Moray eel lone exotic pet to survive blaze
Macaw and several saltwater fish killed in St. Catharines fire
A moray eel is the lone survivor of several exotic animals that were found after an early morning fire Saturday on Haight Street in St. Catharines.
Niagara Regional Police said a macaw was killed in the fire that started at about 4:35 a.m. near the intersection of Disher Street, but Lincoln County Humane Society Kevin Strooband said the fire also claimed the lives of several saltwater fish.
“Everything perished but the eel,” Strooband said, adding the moray eel now appears to be good shape in the care of an expert.
Police said the lower level and entrance of the house were on
fire, as officers arrived with St. Catharines firefighters and Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics.
No human injuries were reported.
Detectives are working with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office to determine the cause of the blaze. Police said the scene is expected to be held for several days as an investigation continues.
Strooband said there was “quite an array” of saltwater aquarium fish within the building, “but debris and ashes and burning embers were falling into the tank.”
“It wouldn’t take long for an animal to succumb,” he added.
Strooband said the large enclosed tank the eel was kept in helped protect it from the fire, but it, too, “wouldn’t have survived the night” if the animal hadn’t been transported into the care of experts outside of the region.
Although initial reports said the rescued eel could have been up to five metres long, Strooband said it is about 1.2 metres long.
Police were conducting an investigation in the same area shortly after 7 a.m. a day earlier, after a 45-year-old man was found suffering from gunshot wounds that were not lifethreatening.
Const. Jesse Vujasic said detectives have so far been unable to confirm if the two incidents are related, but both incidents remain under investigation by detectives.