An Essex fishkeeper ended up in hospital after trying to move his 38cm/15" stingray.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, James Hunt was trying to transfer the Motoro ray into a new 1000 l/220 gal tank at his Southend home over the Bank Holiday weekend, when it sank its barb into his arm, leaving him in agony.
He was rushed to hospital, where he spent three days recovering.
The ray was one of two purchased for £150 by Mr Hunt just a few days earlier. It had been christened Steve Irwin after the wildlife expert who was killed after being stung by a ray back in 2006.
Mr Hunt has been keeping fish for five years and says he intends to keep the stingrays, despite the incident. His hand is still numb, and he's taking a course of antibiotics to ensure there's no infection as a result of the sting. He will also need several weeks of physiotherapy.
Rays aren't aggressive and most stings are delivered in self defence. The venom is protein-based and causes excruciating pain and muscular seizure, along with rapid degeneration of tissue.
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