Seven live sandbar sharks were found living in a basement pool in Lagrangeville, New York.
The one to three foot sharks were found after a search warrant was served by officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Officers also found two dead leopard sharks and a dead juvenile hammerhead during the search.
“I’ve seen crocodiles, snakes, some stingrays, and I know there was another case that they had alligators,” Dutchess County SPCA officer Kimberly McNamee told the local CBS affiliate. “No sharks.”
No arrests were made. Investigators said the homeowner was likely breeding the sharks, which are not usually found in local waters, for resale to private collectors. Sand tiger sharks are a federally protected species, and it is illegal to own them anywhere on the East Coast unless you have a special permit.
Experts took blood samples, measured, and tagged the sharks before transporting them to the Long Island Aquarium.
Source: MYCHAMPLAINVALLEY