Sharks drew crowds who chased and fed them off Israel's coast — until one man disappeared

HADERA, Israel (AP) — Israeli police on Tuesday were scouring the waters off the country’s Mediterranean coast for a swimmer who they fear may have been attacked by a shark, in an area that for decades has seen close encounters between marine predators and beachgoers who sometimes seek them out.

A shiver of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks has been swimming close to the area for years, attracting onlookers who approach the sharks and drawing pleas from conservation groups for authorities to separate people from the wild animals.

Nature groups say those warnings went unheeded and on Monday, police were forced to launch a search after receiving reports that a swimmer was attacked by a shark on a beach near the Israeli city of Hadera.

On Tuesday, the b...
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