Dog walker stumbles on endangered ocean predator washed up on UK beach, photos show
An endangered ocean predator with signs of “significant trauma” washed ashore in the United Kingdom. The dead animal, found by a passerby, is undergoing further analysis.
A dog walker visiting Par Beach on New Year’s Day stumbled on the body of a shark and alerted the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the organization said in a Jan. 2 Facebook post.
Wildlife officials identified the animal as a thresher shark, a species considered “endangered” in Europe, the group said. “Initial assessments suggest that the shark had experienced significant trauma, likely caused by line-caught sport fishing.”
Photos show the dead thresher shark and its distinctive tail.
Thresher sharks are “aggressive predators” found throughout the Atlantic Ocean and “named for their long, scythe-like tail, which is used to stun fish before preying on them,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The species grows “slowly but can reach up to 20 feet long” and live up to 50 years.
The dead thresher shark was moved from Par Beach to be studied.
“Huge thanks to our amazing volunteers and community members who helped move the animal safely and kept people at a safe distance,” the organization said.
Par Beach is on the southwestern coast of the U.K. and a roughly 150-mile drive from London.
This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 7:12 AM with the headline "Dog walker stumbles on endangered ocean predator washed up on UK beach, photos show."
