With a dramatic increase in the number of blood-sucking fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth in UK rivers, the six million wild swimmers in the country should exercise caution.
When the breeding season begins in September, the number of lampreys surge. There are increases in populations in many rivers. Terrifyingly, the fish, which are 100 million years older than dinosaurs, have been known to attack people.
These “vampire fish” also kill off other fish by latching onto them and sucking out their blood.
It’s estimated that UK rivers currently contain an estimated 20,000 marine lampreys, the largest of which can grow to over 3 feet in length.
That is an increase of over 40% from just 10 years ago.
Moreover, there are perhaps 200,000 Brook lamprey and 120,000 river lamprey.
In North America’s Lake Champlain in 2007, sea lampreys attacked swimmers, with some claiming to have been “set upon” by up to seven lampreys at once.
Christopher Swain, a seasoned wild swimmer, described how a lamprey attacked him when he was swimming in Lake Champlain. “I reached down to brush whatever it was off and I touched a living thing that was attached to me – it was thicker than my wrist and I had a bit of freak out.”
“The next thing I saw when I looked with my goggles was this snake-like animal,” he said. “I tried to grab it but it slimed right out of my hand – it was a lamprey. I pulled it off, but it shot back on – it did not want to be removed.”
