"Carp"e Mortalitas

"Koi"- vey!

A 64-pound carp, coveted by fisher folk in England, was recently found floating on the surface of the lake that it inhabited. Apparently, it was poisoned by nuts. (Of course, that makes me question the contents of those feeders at zoos and gardens across the world).

An article, which recently appeared on global news sites around the world, announced the death of the 20-25 year old carp which had been caught 63 times. Apparently, the local fishing community sought after this carp as the ultimate catch. Carp are amazingly strong; they are also beautiful. Their scales are evenly proportioned, resembling the scales on the body of a 'mermaid.' Their lips are soft, like room temperature butter. And they have these little fleshy feelers at the corners of their mouths, resembling catfish (but they are not poisonous if touched).

This is apparently a big loss for the fisherfolk in England. I've always thought that carp should be admired, not caught. Their life span is around 100 years (I think). Of course, I disagree with PETA on this one; but if offered a chance to catch a carp, I would turn it down. They are too beautiful, sacred, and precious (not to minimize the validity of other gilled swimmers)!