Shark Falls from Sky into Virginia Home’s Backyard
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.08.15
Eerily reminiscent of the 2013 film Sharknado, a homeowner in Virginia Beach, Virginia said that a shark has dropped from the sky straight onto her backyard. Thankfully for Sue Bowser and her grandchildren, the shark that fell onto a concrete path behind her house was just a baby and measured little more than 13 inches.
“This could be the shark house, but hopefully not too many more will be falling from the sky,” Bowser told WAVY. “The kids found it, and they came upstairs and they were all excited and said, ‘We found a shark in the backyard.’”
Bowser said she was initially skeptical, but her doubts evaporated when she found the dead dogfish shark with what appeared to be talon marks on its side. She thinks it is likely that an osprey or some other predator picked the fish up for a meal and then dropped it while flying overhead. Although birds are usually to blame for fish ending up in strange places, other natural phenomena like tornadoes and waterspouts are also capable of picking up marine life and carrying them many miles away. Last year a small village in Sri Lanka was inundated with live fish after a tornado hit a nearby river, splattering buildings, streets, and vehicles with free seafood.
However, with the absence of any tornadoes being reported recently in Bowser’s neighborhood, a winged predator remains the best bet for why this baby dogfish ended up in her backyard.
WTVR reported that Bowser is now keeping the shark in the family’s garage freezer.
“I would like to preserve the shark because a lot of people have asked about it and I just think it’s so unique,” she said.
Bowser said she is undecided on whether she should bury the shark or hold on to it. So far no aquariums have expressed an interested in obtaining it.
You can see video of the fish below:
