A Great white shark that has survived longer than any other has been returned to the wild because it was outgrowing its tank.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium made history last year when it successfully managed to wean a juvenile Great white shark on to dead foods and acclimatise it to life in an enormous aquarium. All previous attempts at keeping the Great white in captivity have failed.
Monterey Bay's shark, which was caught by Halibut fishermen last August, was growing so quickly that she was fast becoming too large for her tank and was beginning to prey on her tankmates, says ABC News.
Vice President of husbandry at the Aquarium, Randy Hamilton told ABC: "The larger she grew, the more that human safety and animal welfare concerns became a factor in our thinking. It's more risky to handle a larger animal."
The Great white was believed to have killed two Soupfin sharks in the aquarium last year, after putting on 100lbs in weight during her stay, but the staff were unsure whether the fish was actually hunting as it would in the wild.
Randy Hamilton said: "We've been watching to see if she was actively hunting other animals in the exhibit. When we saw clear signs on Monday, we decided an immediate release would be best."
The shark has been tagged and returned unharmed to the wild.