A giant Chinese mitten crab crossing the street was crushed by a startled driver who ran it over before he could stop.
The crab – which measured 30 centimetres (12 inches) across – was sidling across a street in Stadthagen, which is the capital of the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany at around 12.40am on Sunday, 11th September.
The driver, whose identity was not disclosed, was so astonished to see the bizarre clawed creature in the road that he forgot to brake, according to local media.
He then immediately came out of the vehicle and called the police when he realised that the crab – even though it was missing a leg – was still alive.
A spokesperson from the Nienburg-Schaumburg police department said in the statement obtained by Newsflash: “The police officers initially believed it was a bad joke, but they checked the facts.”
However, when they arrived at the scene the animal was already dead.
Chinese mitten crabs – also known as Shanghai hairy crabs – are medium-sized burrowing crabs which are named for their furry claws that resemble mittens.
They are native to rivers, estuaries and other coastal environments of East Asia and have been introduced to Europe and North America where they are considered an invasive species.
Their import and trade is forbidden in the European Union.
German police did not disclose further information on the animal.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
