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This Is What Happens When A Tourist Thinks It's A Good Idea To Seize A Baby Shark For A Selfie

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This young woman will remember her trip to Fernando de Noronha Island in Brazil for a long time. And that's for the best.While the Brazilian was taking a dip in the water with her companion, in a protected zone, she thought it was a good idea to grab a baby lemon shark who had the misfortune of swimming to close to shore. The goal? Take a selfie with the animal.

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Source: Facebook/Fernando de Noronha

Despite his small size and adorable appearance, a baby shark is still a shark. That is what this vacationer learned, at her expense. When she grabbed the young fish, he didn't hesitate to defend himself by firmly planting his teeth into the hand of the young woman. It took her companion almost a full minute to get him to release his jaw.

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Source: Facebook/Fernando de Noronha

More frightening than harmful for the young Brazilian, who still needed a few stitches. Her wallet however escaped a little less intact. Lemon sharks are a protected species, and anyone who harms them faces a fine of $1600. Worse still, since the incident happened in a protected zone of the island where laws are even stricter, the fines can be doubled.The woman and her companion have to each pay a fee of $3200 each. Something to help remind them that animals are not toys for tourists, and they can have aggressive behavior when threatened. Sadly still, it is often them who are the most harmed by non-desired interactions with humans.

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Source: Facebook/Fernando de Noronha

Impossible to know, however, if the young shark in question is alright after his misadventure. All we know, according to the video, is that he was thrown back into the ocean in a brutal manner.The best homage that we can render to wild animals is to leave them in peace and not invade - as much as possible - their natural habitat.

Turista Ataca um Filhote de TubarãoVeja o que aconteceu hoje na Praia do Sueste.Publié par Fernando de Noronha sur lundi 6 février 2017

H/t: TheDodo

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