By Associated Press - Friday, August 17, 2018

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A shark expert at the University of Rhode Island says sharks tend to bypass the state during the summer because there aren’t that many seals.

Brad Wetherbee tells The Providence Journal that seals in Rhode Island migrate north for the summer for places like Cape Cod.

Cape Cod sees thousands of seals in the summer, which draws sharks like the one that attacked a New York man Wednesday.

The 61-year-old man has been hospitalized with deep puncture wounds.

Wetherbee says a shark attack in Rhode Island waters is possible, but it is highly unlikely. He says more people are killed by elephants than sharks.

Records show the state has not seen a fatal shark attack since researchers started gathering data in 1958.

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