We’d like to show you a photo of an extremely rare, critically endangered shark, one of only three river shark species around the world, but this one is so obscure, it’s never been photographed alive. As CNN reports, the Ganges shark is generally known only from the odd fin or carcass pulled up as accidental catch. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates only about 240 adults remain in murky waters across South and Southeast Asia, and the last documented sighting near the Ganges itself was in 2017.
Now, researchers think they’ve found the species’ last real refuge—far from the Ganges. A team led by Michael Grant of Australia’s James Cook University turned up a surprise hot spot in Indonesia’s North Kalimantan, where one fisherman reported unintentionally catching 17 Ganges sharks in a week. That’s more than had been identified globally in two decades. Since then, surveys have documented 43 individuals, prompting experts to label the Sesayap River an “Important Shark and Ray Area” and push for new fishing rules before bycatch in a booming fish maw trade wipes the sharks out. For the full story, methods, and stakes, read the original piece at CNN.