Piranha Fished Out of River Thames

Reuters ^ | Fri, Feb 20, 2004

[presidio9]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, a ferocious, carnivorous South American piranha has been fished out of London's River Thames, environmental officials said Thursday.

The 4-inch-long red-bellied piranha was dropped by a passing seagull onto the deck of a boat built to oxygenate the river. The Thames was declared "dead" in the 1960s but is now home to 119 types of fish.

"It was very fresh and had obviously only just died. You could see the marks made by the seagull's beak on its back," fisheries officer Tom Cousins said.

Experts were quick to reassure Londoners they need not fear marauding shoals of meat-eating fish. The reputation of the piranha is worse than its bite and despite global warming, the Thames remains too cold to support such warm-water fish.

"We imagine that it was probably released and then floated to the surface where it was picked up by one of the very hungry seagulls and deposited in the boat," London Aquarium curator Paul Hale said.

[cyborg]

That gull got more than it bargained for.

[cyborg]

[MotleyGirl70]

"It was very fresh and had obviously only just died.

Something is very fishy about this story!

[norraad]

You could see the marks made by the seagull's beak on its back,"

"Waiter, this steak still has marks on it where the jockey was hitting it!"

[TheBigB]

We're gonna need a bigger boat...

[Rebelbase]

Great line!

[cyborg]

poor fish hehehe

[cyborg]

one of the best films ever made

[socal_parrot]

I think it was brought there by a migratory African Sparrow. Or maybe two sparrows holding the fish on line of coconut husk suspended between them.

[CedarDave]

Hmmm. Piranha are a tropical fish from the Amazon. To find one in the Thames must be due to global warming. Therefore it must be the fault of President Bush!

[TADSLOS]

I wonder if it's name was Wanda?

[smiley]

.....how come piranha never eat themselves?

[beelzepug]

Illegal immigrant alert.

[BykrBayb]

ROFL

[norraad]

.....how come piranha never eat themselves?

Same reason cannibals don't eat clowns.

They taste funny.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

People who don't want to take care of "pets" like these dump them. And they end up in the local environment.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Illegal immigrant alert."

A wetback in the truest sense...

[Vision]

The reputation of the piranha is worse than its bite and despite global warming, the Thames remains too cold to support such warm-water fish.

hmmmmm

[BykrBayb]

from CNN http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/02/20/offbeat.london.piranha.reut/index.html Piranha found in London's Thames Friday, February 20, 2004 Posted: 4:46 AM EST (0946 GMT) LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, a ferocious, carnivorous South American piranha has been fished out of London's River Thames, environmental officials say. The 4-inch-long red-bellied piranha was dropped by a passing seagull onto the deck of a boat built to oxygenate the river. The Thames was declared "dead" in the 1960s but is now home to 119 types of fish. "It was very fresh and had obviously only just died. You could see the marks made by the seagull's beak on its back," fisheries officer Tom Cousins said. Experts were quick to reassure Londoners they need not fear marauding shoals of meat-eating fish. The reputation of the piranha is worse than its bite and despite global warming, the Thames remains too cold to support such warm-water fish. "We imagine that it was probably released and then floated to the surface where it was picked up by one of the very hungry seagulls and deposited in the boat," London Aquarium curator Paul Hale said.

The fish is usually found in South America.