Recently a female giant freshwater whipray (Urogymnus polylepis) weighing 180 kg, was accidentally caught by a fisher in the Mekong River in Koh Preah Village, Koh Preah Commune, Siem Bouk District, Stung Treng Province. The whipray measured 185 cm in width, 200 cm in length, with a total body length from tip to tail measuring 393 cm. Fishers use hooks to catch fish and sometimes whiprays can accidentally get caught by the hook while preying upon fish. The fisherman that caught the whipray on his fishing hook explained that he wanted to help conserve the whipray, a Mekong endangered species. He contacted the Wonders of the Mekong project team right away and asked us to tag, measure, and release her back into the wild.

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#MekongEndangeredSpecies #MekongConservation #Whipray #GiantFreshwaterStingray