Three burglaries have been reported by residents in Columbia, Maryland, who believe that at least 88 of their Japanese koi fish have been stolen from their backyard pond, according to local law enforcement.
The earliest report of koi fish thefts was made on Feb. 15 from a resident of Glenwood, an unincorporated community in Howard County, who reported approximately 18 missing koi fish.
The other two reports were made by residents in the Hobbit’s Glen neighborhood of Columbia. They reported 50 and 20 missing fish on March 30 and April 7, respectively.
“All of a sudden, I’m asleep one night, and someone’s out here stealing all my fish? You feel so secure, and all of a sudden, you’re vulnerable,” Steven Steurer, one of the victims in Hobbit’s Glen, told WUSA9.
Another victim, Mary Helen Sprecher, told the outlet that the ponds are protected by sturdy security netting that showed no evidence that it had been chewed or torn through.
“They would totally leave evidence, and they would not nicely peel back the net, take the fish, and then replace the net,” Sprecher told WUSA9.
Steurer and others affected say they have reason to believe theft because of many factors, including the large number of fish taken at one time.
Hoffman said it is rare for koi fish to be stolen, but it is not unheard of. Cases have been reported nationwide, and the fish can sell for thousands of dollars.
The Howard County Police Department has not announced any suspects at the time of publication.
Information about the missing koi fish can be reported to the Howard County Police Department via phone at 410-313-STOP or by email at [email protected].
In 2013 in Fairfax County, Virginia, The Washington Post reported that police responded to a report of 400 stolen koi fish worth around $20,000 at a pond that was part of the landscaping outside a business building. The stolen fish were part of an organized heist in which two men claimed they were part of an aquatic care company and were there to treat sick fish.
More recently, across the country, on May 3 in San Jose, California, $4,000 worth of koi fish were reported missing from a public park, The Mercury News reported.
Koi fish is a species of fish that are commonly kept in outdoor ponds. They are a colorful variety of Amur carp, a Eurasian fish species found in lakes and rivers throughout Europe and Asia.
In Japanese culture, koi fish are often kept since they symbolize luck, prosperity, and good fortune, according to PetMD.
Koi were originally raised in Japan in the 1700s when rice farmers first began breeding them for their distinct colors and patterns, according to Business Insider. Japanese koi have become one the most popular decorative freshwater fish in the world.
