Janna Clinton was enjoying a peaceful weekend afternoon on her back porch, overseeing her 11-year-old son, Charlie, fishing in the pond behind their Oklahoma home. Little did she know that this day would turn into an unforgettable experience for her and her son.

As Charlie excitedly yelled for his mother, Janna jumped up from her seat and hurried over to him. What she saw at the end of Charlie’s fishing line left her both amazed and bewildered. Keep reading to discover more about the extraordinary catch that left everyone stunned.

The pond behind the Clinton’s home is a popular spot for catch and release fishing, usually teeming with bass and catfish. However, on the weekend of July 14, with only a piece of bread as bait, Charlie managed to reel in a peculiar-looking creature. He immediately called for his mom’s assistance.

“He was screaming, ‘Oh my God, mom! Oh my God!’” Janna recalled. “Honestly, I thought he was just exaggerating.”

Upon closer inspection, Janna noticed that the fish had teeth that resembled those of a human.

“Typically, we’re used to catching bass or catfish in this neighborhood pond…nothing with teeth like a human,” she said. She also mentioned that the fish gave Charlie quite a challenge. “He said it put up quite a fight. He was the only one fishing there, and he did an amazing job.”

The Clintons shared a photo of this bizarre find on their local Facebook page, and it quickly caught the attention of the community. Many locals were startled by the fish’s human-like teeth and shared their own thoughts on the matter.

After seeing the alarming responses, some neighbors urged the family to contact wildlife authorities. “That is definitely not a catch and release situation! Thank you for taking it seriously,” one resident remarked, while another suggested, “You may need to report that to someone in wildlife or a similar organization.”

Before reaching out to wildlife experts about their perplexing catch of the day, the family decided to release the fish back into the pond. Janna explained, “Since it’s a catch and release pond…unfortunately, we didn’t know any better at the time. We made a mistake there.”

Later on, the family discovered that Charlie’s catch was a pacu, a close relative of the piranha native to South America. Unlike its carnivorous relatives with sharp teeth, the pacu is primarily vegetarian, sporting square teeth and a slight overbite.

The wildlife officials in Oklahoma City were puzzled as to how this pacu ended up in the suburban pond. Their suspicion is that someone had kept it as a pet and released it into the wild when it outgrew its tank.

In response to this irresponsible action, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) tweeted, “Dear person who released a pacu (a South American fish closely related to the piranha) into a neighborhood pond: how dare you.”

The tweet sparked discussions in the online community, with many users expressing surprise at the fish’s teeth. One user asked, “Why does it have human teeth?” to which the ODWC replied, “We didn’t make them, so we don’t know.” They also added, “Your fish was caught by an 11-year-old named Charlie Clinton. DO NOT RELEASE YOUR PETS. THEY ARE EXOTIC, INVASIVE SPECIES THAT CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO OUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS.” This reiterates the potential dangers of such actions and the harm they can cause to the environment.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first pacu caught in Oklahoma. In July 2018, an 11-year-old named Kennedy Smith caught a pacu at Marina Cove in Ft. Cobb Lake, less than two hours away from the Clintons’ home.

The Oklahoma Game Wardens posted a warning on Facebook at the time, stating, “Pacu have been caught in a few fisheries in Oklahoma before. The introduction of non-native pacu into Oklahoma waters is most likely due to individuals buying them as pets and releasing them when they outgrow their tanks. Pacu can reach sizes up to 3.5 feet and 88 pounds.”

While these peculiar-looking fish are generally harmless to humans, they have earned a chilling nickname: “the ball cutters.” In fact, incidents have been reported in other countries, such as Papua New Guinea, where men have had their testicles bitten off by pacus. There have even been cases of fishermen bleeding to death after such an attack.

Henrik Carl, a fish expert, explained, “They bite because they’re hungry, and testicles fit nicely in their mouths…while they usually eat nuts, fruit, and small fish, human testicles are just a natural target.”

Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, Charlie continues to keep an eye out for the pacu at the pond, hoping for another chance to catch it. Janna shared, “He stayed by the pond until late at night, trying to catch it again.” If Charlie manages to snatch it once more, the family plans to have it mounted as a special prize. “We want it to look like the fish is smiling so you can see its teeth,” Janna added.

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The pacu truly is a strange-looking fish. Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that this creature was taken from its natural habitat and thrust into a new environment when its owner could no longer care for it. This practice is unsafe for numerous reasons, primarily due to the damage it can cause to the ecosystem. What are your thoughts on this “ball cutter” fish?