Home > Accident > Pet Piranha Bites Off Tip Of Toddler’s Finger

Pet Piranha Bites Off Tip Of Toddler’s Finger

June 25, 2012 at 8:41 am by Morbid

MAINE TOWNSHIP, Ill. – Reports are that last week an 18-month-old girl in Illinois lost a fingertip to the family’s pet piranha.

The girl’s mother said she heard her daughter crying and found her with a bleeding finger that was missing the tip. At first she thought the family’s pit bull may have been the culprit, because you know, it’s a pit bull.She would learn this was not the case after 911 was called and the girl was rushed to the hospital.

The doctor who examined the girl said her injury could not have come from the 65-pound dog, but the culprit could have been one of the two piranhas swimming in a tank near where the girl had been playing. Authorities called the girl’s father, who was still at home, and informed them of their suspicions.

Without hesitation, the father plunged his hand in the tank, snagged one of the fish and cut it open. There, inside the piranha, was his daughter’s missing fingertip. The upset father delivered the piece to the doctors, who attempted to re-attach it to his daughter. No word on if the procedure was successful.

No charges have been filed against the parents, and it’s not likely any ever will be.

“The parents are truly distraught and freaked out by the incident,” said Frank Bilecki, a spokesman for Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. “They appear to be good parents in an unfortunate situation.”

I know some of you are wondering, but no, piranhas are not illegal to sell in Illinois. In fact, it is legal to purchase piranha in about 25 states in the US. They were not legal in North Carolina, where I once managed some pet stores, but that didn’t stop anyone from owning them.

I wasn’t a big fan of the fish because tank raised piranha, especially just one or two of them, were quite shy and boring and I’ve never heard of anyone being severely injured by one. However, like all other pet store fish, piranha learn that food comes from the the small child’s finger–the top of the tank . They’ve also learned, after being tested on for all these years, how to do a lot of other things…

Tags: Accident, bite, Crime, Illinois, piranha, Weird News

59 Comments

Comments

V2 Cigs electronic cigarettes - Break Free From The Pack!

The views expressed in the comments are those of the comment writers and don't represent the views or opinions of D'D or its staff. Feel free to flag comments that may violate conditions outlined in our Disclaimer.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1415881786 Tori Sheffer

2
pets known for aggression in a household with small children..?…i would never take that chance..my kid was attacked by 2 sweet
pits my cousins 6wk old was mauled to death by 2..and ive seen how
piranah maul their food..i would never take that chance…
CT

After having small kids and with the amount of crap I end up cleaning up — having additional stuff to care for or feed or clean makes no sense to me. Just ask my spouse.
ShelbySP

Two piranhas. One pit bull. One baby. One house. WHY? Also, how did the dad know which Piranha to cut open?
LeaveMeBe

No fair! How come people can have pet piranhas and pit bulls but I can’t have a rhino or a komodo dragon? They are all equally as dangerous. This is bullshit discrimination. >:/
osteenq

Piranhas in captivity actually tend to be disappointing if you want to keep them purely to show off your machismo (wouldn’t be surprised if that was case here, seeing as how there was a pit bull in the same house). They tend to be really shy in aquariums. That said, they still have the equipment to take a good-sized chunk off you should they decide that you look tasty.

What I’d like to know is what kind of fucking set-up they had them in that a 1-1/2 year old kid could just walk up and stick her arm in there? Did they have them in a goldfish bowl on the floor, next to the flimsy cardboard box with the rattlesnake in it?
Sam

So did the parents return the favour and have piranha sushi for dinner?
Sam

So if at first they thought the pitbull had bitter off the finger, why didn’t dad cut that open as quickly as he cut open the piranha when the theory changed?
rensuchan

Coin flip.
Athena

Yep, precisely the age my child learned how to open the fish tank. Even though we only have an ancient Jack Dempsy cichlid, I taped that bitch shut.
Athena

Our tank (your standard 30 or so gallon aquarium) is on a small table of its own. At around 18 months, our daughter discovered how to crawl up on the table and lift the lid. If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my short parenthood career, it’s that toddlers are surprisingly ninja-like, when they’re not dribbling oatmeal like a dementia-ridden old man.
EveryVillainIsLemons

Geez. Of all the fucking fish to keep, why piranhas? I hope the little one’s fingertip was successfully reattached; otherwise, she’ll have one hell of a weapon to use against her parents later on, and they’ll have a permanent reminder of how fucking stupid it was to keep fish like that around a baby.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

I want a Komodo!! My daughter crawls like one.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Yeah, all of that blood and missing baby fingers can be a mess to clean up.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Because they’d soon have to cut open a member of PETA who wouldn’t stop harassing them.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Oh believe me, all of those fish would have been sliced open if necessary.
Sam

Mmmmm, PETA tartare…
LeaveMeBe

LOL! I bet that is funny to watch. I love it when babies crawl like that. Now if you could get her to flicker her tongue when she does it, that would be killer.
newstarshipsmell

I think I mentioned this a while ago, but once again, kids can regrow fingertips if the finger is severed below the last joint, if treatment of the injury doesn’t include sealing the end of the wound with a skin flap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_%28biology%29#Fingers

“Studies in the 1970s showed that children up to the age of 10 or so who lose fingertips in accidents can regrow the tip of the digit within a month provided their wounds are not sealed up with flaps of skin – the de facto treatment in such emergencies. They normally won’t have a finger print, and if there is any piece of the finger nail left it will grow back as well, usually in a square shape rather than round.”

Retrieving the fingertip from the piranha was probably unnecessary, and overkill…

I mangled my left pinkie in a car door when I was 4… Aside from a fine scar near the inside edge of the nailbed my finger looked completely normal once it healed.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

I’m working on it!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

Well … I’m thinking that “Ralph” had previously been caught eyeing the little girls finger – like “I wish you would kid,,just try it – I double dog dare your ass.”

I bet the dad was going to kill the poor dog … good thing the vet called him when he did.These people owe the dog an apology.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

Maybe the one Piranha was looking just a little too pregnant … a little too suspicious … and all the mouth wiping and the “I’m full” look on it’s face only helped to give away the crime it tried unsuccessfully to plant on the dog. Don’t get me wrong though this was the OJ of fish – as the Dad was cutting it open you could almost hear the fish cry out ” But … but the glove didn’t fit … “
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

I basically agree with your posting … but the sum total of my agreement depends on exactly how much of the finger was bit off. Their idea of “the tip” and mine may be totally different.
Andyman

If you’d have said seared ahi tuna I’d be on board but since peta members are people and tartar is rare or uncooked, do I feel a little cannibalism coming on? Bath Salts! Bath Salts!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Cindy-Crawford/13964421 Cindy Crawford

Why do we need pirahnas when the people seem content on eating each other?
Sam

Yes, rare, but chopped into tiny pieces with herbs and spices and onion – no bath salts. *licks lips* Gorgeous if you get it superfresh…
JohnQknowitall

Did the police also confiscate the child’s other pets? Namely the Rottweiler, the Python, the alligator, the…
JGo555

Fuuuuuuccccccccckkkkkk! Why didn’t I think of this!?
Maybe this is the key to make my cootfruits (spaekth DG!!) stop touching shit, instead of me telling them 6 times before I finally get to them to stop them from still touching it.
JGo555

We have 110gal of saltwater. The yellow foxface fish is poisonous, the corals are poisonous and we keep it downstairs while the 3 & 1 1/2yr old toddlers of ours are upstairs. Believe it or not, FISH are NOT the first thing one thinks off when talking “pet” threats. You usually think the kids are gonna kill it with food or break it.

Pets are great for little kids for TEACHING THEM TO BE NICE AND GENTLE and so on.
JGo555

You mean: “at least no one got pregnant when the tot ‘put the tip in’.”
Huh Ced?
lespacino

You probably can in some states- you should look into it. I would check on Michigan, first. Last I knew they had no exotic animal regulations!
lespacino

My guess is he grabbed the first one he could get, which was probably the slower of the two…and, I bet he was slower due to the weight of that finger in his belly!
lespacino

Nah, they’ll just make up some lie about her losing her finger after she refused to eat her green vegetables!
lespacino

And for teaching them how pit bulls fight!
Gee

Ohio! They seem to be the most lenient with wild animal permits. Remember the Jack ass that let out all his wild animals and then killed himself.
Gee

Those little fingers like gold fish !
Gee

He was licking his chops!
lespacino

Oh, yeah, I forgot about that one! That’s a good bedtime story for the kids!
NY_Mommy

Well that cleared up a lot for me. I had 4 piranhas and they were soooo boring. I would throw feeders in there and nothing. After I would leave the room I would hear carnage and come running back in only to find them swimming around calmly. I thought they would eventually get comfortable and allow me to witness the feeding but it never happened so I sold them. Now I see that they were probably tank raised.
What a waste of time.
onlyme356

Baby proofing checklist:
1. Outlet covers
2. Locked Cabinets
3. Sharp Corner Bumpers
4. Set Crib to Lowest Position
5. Furniture Secured
Awww shiiiiet, we forgot about the Piranhas!
neenaP

This family has two pet piranhas that the children have access to? Fucking idiots!
http://www.facebook.com/dukerichards Duke Richards

Well I guess she won’t be sticking her hands in fishbowls anytime soon.
LeaveMeBe

If you get her to do it, you have got to send me the video.
LeaveMeBe

No offense, but I don’t want to move to either Michigan or Ohio. I don’t think I would fit in.
LeaveMeBe

Step away from the bath salts…
LeaveMeBe

Your kids stop touching things after you tell them 6 times? You’re amazing, a total Toddler Whisperer. My kids NEVER stopped and still never listen and they’re grown.
LeaveMeBe

If the piranha had bitten past the growth plate then it was necessary to retrieve the tip and reattach it. My daughter had the end of her left thumb popped off by a door being slammed shut on it when she was 10 months old (accident, her bubby felt awful). It was literally hanging by a piece of skin. Her growth plate was damaged so the end of her thumb never grew to the length it should be but the width is fine and her fingernail grows super slow in a rectangular shape. I remember the plastic surgeon telling us that if it had been further toward the tip of her finger then no one ever would have known and they would not have even put stitches in but just wrapped it an let it heal. Even now, if you don’t know the story you never even notice it.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Gladly.:-)
http://truecrimereport.com iLLusionS

Damn, for once the pitbull really didn’t do it and was going to take the blame….:(
blubberdong

I suffered a similar injury when I was only a day old, but not to my finger. Luckily, I received immediate medical treatment since I was already at the hospital.
lespacino

None taken! I got the hell out of that area as soon as I was of age!
LeaveMeBe

*not asking, not asking, not asking…*
CT

How did they get a piranha in the hospital?!?!?
CT

I am certain I’ve told the story here about my younger sister and the chipmunk chopping on her finger from the tip to knuckle. Kills me thinking of her screaming and trying to shake that chipmunk off her finger. I’m still laughing about that. She still doesn’t find humor in it. So even a chipmunk can be a dangerous, murderous fiend.
JGo555

No, they stop touching because I finally reached them t physically remove them from touching.
supreme321

I really do not understand why people would have this kind of animal as a pet. It’s snake, piranha, lion you name it. If you are having some of those you shouldn’t have them laying around the house like they own the place. And piranha seems the most easy to contain, 18 month child shouldn’t be able to reach a fish tank with a piranha in it.
Canuck Gramz

Obviously we all have to come up with a very detailed list of pets one should NOT have when one has children! Heck I wouldn’t have piranhas even if I didn’t have a fine brood of highly intelligent, gorgeous grandchildren because sure as shootin’ I’d forget the dang fish can MUNCH people and drop something in that tank and reach on in to get it and lose ANOTHER of my fingertips. Yes I said another . Lost part of my finger tip a few years back to….(pause for effect) stupidity. Yep I accidentally sliced on a tip of my own finger. Doctor said he could sew that tip right back on ” but it might not look the same”. He forgot to tell me it would hurt beyond all normal human tolerance. It attached back on and you only notice it looks a little weird if you look close. So far all of the grandkids love to look at the finger and various other hand and finger wounds. So far I’ve tried to stick to truthful accounts but once they get older I’ll come up with some good fake stories.
Okay my suggestions for the list of pets (STUPID PARENTS) should not own:
1. Piranhas
2. Pitbulls, especially ones where parents say ” Oh he’s fine. He LOVES babies!” Mommy your pitty is not licking your baby to be affectionate , he is TASTING her.
3. Any snake that can seriously bite, swallow, or squeeze to death a child.
4. Lions. Yes I know about that darling lion video on Youtube. You are NOT those people and you have a CHILD who look and smells like Lion Lunch.
5. Squirrels. ( snicker snicker – I added that one for @CTCT:disqus because of her hilarious squirrel story lol
6. Cockroaches . Not even pet ones!!! ESPECIALLY pet ones! (((ewwwwww)))))
7. Chihuhuas Those dogs HATE kids. And most people.
8. Raccoons ( tons of stories on here about “pet” racoons attacking babies) They are not pets – they are wild critters who should live in nature. Or pilfering your neighbor’s garbage cans. But NOT as pets.
Any other suggestions. I think we could have something here because of all the perverted-oops I meant intelligent people who post here on DD. And sane. Mostly.
By the way I missed you all!
CT

OHHH, I was tortured as a child by an evil chihuahua :shutters: Good to see you.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

HEY – I REMEMBER YOU !!!
BEastDuo

actually you can have one in Colorado, one just got lose here recently, but he was caught and returned home with no injuries to anyone.