Wild animals are unpredictable. Don't ever think you have them all figured out. All of these kinds of stories include an excuse for the animal's behavior. The unspoken implication being that this was an abberation...or it is the human's fault. This tends to give people the notion that it is okay to let down your guard and relax because this was so unusual it will never happen again.
I don't have anything against wild animals. But they bite. And they will eat you if they are hungry.
You're exactly right on that. The thing that has most scared the living bejesus out of me was wild hogs and packs of dogs. Now those critters are vicious