 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Monster exotic fish found in Hong Kong ponds
Hong Kong (AFP) Sept 5, 2009 Hong Kong has launched a search of ponds in public parks after at least 16 fish of an exotic species that can grow up to three metres (10 feet) long were discovered, apparently dumped by their owners when they grew too big. A metre-long alligator gar was caught Friday in a park pond after reports that visitors feared for their safety, the South China Morning Post reported on Saturday. The fierce-looking creatures get their name from their long snout, which resembles that of an alligator. While they are an aggressive and carnivorous species, they are not known to attacks humans. Native to North America, alligator gars are commonly sold in Hong Kong for home aquariums when they are less than 30 centimetres (one foot) long but can grow to three metres and weigh up to 140 kilograms (300 pounds). Another 15 of the fish had been found in ponds and lakes at other parks across Hong Kong, the Post said. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said in a statement late Friday the species had no conservation value and would affect the local ecology if released into the wild. "Staff will clean the lakes regularly. Dangerous fishes will be removed when they are found," it said. It said it would offer non-dangerous fish to animal welfare groups and charities if they were willing to take them. The fish caught Friday died later that day. The department warned that people who dumped unwanted pet fish in public parks risked a 2,000-dollar (260-US dollar) fine and two weeks in jail. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
Uganda offers scheme to 'befriend' mountain gorillas on FacebookKampala (AFP) Aug 31, 2009 Users of the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter will be able to "befriend" rare Ugandan mountain gorillas and track their movements, a Wildlife Authority spokeswoman said Monday. In a scheme designed to promote Uganda's nascent tourism industry, users will receive regular updates about their endangered primate friends, Lillian Nsubuga told AFP. "Through geo-tracking and GPS ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook