Sharks Were Found In London's 'Dead' River Thames & Some Of Them Are Pretty Venomous
What's next — sharks with frickin' lasers?
If you're looking to set up your own Dr. Evil-style supervillain lair, you might want to pick a spot on the U.K.'s River Thames.
Several shark species have been found in the famous river that runs through London, including one type with venomous spines on its back.
The two-foot-long spurdog shark is hardly a man-eater, but its venom can cause pain and swelling in humans, according to CNN. It eats fish and even smaller sharks.
The Thames was declared "biologically dead" over 60 years ago, but a new survey by the Zoological Society of London reveals that there's actually a lot going on in the water.
Scientists found several different shark species living in the river, including the spurdog (aka the spiny dogfish) and the tope shark, which measures about six feet long and is generally uninterested in people.
They're not the only creatures who live in the river, though. There are also seals, seahorses and a lot of crustaceans — some of which probably serve as food for the sharks.
We don't recommend swimming in the Thames at the best of times, but now you have one more reason not to go in the water.
It's also one more reason to keep the river clean — for the animals living there, the ZSL says.