# Bull Shark — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Carcharhinus leucas*

> The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a stocky, aggressive coastal shark famous for swimming far up rivers and into freshwater lakes. It grows up to about 3.5 m (11 ft) long and 130 kg (290 lb), and hunts a wide range of prey in warm seas, rivers, and estuaries.

**IUCN status:** Vulnerable  ·  **WARN range:** Oceans

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Carcharhinus leucas |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Habitat | Warm coastal seas, rivers, and lakes |
| Lifespan | 16–25 years |
| Length | 2–3.5 m (7–11 ft) |
| Top speed | Up to 40 km/h (25 mph) in bursts |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Chondrichthyes
- **Order:** Carcharhiniformes
- **Family:** Carcharhinidae
- **Genus:** Carcharhinus

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Vulnerable (IUCN Red List category)
- **Population:** Global population not compiled for this guide
- **Trend:** See the IUCN Red List assessment
- **Assessed:** See the IUCN Red List assessment
- **CITES:** See CITES appendices
- Conservation figures are drawn from the IUCN Red List and CITES; this guide links to the authoritative sources rather than restating population counts.

## Key facts: Bull Shark
- Bull sharks are heavy-bodied and muscular, typically 2 to 3.5 m (7 to 11 ft) long and weighing up to about 130 kg (290 lb), with females larger than males.
- The bull shark is one of the very few sharks that can thrive in freshwater as well as the sea.
- Bull sharks are opportunistic carnivores with one of the broadest diets of any shark.

## Size and appearance
Bull sharks are heavy-bodied and muscular, typically 2 to 3.5 m (7 to 11 ft) long and weighing up to about 130 kg (290 lb), with females larger than males. They are grey above and pale below, with a short, broad, rounded snout that gives them their name and their pugnacious look. Their small eyes suggest they often rely on other senses in the murky water they favour. Powerful jaws and stout teeth let them tackle unusually large and varied prey for their size.

## Life in freshwater
The bull shark is one of the very few sharks that can thrive in freshwater as well as the sea. Special adaptations in its kidneys, gills, and other organs let it control the salt balance in its body, so it can swim far up rivers and into lakes. Bull sharks have been recorded thousands of kilometres up the Amazon and Mississippi and living in Lake Nicaragua. This ability lets them hunt and give birth in places most sharks can never reach.

## Hunting and diet
Bull sharks are opportunistic carnivores with one of the broadest diets of any shark. They eat bony fish, other sharks and rays, turtles, crustaceans, seabirds, and even dolphins, taking almost anything they can overpower. They often hunt in shallow, cloudy coastal water and river mouths, using surprise and sudden bursts of speed of up to about 40 km/h (25 mph). This adaptable appetite is part of why they succeed in so many habitats.

## Reproduction and young
Female bull sharks give birth to live young, usually producing litters of around one to a dozen pups after a gestation of roughly a year. They favour shallow, brackish estuaries and river mouths as nurseries, where the young are relatively safe from larger ocean predators. Newborn pups are about 70 cm long and are independent from birth. Bull sharks live for around 16 to 25 years in the wild.

## Encounters with people
Because bull sharks are large, bold, and often swim in the shallow, murky water where people swim, they are considered one of the shark species most likely to be involved in bites on humans. Their tolerance of rivers and estuaries brings them into contact with people far from the open sea. Serious incidents are still rare, and most bull sharks show little interest in people. Sensible caution in murky coastal and river water reduces the already low risk.

## Conservation status
The bull shark is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Like many sharks it is slow to mature and produces relatively few young, so populations recover slowly from pressure. Overfishing, capture for fins and meat, and the loss of the coastal and estuary habitats it uses as nurseries all threaten its numbers. Protecting river mouths and limiting catches are key to keeping the species healthy.

## What WARN does
WARN does not run a dedicated bull shark programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The bull shark faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the bull shark supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.

## Frequently asked questions: Bull Shark
### Can bull sharks live in freshwater?
Yes. Bull sharks are among the few sharks that can survive in freshwater. Special adaptations let them control their body's salt balance, so they swim far up rivers and into lakes.

### How big do bull sharks get?
Bull sharks grow up to about 3.5 m (11 ft) long and can weigh around 130 kg (290 lb). Females are typically larger and heavier than males.

### Are bull sharks dangerous to humans?
Bull sharks are considered one of the species most likely to bite people because they are large, bold, and share shallow, murky water with swimmers. Even so, serious incidents remain rare.

### What do bull sharks eat?
Bull sharks are opportunistic carnivores with a very broad diet, including bony fish, other sharks and rays, turtles, crustaceans, seabirds, and occasionally dolphins.

### How fast can a bull shark swim?
Bull sharks can swim in short bursts of up to about 40 km/h (25 mph). They use these bursts of speed to ambush prey in shallow, cloudy water.

### How long do bull sharks live?
Bull sharks live for around 16 to 25 years in the wild. Like many sharks they mature slowly, which makes their populations sensitive to overfishing.

### Where do bull sharks live?
Bull sharks inhabit warm coastal seas, rivers and lakes worldwide. They have been recorded thousands of kilometres up the Amazon and Mississippi and living in Lake Nicaragua, thanks to kidneys and gills adapted to control salt balance in freshwater.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Carcharhinus leucas](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Carcharhinus%20leucas&searchType=species)
- [Wikipedia — Bull Shark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_shark)
- [Wikidata — Bull Shark](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190469)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/bull-shark