Shark whisperer: We must save species

By Ma Yujie in Singapore | China Daily | Updated: 2014-08-08 08:18

With demand spurring the killing, helping the animals becomes an urgent global issue

Cristina Zenato, one of the few people in the world who have the ability to induce temporary paralysis in sharks, is in Singapore this week to promote conservation of the animals, whose global population has sharply declined because of overhunting by humans.

With just a touch on a shark's head, Zenato can create "tonic immobility" in the dreaded man-eaters for an average of 15 minutes. To spectators, it appears the sharks are falling asleep right in her lap.

Born in Italy and raised in African rain forests until she was 15, Zenato said she found her talent only "by chance".

"We were working in the natural environment feeding the sharks, and the sharks came close, and basically it was an instinct to push them away. And instead of swimming away, some sharks just stopped in my hand," Zenato recalled. After that, she started experimenting with the skill and finally mastered it.

Zenato said there are only about a dozen "shark whisperers" like her in the world. Since the discovery of the phenomenon, scientists have been using it to study shark behavior. Zenato assists with the collection of DNA samples and other vital data, checks for parasites and removes fishing hooks.

Sharks, which have been around since the dinosaurs, are declining sharply in number. A report from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 2013 showed that global demand spurs the killing of up to 100 million sharks a year. The popularity of shark-fin soup has reduced the global population by at least 90 percent in the last 50 years.

Saving the sharks has become an urgent global issue - and that's what brought Zenato to Singapore, one of the highest per capita consumers of shark-fin soup in the world. During her three-day stay that ends on Saturday, Zenato will interact with more than 100 sharks in the Shark Seas Habitat at Resort World Sentosa's aquarium to raise awareness about the urgent need to conserve the animals. She will also demonstrate her skill at inducing tonic immobility as part of a mission to dispel the widespread negative perception about the species as terrifying man-eating monsters.

"One of the first few steps we need to make in order to save sharks is to change the widespread negative perception people have of them," she said. "We need to educate, raise awareness, help people transit from fear to curiosity and from that to acceptance and, hopefully, healthy respect and adoration."

Though well-known for her unique talent, Zenato admitted that she can't guarantee success every time she tries to paralyze an animal.

"Sharks also have personality," Zenato said, "There are sharks that just don't come for food. There are shy sharks; and there are smart ones, a little bit like humans."

Xinhua