Has this thief bitten off more than he can chew?

AN ancient fossilized shark tooth has been stolen from a national park in Australia, leaving park wardens stunned and puzzled.

Megalodons were three times the size of even the largest great white sharks that swim the oceans today and the equivalent size of an articulated truck – over 100,000 pounds.

This sea monster went extinct over two million years ago and all that remains of their terrifying legacy are the fossilized teeth found in places which would have once been submerged in water.

One of these places is Cape Range National Park, along Western Australia’s Ningaloo Coast.

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The stolen tooth was actually one of two specimens located in the park and frustratingly, the better-quality tooth was taken.

“The worst part is they took the better specimen, which was not so well known,” Arvid Hogstrom, a department spokesperson, told BBC News. “Our staff had actually physically covered it up with natural features to make sure it was hidden.”

According to National Geographic, the stolen tooth was located in such a remote part of the park, it wasn’t checked on every day. And it was only reported missing on March 9.

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The theft was premeditated as tools would have had to be carried into the park in order to detach the tooth from the rock it was jutting out of.

Hogstrom told nine.com.au it was “hugely disappointing” to have lost such a significant and unique fossil from the Palaeolithic era.

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It is estimated that the tooth would have only taken around 10 minutes to excavate, but nobody can seem to understand who would want to steal it as Hogstrom reveals the monetary value “would not be very high”.

With so much press coverage, we hope the tooth will be returned soon and for the thief to realize they have bitten off more than they can chew.

The post Has this thief bitten off more than he can chew? appeared first on Travel Wire Asia.

Source: travelwireasia.com