Unconfirmed ‘piranha’ reports trigger public alarm in Malaysia

Unconfirmed ‘piranha’ reports trigger public alarm in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – A single fish caught in a central Malaysian reservoir has done what few freshwater catches ever do: sparked widespread alarm. The fish, which strongly resembles a red-bellied piranha, was netted at Klau Dam in Pahang, roughly 100 kilometres north-east of Kuala Lumpur. Images of the Aug 26 catch went viral, prompting worries about attacks on children, calls for tighter controls on exotic fish and concern that a dangerous predator could spread through local waterways. A second repor