Record 771-lb. Stingray Caught

The Thailand capture of the massive female stingray was part of a program to tag fishy Maeklong River residents. The
captive, part of a "vulnerable species" listed by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature, measured a hefty 7 feet by 7 feet. That doesn't include the 10-foot-long
poisonous tail.

Because freshwater stingrays bury themselves in the mud of a river bottom one can easily step on them.

Such creatures are dangerous, of course: Famed Australian TV personality Steve "Crocodile
Hunter" Irwin died from a stingray barb at the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.



The freshwater stingray's resistance nearly dunked fish-tagger Ian Welch into the
river, and he was literally saved by the seat of his pants when a crewmate grabbed
his trousers.



Another reason that this marine fish is so huge: She's pregnant. After she had been towed to the bank (too big to be onboard the boat), she was duly marked, had DNA
samples removed, and returned to the river whence she unwillingly came. By the way,
one number isn't known: the exact stingray population count, which has shrunk 20
percent in the past decade. With this lady's help, at least one more will be added
to this number...and with a tale to tell.