Surprised angler catches piranha in British pond, suspected dumped by pet owner

Published November 17, 2014

LONDON (AP) — An angler fishing in a British pond got a nasty surprise when his line came back with a thrashing piranha on the end.

Derek Plum caught the flesh-eating fish at a pond in Kent, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of London — and thousands of miles (kilometers) away from the piranha's usual home in the Amazon.

The fish was left to die by the angler and later identified as a red-bellied piranha, which eats other fish, insects and worms.

The Environment Agency said Thursday the sharp-toothed predator was likely dumped by a pet owner who found it too large for its tank.

The agency says exotic pet owners should refrain from releasing non-native species into the wild because they can upset native wildlife.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/surprised-angler-catches-piranha-in-british-pond-suspected-dumped-by-pet-owner