LONDON — 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 southeast of London – and thousands of miles from its usual home in the Amazon. The fish, which Plum left to die, was later identified as a red-bellied piranha, which eats other fish, insects and worms.

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

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

 

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