Shark In Florida Pond Caught, Wildlife Trapper Releases Him Into River [Video]

A shark that was dumped in a Florida pond about a month ago has finally been captured. Wildlife trapper James Dean managed to catch the elusive bull shark that was taking temporary residence at a pond near Gleason Park, located near the Indian Harbour Beach. The shark didn’t get there on his own; he was more than likely dropped off there since there were no grates, pipes, or entryways to the pond for the shark to get through from ocean water.

Earlier this week, Dean made several attempts to capture the shark, but was unsuccessful. Park visitors were warned to stay away from the water until the bull shark was caught. After reports of the shark that was dumped in the pond got out, Dean got some help from volunteers. One of the volunteers that helped was Steven Henson, who used a net to capture the shark on Thursday. He’s been fishing for sharks since he was 14.

WESH.com reports Henson as saying:

“I walked along the far side of the pier over there, and I saw him with a glimpse of my eye. So I was like, ‘Why not?’ So I threw my cast out on him. It opened up beautifully. He was right in the center like I wanted him to be, and he was stuck in the net.”

When Dean, Henson, and the other volunteers captured the shark from the pond, they released him into the Indian River. They noticed a hook in the shark’s mouth that wasn’t there before he was captured.

Residents in the area named the shark “Sushi.” He adapted well to freshwater during his stay in the pond — which Dean says sharks can do. It’s rare, however.

News 13 has photos of the shark (one seen at the top of the page) after it was caught from the pond. It wasn’t a very large shark, but it definitely could do serious damage fast if it wanted to. It’s never a good idea to test the limits of a shark no matter the size!

City mayor, Mark Ryan, and the rest of the community near Indian Harbour Beach, are relieved that “Sushi” was caught and released into his natural environment. It reportedly took just minutes to capture the shark out of the pond when James Dean, Steven Hanson, and the other volunteers began their mission Thursday to reel him in.

“Sushi” did a good job giving locals something to talk about this week.

[Image via Virgen Fantauzzi, Staff/News 13]