Someone found a piranha in Baton Rouge.
Yes, an actual carnivorous piranha. If I learned anything from Hollywood movies, these little sharp-toothed fish are dangerous and love to dine on flesh. Well, maybe not that dangerous. According one report, piranhas mostly dine on dead or dying fish and will occasionally attack other aquatic lifeforms. Bass do the same thing. In fact, most fish will attack each other. I once seen a YouTube video of a bass eating a duckling. Piranhas just have those sharp scary teeth which makes them a little more terrifying.
Earlier this week, someone pulled the piranha out of University Lake in Baton Rouge. Officials from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have analyzed the specimen and determined that it is indeed a Red Piranha. This fish is native to South America. If left to flourish, this piranha, which is an invasive species, has the potential to negatively affect the local ecosystem.
Authorities are currently trying to figure how the piranha ended up in Louisiana waters. They think it may have been someone’s pet and the pet owner could have released it. But that is only a theory. So far, they have only found one but are still searching the area. It is believed that a piranha could not survive Louisiana’s winter so if there are more, they will most likely die off when the cold weather returns.
It is against the law to own or sell a piranha in the state of Louisiana.
SOURCE: LOUISIANA RADIO NETWORK