Mumbai: A bull shark, the species which can live and breed in freshwater, nearly bit off one leg of a 30-year-old man in the Vaitarna river in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, prompting his fellow villagers to kill the fish, a forest official said on Wednesday.
The encounter with the fish with razor-sharp teeth took place when a group of residents from Manor village, out to collect wood and for fishing, entered the river.
A large fish sprang up a surprise attack and grabbed the left leg of one of them, identified as Vickey Govari. Hearing his screams, the others pulled him to the shore, he said.
In their bid to save their friend, they began hitting the fish, eventually killing it, the official said.
However, the fish, later identified by wildlife experts as a bull shark, had ripped off the calf muscle of Govari’s left leg, leaving the shin bone exposed.