• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Trophy hunters steal head of shark that washed up on UK beach

Home> News

Published 14:45 20 Mar 2023 GMT

Trophy hunters steal head of shark that washed up on UK beach

The shark was an 'exceptionally rare' visitor to UK waters

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Some unidentified trophy hunters are being urged to come forward after they stole a rare shark head that washed up on a beach in Hampshire.

History Channel's Dan Snow was among a group of volunteers headed to Lepe Beach in the early hours of the morning on 19 March, but it wasn't long before they realised that the shark - or at least a large part of it - had been taken.

Hear him explain the saga below:

Most trophy hunters head out into the wilderness to do their own killing and find their so-called 'trophies', but the ones involved in this story apparently took a slightly lazier route, and just grabbed their animal from the beach as if it were a shiny shell.

The shark washed up over the weekend and Snow took to Twitter to share a snap of the beast, writing: "So I'm as shark positive as the next woke dude but what in the hell is this fish that just washed up on my local beach where I regularly swim without a care in the world?"

Advert

The creature was then identified as a smalltooth sand tiger shark, which is considered 'vulnerable' on the Red List of Threatened Species.

Snow later shared an update to say 'biologist friends' had asked him to secure the shark after they identified it as an 'exceptionally rare visitor to these shores' and, but added: "I failed."

The shark was found on Lepe Beach.
Twitter/@thehistoryguy

In a desperate video shared online, Snow said that he and a team of volunteers 'didn't get there quick enough' to prevent the shark from being butchered by other people in the area.

"We have recovered a good chunk of [the shark] but some trophy hunters got there just before us and ... they took the head," Snow said.

Advert

"They chopped the head off, and the dorsal fin and the tail, which is really really disappointing because the scientists and marine biologists who sent us down there to try and secure the carcass in this once-in-a-lifetime find in British waters were really hoping they'd get the teeth, they'd get the head to do isotopic analysis."

Snow is desperate to track down the shark's head.
Twitter/@thehistoryguy

Snow admitted his plea might be 'futile', but called out to whoever had taken the head to ask them to get in touch and allow the scientists to at least have a look at it.

He also shared a video of scientists collecting the organs, adding: "Please spread the word locally: we need that head. It's a once in a lifetime discovery of this kind of shark in these waters. Scientists want to study the brain and other bits."

Snow assured the hunters they could keep the skull 'no problem', saying it wasn't against the law, but requested that they simply gave experts the chance to 'let people have a look at it, do some great science [and] learn a lot about this animal'.

Featured Image Credit: @thehistoryguy/Twitter/Lou Karnecki

Topics: Animals, UK News

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • RedditReddit
    3 hours ago

    Fury at footage of Mets fan 'ripping baseball out of elderly man's hands' at game

    What a year for crowd cameras at events

    News
  • (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)(Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
    3 hours ago

    Donald Trump asks supporters to donate $15 to 'get him to heaven'

    We are through the looking glass here, people

    News
  • XX
    4 hours ago

    Teen tennis star has 'awkward' encounter with man during match at US Open

    It's yet another weird moment to come out of the sporting event

    News
  • Kennedy News and MediaKennedy News and Media
    5 hours ago

    Mum issues stark warning after teenage son suffered brain injury when trying dangerous viral 'tap out' trend

    Doctors said he had bit through 3/4 of his tongue

    News
  • Horrifying moment bullfighter dies after being picked up and slammed against wall by bull in front of crowd
  • Man, 26, killed by punch after blow-up doll hit his girlfriend’s head at Snoop Dogg UK gig
  • Steve Irwin made tragic decision on day he died that ended up costing him his life
  • All nine countries on UK Foreign Office's 'do not travel' list that could put you at risk visiting