The fish were kept by a couple in Norfolk in an outside pond

Feb 4, 2013 10:24 GMT  ·  By

Run-ins  with wildlife are never pleasant, especially when one comes face to face with bears, lions and other feared predators. Still, it now seems that one hungry otter is more than enough to turn one's life topsy-turvy.

More so if said hungry otter decides to feast on prized fish worth a whopping £10,000 (€11,500 / $15,690).

Apparently, this is precisely what happened to Linda and Alan Brown from Thetford, Norfolk, whose garden used to be home to a relatively large pond inhabited by roughly 200 prized fish.

Amongst the species looked after by this couple there were goldfish, koi carp, mirror carp and ghost carp.

As Daily Mail reports, the couple merely went to visit their daughter in New Zealand for a month or so, and, upon their return, they discovered that an otter had somehow gained access to the pond and ate almost all of their beloved fish.

“Money isn't the issue though, we loved these fish and they had been a part of our lives for so long. It's just really devastating,” the couple later told members of the press.

Needless to say, it will be a while before Alan and Linda start thinking about the possibility of restoring their pond to its former glory.