Chulalongkorn University dispatched a biologist yesterday to inspect and treat a monstrous leviathan reeled in from the Chao Phraya river by a 13-year-old boy.
Nattawat Poonmee said he was shocked when he hooked the giant ray Sunday in Ang Thong province. He immediately ran to his parents and relatives who alerted authorities and spent four hours dragging the 200-kilogram ray to the shore.
Someone from the Department of Fisheries came to check out the jumbo ray and contacted the Veterinary Medical Aquatic Animal Research Center at the university for further inspection.
Director Nantarika Chansue said the ray is a pregnant female. She treated it for eight wounds and released it back to the water.
Nantarika said himantura is the second largest species of ray. They are almost extinct and live in large rivers including the Chao Phraya, Bangprakong, Mae Klong and Khong rivers
The researcher also collected the blood samples and put a tracker on the winged colossus to study its behavior, Manager reported.
Photos: Morning News, Nattapong Wanpat
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