Could this really be the shark that killed a British honeymooner in the Seychelles?

Friday, August 26, 2011

By Rob Cooper





Seychelles fishermen believe they may have caught the shark which killed a British honeymooner Ian Redmond as he went snorkelling yards off the beach.



Locals are actively hunting down predators after the 30-year-old and a Frenchman were both killed in the space of two weeks.



Mr Redmond was around 20 yards from the shore when he was attacked by a tiger shark on Praslin Island.



To blame? Locals claim one of these could have been the shark which killed a British honeymooner on a beach. Tests will have to be carried out to confirm whether these animals were responsible





These two tiger sharks were caught on the opposite side of the island from where the newly-married man was attacked. Experts will carry out tests to see if there is any evidence that either of these sharks attacked the British IT specialist from Nelson, Lancashire.



Although the sharks have been caught it is too early to tell if one of them is responsible.



Police said the fish will be examined to see if either of them were involved.



Experts now believe the honeymooner was bitten by a four-metre tiger shark and not a Great White as initially thought.



The attack, the second in less than a month, has rocked the tiny archipelago and stoked fears that the islands' tourist industry will be badly affected.



Strung up: One of these could have been the shark that killed British honeymooner Ian Redmond. Tests will be carried out on the animals to see if they were the ones responsible



Tiger sharks are aggressive and are known to have carried out a number of attacks around the world.



Tragic Mr Redmond, an IT specialist, died moments after the attack which happened at Anse Lazio beach.



Nicolas Virolle, a 37-year-old English teacher from France had been killed nearby in a similar attack less than two weeks earlier.



Jean Toussiant, from Seychelles Police, said: 'Until now there is no indication that these are the sharks responsible.



'The sharks will have to be taken away to be examined and this will take time.'



South African shark expert Mike Anderson-Reade, who is a member of the Kwazulu Natal Shark Institute in South Africa, examined a fragment of tooth, which was removed from Mr Redmond's leg following the attack.



He also studied photographs of the injuries sustained by the two men who died to assess the size of the shark's gape.



He said: 'From my conclusions, from what we could see and from the bite and the way the bites were, we believe it was a tiger shark and that it was about four metres long.



'Although shark attacks are very rare, normally it is one of three shark species which are responsible - the white, tiger or bull shark.



'They caught a tiger shark this morning. We dissected that animal and it had no human remains in it.



'Eleven days after the event, it's debatable whether there still would be human remains in it.



Shark victim: Ian Redmond 30, died 20 yards off the beachof Anse Lazio, close to his wife Gemma, 27





'Those animals are capable of regurgitating food. It could bite someone then regurgitate it days later.'



Exclusion netting is being put in place to protect the beaches for swimming and diving.



He said: 'Local fishermen are using drum lines and long lines to catch the shark, and should probably be looking at some form of exclusion netting, similar to the kind used in Hong Kong.



'This acts as a physical barrier which keeps large fish out, rather than killing them.'



However, the expert believes the shark responsible for the attack has most likely moved on from the area.



He said: 'They would be very lucky if they get that animal. A fish can move a long way away and the shark could be long gone.'



Luxury honeymoon: The British couple were on the Anse Lazio beach, pictured, yards from where a Frenchman had been killed two weeks beforehand





source:dailymail

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