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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Killer sex toads in mating frenzy with £20,000 carp |
| 2007-05-02 |
| SEX-CRAZED toads killed prime carp worth £20,000 at a fishing lake — by dragging them down into an underwater ORGY. The prized fish, weighing up to 8lbs, suffocated when amorous toads in a mating frenzy jumped on them as they basked in the shallows. Each carp was attacked by up to a DOZEN randy amphibians mistaking them for lady toads. And more fish including roach, rudd and bream were killed by pollution from the rotting carcasses lying on the bottom of the lake. Mike Heelis, 49, who manages Wykeham Lakes, near Pickering, North Yorks, said: “It was a horrendous sight. “From a distance it looked like the fish had some sort of fungus on their heads. Then I realised they had these toads clamped to their heads. “Toads have always come to our lakes to do what they do naturally — but this year there were thousands of them, jumping on anything that moved. “The creatures were covering their gills and mouths. They just sank to the bottom and died. “We used to have catches of 100lb in competitions but weights will be a lot lower now.” The toad orgies were not the first natural disaster to hit the fishery. Two years ago a family of otters munched their way through £10,000- worth of fish. Mr Heelis added: “In both cases we had our hands completely tied. Otters are protected and so is the common toad.” The Environment Agency said toad mating was a “natural phenomenon” and Mr Heelis could be prosecuted if he attempted to move them. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #8 |
| Posted by: RD 2007-05-02 22:43 |
| #7 10,000 pounds for Carp? I'll go down to the river and catch them some really big ones, say 15 to 20 pounds. I'll make a fortune! |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-05-02 17:12 |
| #6 Best teaser title in a month... Fred, should we have a new category - like idiot of the day? |
| Posted by: Oscar Spunter9881 2007-05-02 17:06 |
| #5 Like a fish without a bicycle... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2007-05-02 16:22 |
| #4 This is way funny: in North Yorks, move a toad, get arrested by the envoro-police, In Washington State, dbink a horse, make a movie..... |
| Posted by: USN. Ret. 2007-05-02 15:26 |
| #3 Look - this is normal behavior. Don't all of us want to mate above our social class? |
| Posted by: GORT 2007-05-02 14:15 |
| #2 Toads that mistake fish for lady toads tend not to create many offspring, I imagine. So likely that problem will evaporate shortly. In the meantime, lake manager Mr. Heelis might want to consider stocking a fish species less attractive to the toads. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-05-02 12:29 |
| #1 Horny toads. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-05-02 12:10 |