Locals had trouble identifying the creature, but the city’s water agency and National Parks Board said it was an alligator gar, which is native to the southern United States.
Karen Lythgoe
A marine mystery has started in Asia after a British expat in Singapore discovered the remains of a “prehistoric” creature with the head of an alligator and the body of a fish.
According to reports, the creature was recently discovered on the banks of MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore’s oldest. The find has left locals in Singapore baffled and has also sparked a mystery among marine experts.
Karen Lythgoe, who hails from Scotland, made the discovery and documented it for the world to see. She said some people were already looking at the creatures from the boardwalk when she first arrived at the spot.
At first, she thought it was a crocodile because of its position and long snout. Little did she know, she was in for a big surprise.
“We thought it was a crocodile from that position, but it didn’t look quite right, so we went off the path to get a closer look.” It wasn’t a crocodile. It was like something you might see in a zoo—it looked prehistoric with its big jaws and teeth. “I was shocked and intrigued at how it came to be in the reservoir,” said Karen.
Locals had trouble identifying the creature, but the city’s water agency and National Parks Board said it was an alligator gar, which is native to the southern United States.
“We would like to remind everyone that the release of these animals will disrupt our delicate aquatic ecosystem and may also pose a risk to users of our water bodies,” the water agency and National Parks Board said in a statement.
Under Singaporean law, releasing animals into reservoirs is a punishable offense.
According to the latest reports, the carcass of the creature has now been removed.
As the fish was found 10,000 miles away from its native place, authorities and marine experts were left baffled.
According to experts, the creature is able to produce eggs that are poisonous to humans. It also happens to be a predator at the top of the food chain.
The species has been called “prehistoric” or “a living fossil,” as much of its biology has been tracked back to its earliest ancestors.
