Duisburg/Neuss (dpa/lnw) - A 34-year-old angler from Düsseldorf pulled a bleeding catfish out of the water on Whit Monday on the banks of the Rhine near Neuss-Grimlinghausen. Three wires hung from the approximately two-meter-long fish, which an unknown person had obviously pierced through his mouth, the police in Duisburg said on Monday. A rope had been knotted to the wires, with which the animal was apparently tied to land. The catfish, who was fighting for his life, probably managed to tear through the rope and initially free himself. However, the animal later died, it said.
The 34-year-old informed the water police (WSP) and reported to the officials about his catch. The criminal police are now investigating the violation of the Animal Welfare Act and are looking for witnesses who made suspicious observations on the banks of the Rhine on June 6th.
According to a police spokeswoman, catfish are often fished at night. It could be that the person you are looking for caught the animal and then later wanted to get it in daylight, for example to photograph it and then proudly present it. The official reported that there was only a similar case last October.
