Black Widow
07-31-2008, 02:41 PM
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A rare shark has been stolen from a garden shed in Hampshire - but the fish will not pose too much of a threat to the thief because it is just a teeny two-footer.
Despite its lack of stature, this particular Australian marbled catshark is important because it is one half of the only breeding pair in the UK.
It was swiped from a garden in Farnborough, where owner Peter Newman was keeping it in his shed.
Mr Newman said he knew the female shark, which has mottled brown skin, was alive when it was taken from the aquarium in his shed.
And he told how he discovered the door of his shed open with all the lights on inside.
Mr Newman's wife June said the fish, which originally comes from Indonesia, was worth around £2,500 and the pair had recently bred six baby sharks.
"It's very upsetting for us as the babies have lost their mother and we cannot breed anymore," she said.
"They are rare in this country. As far as we know, we are the only people here to breed them."
The couple run an aquatics shop from their home and fear that customers who came to see the baby sharks could have been tempted to return to steal the mother.
Mrs Newman said the thief or thieves would have needed a ladder to get up to the tank.
PC Stephen Court said: "We believe this may have been a targeted burglary of a shark that is extremely rare in the UK.
"The victim is desperate for the fish to be returned and we urge anyone with information about the burglary to contact us.
"Due to the unusual type of shark it will be difficult to sell in this country."
sky news
A rare shark has been stolen from a garden shed in Hampshire - but the fish will not pose too much of a threat to the thief because it is just a teeny two-footer.
Despite its lack of stature, this particular Australian marbled catshark is important because it is one half of the only breeding pair in the UK.
It was swiped from a garden in Farnborough, where owner Peter Newman was keeping it in his shed.
Mr Newman said he knew the female shark, which has mottled brown skin, was alive when it was taken from the aquarium in his shed.
And he told how he discovered the door of his shed open with all the lights on inside.
Mr Newman's wife June said the fish, which originally comes from Indonesia, was worth around £2,500 and the pair had recently bred six baby sharks.
"It's very upsetting for us as the babies have lost their mother and we cannot breed anymore," she said.
"They are rare in this country. As far as we know, we are the only people here to breed them."
The couple run an aquatics shop from their home and fear that customers who came to see the baby sharks could have been tempted to return to steal the mother.
Mrs Newman said the thief or thieves would have needed a ladder to get up to the tank.
PC Stephen Court said: "We believe this may have been a targeted burglary of a shark that is extremely rare in the UK.
"The victim is desperate for the fish to be returned and we urge anyone with information about the burglary to contact us.
"Due to the unusual type of shark it will be difficult to sell in this country."
sky news