Cambodian fishermen caught a giant stingray in the Mekong River

A female stingray, one of Southeast Asia's largest and rarest species, was caught last week in Cambodia's Stung Treng province after it swallowed a smaller fish caught in a fisher's hook. people, AFP reported on May 11.

Cambodian fishermen were shocked when they accidentally caught an endangered giant freshwater stingray, 4m long and 180kg in weight. (Photo: Young Eco Ambassador).

An international team of experts from the US-funded Wonders of the Mekong project worked with fishermen to rescue the fish and release it back into the wild after a health check.

The Mekong River is an important habitat for many species of life, but project leader Zeb Hogan, a biologist from the University of Nevada, says there are still many unknowns about the river's aquatic ecology. .

More than 1,000 species of fish are found in the Mekong River and rays are not the only giants living in the marshy area. There are also giant catfish and giant barbs up to 3m long and 270kg in weight.

The team added that the location where the stingray was caught was in the depths of up to 80 meters and possibly even larger species of creatures.

But they also warn that underwater videos show plastic waste in the deepest reaches of the Mekong.