June 2010
Angler pulls piranha from pond.
Press Assoc.
A feared piranha has been caught in a British pond, thousands of miles from its common habitat in South America. Angler Derek Plum, 46, caught the fish, regarded as the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world, at Radnor Park in Folkestone, Kent. The 1lb 4oz catch was identified as a red-bellied piranha, whose diet consists mainly of fish, insects and worms.Mr Plum told the Sun newspaper: "It took about 15 minutes to reel it in. When it emerged, it was thrashing around and was going crazy. The other fishermen were yelling 'You've caught a piranha'. I couldn't believe it." The Environment Agency said it was probably placed in the pond once it became too large for its tank after being kept as a domestic pet.Experts say that while piranhas would not survive in UK rivers, the introduction of non-native species poses a serious threat to native wildlife. Fish species commonly found in the pond include carp, tench and roach. Reaching up to 14 inches long, the piranha is mainly found in the Amazon River basin in South America and is infamous for its razor-sharp teeth and for hunting prey in packs. In shoals, the piranha ambushes its prey, stripping the flesh of large animals such as anaconda snakes or even jaguar within minutes.Paul Foot, chairman of the Folkestone and Shepway Angling Club, said someone was seen emptying a bin into the pond the week before the piranha was caught. He said: "It's 100% kosher because our secretary, who is a professional angler, saw it. Our pond gets dumped full of goldfish and the odd koi carp because people cannot afford to keep them. It's unusual that this fish survived because the weather has been so cold."Someone was seen during the week emptying a bin into the pond so it's possible that it had only been in there a few days. Unfortunately, our pond does get used as a dumping ground for people's unwanted pets."
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
'Two Tone', Britain's biggest carp, is dead.
'Two Tone', the record British carp of Conningbrook lake, in Ashford has been found dead, possibly due to old age. More, from the BBC
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The case of the 'sinister' skull!
Although the practice of ‘witchcraft’ has often been inaccurately portrayed in the media, some cases of alleged ‘black magic’ have hinted at dark dabbling. In many cases where diabolical summoning has reputedly taken place, animal skulls have been discovered, as if such forms have been used for sacrifice or eerie decoration. During the 1970s in my home town of Chatham (long before chavs were born!) in Kent, a stir was caused by a peculiarly morbid discovery in an old chimney at a house in Luton Road. The story made the local Evening Post who reported ‘Sinister skull is a mystery’ stating, ‘The sinister looking blackened skull, with two brass cups, came to light as Mr Cornacchia was fitting a new fire place at his home…it must have been in the chimney for at least twenty years.’
The biggest mystery however was not the fact that such an oddment had been found, but as to what animal it had belonged to. The skull (see image) was of some size. The newspaper stated, ‘There is difference of opinion about the mystery skull. Mr Cornacchia’s thirteen-year old son, Enzo, took it to school where a teacher identified it as belonging to a wild boar. But another expert at his sister’s school thought it was a tiger. And at Rochester Museum they say firmly: “It is a bear, you can tell by the teeth”.
So, dear readers, as this case is over thirty years old, and the photo rather hazy, I hope you can solve the mystery as to what exactly had a skull this size. The teeth do not appear to suggest a wild boar.
The newspaper concluded, ‘Animal skulls are popular accessories among witchcraft devotees. Rams are most widely used, but there would appear to be nothing in the rules against bear skulls. Mr Cornacchia has no immediate plans for the skull. At the moment he is keeping it in the garden.
“It is not very pretty” he said.’
The biggest mystery however was not the fact that such an oddment had been found, but as to what animal it had belonged to. The skull (see image) was of some size. The newspaper stated, ‘There is difference of opinion about the mystery skull. Mr Cornacchia’s thirteen-year old son, Enzo, took it to school where a teacher identified it as belonging to a wild boar. But another expert at his sister’s school thought it was a tiger. And at Rochester Museum they say firmly: “It is a bear, you can tell by the teeth”.
So, dear readers, as this case is over thirty years old, and the photo rather hazy, I hope you can solve the mystery as to what exactly had a skull this size. The teeth do not appear to suggest a wild boar.
The newspaper concluded, ‘Animal skulls are popular accessories among witchcraft devotees. Rams are most widely used, but there would appear to be nothing in the rules against bear skulls. Mr Cornacchia has no immediate plans for the skull. At the moment he is keeping it in the garden.
“It is not very pretty” he said.’
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