Alleged Predator
On 5 August 2005, a Canada Goose was pulled underwater very quickly, as observed by some boat trippers. Several cygnets have also mysteriously disappeared and it was suggested that the creature responsible was a large fish or Caiman. The goose's attacker was speculated to have been a crocodile as a pike would probably not have been able to take such large prey; authorities however strenuously denied that there might be a crocodile in the river.
On 13 December 2011, a similar attack occurred when another Canada Goose went "vertically down". Observed by two boat trippers on a section of the Old River Lea close to the 2012 Olympic Stadium, the 7 kilograms (15 lb) goose vanished "in the space of half a second". The observers did not see any sign of the creature. Again a pike or mink was suggested, in view of their predation upon ducks, although it was still argued that a goose would be much too large for such a fish. Yet again, British Waterways stressed the absence of a crocodile. It was presumed that the creature was still at large, if it existed at all. Other suggestions for the predator have been a snapping turtle or a wels catfish (which are known to exist in small numbers in the Thames and its tributaries).
Read more about this topic: River Lea
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