WHEN a surfer or a swimmer is taken by a shark, we all shudder a little. Virtually every Australian loves to swim in the sea, and the prospect of a shark attack is something we all think about - even if we prefer not to.

But shark attacks account for just two or three deaths each year in this country, and a similarly low number around the world.

It's tragic when it happens, but there are bigger killers out there, many of which we never think about. Like these…

Cows

They say that cows kill around 22 people a year in America. Cows, you say? Not bulls? Yes, cows. Anyone who's ever worked with bovines knows that the greatest danger with cattle comes when you're herding them from one enclosure to the next. The trick is not to get stuck against a fence and crushed. It can happen, though.

Mosquitoes

Malaria is a scourge which kills between half a million and a million people each year. One of the world's great philanthropists, Bill Gates, has funnelled billions into the fight against this mosquito-borne disease, and we love him for it.

Christmas trees

Toddlers can be crushed when they topple and there are dozens of such tragic cases around the world each year. It is unclear whether baubles are responsible for fatalities but we wouldn't be surprised.

Vending machines

One report we've read says that vending machines kill 13 people on average each year in the US alone. It's not clear whether it's delivery guys suffering accidents moving these heavy beasts around or frustrated office workers doing the Homer Simpson when they fail to dispense food. But we're guessing it's a bit of both.

Icicles

They form on the outside of buildings and effectively become giant spikes when the sun comes out and temperatures rise. In Russia alone, they reportedly kill 100 people each year. And you thought drivers were the biggest problem in Russia.

Beds

You sleep, you roll out, you go thud, you sleep a whole lot more. As in, forever. Exact figures are hard to come by but beds - or rather, the hard floors beside them - are responsible for something like one in every million deaths worldwide.

Dogs

There is no national database for dog attacks in Australia, and the Australian Veterinary Association is currently lobbying for change. As with many violent crimes performed by humans, attacks are most common with a dog that people know or are familiar with. That fact alone makes some of the more vicious breeds much more lethal than sharks.

Us

We know that people kill people. We do a lot of dumb, cruel things. But if anything really underlines our cruelty and stupidity, it's the way we treat sharks. Calls to cull sharks when a shark tragically kills someone are just dumb. The ocean is theirs, not ours. We also kill as many as 100 million sharks around the world each year through fishing - deliberate or otherwise. These magnificent creatures deserve better.