Two juvenile ragged-tooth sharks from the Two Oceans Aquarium took to the air on Thursday 18 June 2009. The sharks were destined for display in the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria for a two-year period after which they will be returned to the Aquarium for release back into the ocean.

On the morning of 18 June 2009, the sharks (one male and one female), were transferred via stretcher from a temporary holding facility to a large container which was equipped with the necessary life-support systems including air supply and water. They flew to OR Tambo International Airport were they were met by the Aquarium’s Curator, Michael Farquhar, who had flown up a few days prior to meet the sharks and to settle them into their new home.

The sharks were collected by Aquarium aquarists from sheltered bays off the Eastern Cape coast in 2006 and displayed in the Atlantic Ocean Gallery in the Aquarium. Large numbers of shark pups use these sheltered, shallow bays as “nursery areas’’. Using rod and line, the sharks were baited with mackerel, mullet and a variety of other baits. Whilst most people assume that ragged tooth sharks are difficult to ‘reel-in’ because of their supposedly ‘ferocious’ nature, these animals are actually quite docile. “Once the shark takes the bait, it tends to be very calm and almost co-operative,” says Curator, Michael Farquhar. “Ragged tooth sharks are renowned for their docile natures which is why they are chosen for display in aquariums around the world.”

Ragged tooth sharks are known as ‘Grey nurse’ sharks in Australia and ‘Sand tigers’ in America. They occur in the Atlantic, Indian and Western Pacific. Ragged tooth shark populations have been seriously depleted in Australia due to over fishing. As far as we know, South Africa has one of the healthiest populations of ragged tooth sharks in the world and these sharks are quite common along the entire sub-tropical east and south Cape coasts. However, whilst these sharks occur in positive numbers, they require protection and effective conservation management.

Ragged-tooth sharks attain a maximum total length of about 3,2 m and a maximum age of about 30 years. They go through about 30,000 teeth in a lifetime.