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Fareed Khan / AP
Visitors surround the carcass of a whale shark in Karachi, Pakistan, on Feb 9, 2012. People crowded around to put their hands on the massive shark, and families snapped their picture with it — ignoring the pungent smell as it began to rot.
Ashraf Khan of The Associated Press takes up the story:
KARACHI, Pakistan — Qasim Khan waged the unlikeliest of battles with Pakistani authorities Thursday over the right to charge hundreds of curious visitors 20 rupees (22 cents) each to see a roughly 40-foot whale shark he bought from a fisherman.
Khan is in the business of buying fish, albeit usually much smaller ones, and jumped at the chance on Tuesday to pay about $2,200 for the 20-ton behemoth, which was discovered dead in the Arabian Sea off the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.
Business was brisk Wednesday, as several thousand people paid to see the brown and white-spotted shark, which Khan set up under a cloth tent next to the harbor.
But police cracked down Thursday, saying fishery authorities had decided people should be allowed to see the shark for free. Khan resisted and hid his prize attraction under the giant piece of green cloth he had previously used as a tent.
Fareed Khan / AP
A boy peeks inside a tent where the carcass was being kept. One visitor, 9-year-old Fizza Umar, said "It was so huge! I wish I could take it home."
Shakil Adil / AP
A man sells tickets to people eager to see the shark.
The move sparked a comic game of cat and mouse between Khan and the police. They would order him to remove the cover, which he would do briefly before replacing it. Then the cycle would start over again.
Khan countered by saying he paid 200,000 rupees for it. "To recover my cost I am charging just 20 rupees per ticket, but the forsaken fishery authorities have deprived me of this fortune," he said. Read the full story.
Fareed Khan / AP
Some in the crowd were upset to see people climbing all over the shark. "This is sheer disrespect for animals," said 20-year-old nursing student Usman Zada.
Leave a Comment:
Foreign guy is probably right when you think about it.
Our freedom in America depends on how many forms we fill out and who we have to pay.
Interesting point. I guess he's right, we couldn't display the fish in America.
This is ridiculous! I refuse to write about it. Wait I just did!
if a war between christian vs. islam exists, is it okay for christian/western news agency to use photo of shark that the pakistani man bought and charge people to see? did editor ask when photo was taken?
No body cares what is said on here it's just a place to read and laugh
Next time I feel like there's nothing on television I just have to remember at least I don't have to stare at a giant rotting shark for entertainment purposes.
See this is the great thing about the United States, capitalism. You can invest in something and make a profit without goverment interference or at least you could before socialism takes over.
Fish without scales are considered unclean, freshly caught and carved into steaks, frozen etc..
Also unclean are lobster, clam, oyster, crabs, mollusks etc...
Clean vs. Unclean Fish
It is in the same category as a pig (Unclean) not for human consumption.
He could have sold it to be made into into dog food though. The hide might make some nice leather.
Whale sharks move very slowly, I doubt it trashed about enough to get scarred by a net.
Fish without scales are considered unclean, freshly caught and carved into steaks, frozen etc..
Also unclean are lobster, clam, oyster, crabs, mollusks etc...
Clean vs. Unclean Fish
It is in the same category as a pig (Unclean) not for human consumption.
He could have sold it to be made into into dog food though. The hide might make some nice leather.
Whale sharks move very slowly, I doubt it trashed about enough to get scarred by a net.
@Maddi-5208875 - Whale Sharks are not Whales... Whales are Mammals. Whale Sharks are fish.
Mammals do not have gills. Whale Sharks have Gills. If you look at the picure above youcan clearly see the gill slits.
By the way, this guy in pakistan is not the only entrepreneur to do this.
It was done here in America as well.
Do a search for "Little Irvy"
Little Irvy was a dead Sperm whale that was carted around in a Refrigerated Trailer with the Boss Truck of America, a frozen "Big Foot" and the "Blue Flame", (at the time the World Speed record holding rocket car.)
They were kept a block away from my house and we went past them almost every day.
There was also a Blue Whale on exhibit in a Refrigeratored Trailer at the same location.
By the way, this guy in pakistan is not the only entrepreneur to do this.
It was done here in America as well.
Do a search for "Little Irvy"
Little Irvy was a dead Sperm whale that was carted around in a Refrigerated Trailer with the Boss Truck of America, a frozen "Big Foot" and the "Blue Flame", (at the time the World Speed record holding rocket car.)
They were kept a block away from my house and we went past them almost every day.
There was also a Blue Whale on exhibit in a Refrigeratored Trailer at the same location.
They're probably trying to figure out how to strap a bomb to it and ship it across the border to Afghanistan.
I was wrong to joke about this and their women smelling. I don't know if they do or not,but we all are fascinated at something odd,new,huge,etc. Would we act any different?
Hamzsque El Sid313!*
Excuse US oh world traveler. When we run across people from that area of the world and we get killed, lied to, blown-up, and deceived by the Pakistani government we tend to get like this.
As someone who has a great love for the whale sharks, I only hope that this International attention will help more get involved with protecting them from harm. Last year we took my family on a tour with http://www.swimwithwhalesharks.com in Cancun, Mexico. We learned about how fin poachers and fishermen can land the giant whale sharks on the endangered species list, and possibly extinct, if more isn't done to protect them.
so one explain way they are walking on it , yes it is a wonder of the world we live on and many may never see one up close but were's the dignity , just sick , just shows how crazy they really are , glad I am not from this planet
I find the pictures of this poor dead creature very disturbing. The way that the people treat this mammal is totally disrespectful. I totally agree with the nursing student: the people are totally not respecting the death of a mighty creature of the sea. Would people allow others to walk over their leader's grave, or the grave of a loved one? There are not too many species of whale left in the ocean and humans should respect the remaining ones. The animal should be cut up and used to feed other mammals.
This is a Trojan Shark, watch out the Taliban is hiding inside. You cannot tell by the smell that they are hiding in this fish.