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LIFE-HONGKONG-PIRANHA

 Piranha bites boy at Hong Kong fountain

    HONG KONG, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A 14-year old boy needed three

stitches in his finger after being bitten by a piranha while

playing in a public fountain in Hong Kong.

    The piranha -- which has its origins in warm South American

rivers and can devour whole cows when hunting in packs -- is a

popular fish in Hong Kong home aquariums and can be bought in

Mongkok pet shops for less than HK$100 a pair (US$12.80).

    The bleeding teenager was taken to a local hospital on

Monday night and was said to be in a stable condition, Hong

Kong newspapers reported.

    Estate management staff drained the fountain on Tuesday

morning and found three freshwater fish, which died. Two were

identified as a rare breed of piranha.

    Additional signs have been added to the fountain advising

the public not to release fish into the water.

    "Pet owners should be considerate and should not abandon

pets without due care," The Standard newspaper quoted a

spokesman for Hong Kong's Agricultural, Fisheries and

Conservation Department as saying.

    Piranhas are not an endangered species and possession is

not restricted in Hong Kong, although they are banned in

mainland China.

 REUTERS

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