Residents of Porto Alegre, Brazil, were surprised to see predatory piranha fish leaving their natural habitat and appearing in the streets due to recent flooding in the city. The "nacion" website confirmed that, in addition to the material damage caused by the recent floods, the rising waters brought the predatory piranhas, which were spotted in various parts of Porto Alegre, as shown in videos shared on social media. The local fire department confirmed the presence of these carnivorous fish in the streets, having received several reports from citizens. IT analyst Victor Warath found a piranha about five kilometers away from the Jacuí River, near the watercourse, indicating the impact of the flooding.
Residents expressed their concerns about the invasion of piranhas in comments on the "X" platform, voicing fears about the impact on the local ecosystem. One user commented, "Wherever this fish goes, it destroys everything and reproduces very quickly; we will certainly face consequences with fish and other crustaceans."
According to fishermen, the presence of predatory piranhas in the region's rivers will cause environmental damage for at least three years. Additionally, since they are not native to the area, they disrupt the ecosystem by preying on other fish species. One proposed solution to keep these fish away involves introducing them into the Jacuí River, as they are natural predators of the existing predatory fish. However, specialists warn of the risks associated with this measure, as it could also affect other fish species.
