The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission shared on its social media pages a picture of a piranha that was caught in a lake west of Fayetteville but said it’s not a major cause for concern.
The piranha was reportedly caught in Aberdeen Lake in Moore County, and wildlife officials said the fish was likely kept as a pet, outgrew its tank, and was tossed into the lake by its owners.
Fish biologists have no concern that the species will establish itself in the lake, because piranha are warm water fish native to South America and would not survive the winter in North Carolina.
However, they said it is illegal to release piranha in the state's public or private waters.
