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Dangerous snakehead fish caught in B.C. pond
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Dangerous snakehead fish caught in B.C. pond
After a month-long hunt and a number of failed attempts, British Columbia's snakehead fish has finally been caught. Biologists ran a net through a partially drained pond to get the elusive creature on Friday morning.
This horror movie-worthy saga started when a stroller videotaped the snakehead lolling in a pond in Central Park in Burnaby, next-door to Vancouver, on May 13.
The video set off alarm bells among marine biologists. Northern snakeheads, which originate in Asia and Africa, are an invasive, fast-breeding predatory fish whose arrival anywhere spells trouble for native species.
It can grow to a metre in length and its mouth is equipped with rows of sharp teeth. The snakehead also has a primitive set of lungs that allows it to move on land. It's been known to jump out of the water to take small animals.
Another park visitor also shot video of the snakehead that same week, the Burnaby Now newspaper reported.
"It's a really cool-looking fish, but that fish definitely shouldn't be in there. It's so aggressive, especially if it's not the only one in there," said Burnaby resident Bruce Causier.
"If they start breeding, they are going to wipe out all of the fish in that pond," he said. "It would be nice if someone did catch it."
After sweeping the ponds for the snakehead, which some have dubbed "frankenfish," provincial officials started pumping water out of the lagoon where the fish was hiding. When the draining is finished, all invasive species will be removed from the pond. It will then be replenished with water and native species.
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