day.

There is, however, another species that seems far more likely to take a chomp at you. It is a peculiar breed of creature found in the dangerous concrete jungle of New York City. It is called a New Yorker.

Shark Bite Statistics vs Human Biting

The year 2020 saw a worldwide total of 129 shark attacks against humans. Each year, New York City reports approximately 1,600 incidents of humans biting other humans. In other words, more than ten times as many New Yorkers end up with a fellow New Yorker’s teeth piercing their flesh each year than the global number of shark attack victims.

Setting aside shark attack statistics, if we confine our analysis to the geographic limits of New York City, the only creature that bites more humans is dogs. The statistics show that cats, rats, raccoons, snakes, ocelots, and even lions feed on humans far less than our own species. Let’s not even start to talk about the injuries that can come from the sport of ferret-legging.

They call New York the City that Never Sleeps. Now we know what is keeping them awake.

---