British angler Jeremy Wade caught a 5ft-long goliath tigerfish during a recent fishing expedition along the Congo River in Africa.
The tigerfish – believed to be a deadlier version of the piranha – has 32 teeth of a similar size to those of a great white shark and has been known to attack humans and even crocodiles.
According to the UK’s Daily Mail, Wade reeled in the 45kg beast during filmng for a TV show he hosts about mythical reports from around the world of humans being attacked by unknown monsters from the deep.
“’It is very rare to catch one, especially by an outsider because they are found in such a remote and difficult location to get to,” Wade said on the show River Monsters.
“There are no guides or lodges on that part of the Congo River.”
Wade said he used catfish as bait for the tigerfish. He said he feared handling the monster fish and had to stand back from it until it was safely in his landing net.
“It is a very dangerous fish to handle. If you aren’t careful it could easily take your finger off or worse,” he said.
Wade returned the tigerfish to the river after its photo was taken.
