Scientists want the head of a rare shark back

A conflict of interest has arisen over the animal’s remains after a rare shark was found off a coast in southern England. Shortly after the carcass of the shieldtooth shark washed up on a Hampshire beach last weekend, suspected trophy hunters stripped it of its head and dorsal fin, the Telegraph newspaper reported. Local residents discovered the nearly six-foot-long shark on Saturday morning, and many photos circulated on social media.

Since shieldtooth sharks are an endangered species, scientists are interested in examining the missing body parts to draw conclusions about the shark’s unusual journey. British TV presenter Dan Snow joined the debate on Twitter. “If you took the head, report it, let the scientists look at it, and then you can keep it,” he wrote.

An autopsy could provide information on how the shark ended up in Hampshire, according to the Shark Trust. “Gathering data on these vagrants to track their distribution over time is fascinating and relevant.”the foundation says.

Usually, shieldtooth sharks don’t hang out on the south coast of England, but in the Bay of Biscay – an Atlantic bay off western France and northern Spain – as well as in the Mediterranean Sea. The population of the species in European waters has declined by about 80 percent over the past 60 years, mainly due to overfishing, according to the Telegraph. The Zoological Society of London now wants to examine the rest of the carcass first.

(yam/sda/dpa)