PARIS, July 7 — The Paris Aquarium is the first in France to successfully breed blacktip sharks in captivity, a rare event for these tranquil predators.
Since they were born five months ago, the male and female pups were kept in a private pool to keep them from being eaten by the bigger sharks. But in early July, the siblings were released into the general shark tank to live with 35 other sharks from different species.
Before their release into the general shark tank, the pups were measured, weighed and tagged. These are the first blacktip sharks to be reproduced in captivity in France.
But the good news doesn't stop there.
Another blacktip shark is pregnant, aquarium officials say. A female blacktip can give birth to up to six pups, which can weigh over 60 kilogrammes (132 pounds) and measure over 160 centimetres (5.2 feet). Once born, the pups will either be kept at the Paris Aquarium or transferred elsewhere.
A veterinarian at the aquarium said as long as blacktips are able to reproduce in captivity, they will no longer need to be taken from the wild. — Reuters
