Bizarre half-alligator, half-fish creature found on British canal path 

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Bizarre half-alligator, half-fish creature which can grow up to ten feet in length is found on British canal path

  • Caroline Brown, 51, spotted the carcass on the footpath in Risca, south Wales
  • The bizarre creature had long snout and razor-sharp teeth with the body of a fish
  • It is now thought to be alligator gar usually found 4,800 miles away in America

By Raven Saunt For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A half-alligator, half-fish creature which can grow up to ten feet in length has left people stunned after it washed up on a British footpath.

Caroline Brown, 51, was walking her dog along the canal in Risca, south Wales, when she spotted the carcass which had a long snout and dozens of razor-sharp teeth.

The bizarre finding is thought to be an alligator gar – an aquatic animal usually found 4,800 miles away in America – although it is not yet known how it ended up on the bank.

Caroline Brown, 51, was walking her dog along the canal in Risca, south Wales, when she spotted the carcass which had a long snout and dozens of razor-sharp teeth 

The bizarre finding is thought to be an alligator gar - an aquatic animal usually found 4,800 miles away in America - although it is not yet known how it ended up on the bank

The bizarre finding is thought to be an alligator gar – an aquatic animal usually found 4,800 miles away in America – although it is not yet known how it ended up on the bank 

What is an alligator gar? 

Alligator gars can grow up to ten feet in length and up to 350 pounds in weight.

They are thought to be the largest fish species in North America that spends almost all its time in freshwater. 

The species pose no direct threat to humans but their eggs can prove poisonous to humans if ingested due to their toxicity levels which serve as a defense mechanism against predators such as crustaceans.

Gars have few natural predators and primarily eat fish, blue crabs, small turtles, waterfowl and small mammals.

They are registered as ‘least concern’ on the endangered species list but it is illegal to keep them as pets in the UK. 

Gars can grow up to six feet in length and are often referred to as ‘living fossils’.

Speaking about her discovery, Ms Brown said: ‘It was a really strange looking thing and it scared me at first as I didn’t know if it was alive.

‘I’ve never seen anything like it before and even my dog Molly didn’t want to approach it.

‘As I got closer I realised there was a smell coming from it and I knew it was definitely dead.

‘I’ve got no idea how anything like that would turn up in these parts.’

Dozens of other residents have also since spotted the creature with many posting pictures of it on social media.

One of those to make the discovery was a teenage boy on his way to school who immediately video-called his mother to show her the bizarre finding. 

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: ‘These are very concerning images. 

‘RSPCA Cymru would welcome any information as to the validity of these photographs which appear to show an alligator gar fish dumped on the side of the road. 

Gars can grow up to six feet in length and are often referred to as 'living fossils'. They are registered as 'least concern' on the endangered species list but it is illegal to keep them as pets in the UK

Gars can grow up to six feet in length and are often referred to as ‘living fossils’. They are registered as ‘least concern’ on the endangered species list but it is illegal to keep them as pets in the UK

‘This is likely to have been a very distressing discovery for a member of the public to make and we’d urge anyone with detail which may explain the circumstances behind this animal being dumped to contact us.

‘There have been restrictions on the keeping of alligator gar fish in Wales for a number of years and these would be very difficult animals to keep successfully as they can grow to be very large and their needs are the same as they would be in the wild.

‘Sadly, we all too often see exotic pets abandoned when it hasn’t been possible to meet their welfare needs.’ 

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