Scientists also believe the sharks could be getting buzzed from the waste from illicit drug factories, and were under “chronic exposure” to the drug.
Research team member, Dr Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis said this was “due to human use of cocaine in Rio de Janeiro and the discharge of human urine and faeces by sewage outfalls, as well as from illegal labs”.
Scientists said it was unlikely the sharks were ingesting the drugs from dumped stashes(Image: Guardia di Finanza press office/)
The team also investigated whether sharks were snacking on stashes dumped into the water by smugglers, however, the team thought this was less likely.
They fear the drug could reduce sharks’ life expectancy, damage their eyesight and affect their hunting skills, however boffins said there was no evidence the coke was making the beasts “go nuts”, reports The Telegraph.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Dr Tracy Fanara, an ecotoxicology and environmental engineering expert from the University of Florida, said: “They may not be going nuts from the cocaine but it could reduce their life expectancy.”
This follows reports of cocaine-fuelled sharks going on frenzied attacks on surfers in the US, after consuming drugs dumped into the sea by drug lords.
And thought it was more likely the beasts were getting their hit from cocaine-riddled sewage(Image: Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas P)
Smugglers are thought to be dropping packages of the illegal drug either to be picked up later or just to escape law enforcement before the apex predators come along and munch them, leading to them getting high.
Batches of the drug have been known to wash up on Florida beaches in particular.
We promised you more puns from X, so here they are…
One user wrote: “From the producers of Cocaine Bear.”
“Brings a whole new narrative to the new ‘Jaws’ film,” another quipped.
A third joked: “Brazilian sharks on the Colombian marching powder… interesting.”
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Source link : https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/cocaine-sharks-off-heads-south-33303620.amp
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Publish date : 2024-07-23 06:16:00
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