Animal control officers want to know how 2 leopard sharks got into S. California trash can

2 leopard sharks found dead in trash can

NORWALK, Calif. — Animal control officials are trying to find out how two dead 4-foot-long leopard sharks ended up in a trash can in Norwalk, a Los Angeles suburb.

Southeast Area Animal Control Authority Director Aaron Reyes said Monday that the dead sharks were discovered after a resident noticed a bad smell coming from the trash can. The woman looked inside and found the dead sharks.

Reyes says investigators are looking for leads and especially mystified by a 3-inch incision found on the belly of one of the sharks.

He says it is illegal to keep leopard sharks under 36 inches and larger animals require a permit from the state Department of Fish and Game.

Baby leopard sharks are popular with aquarium hobbyists, but often grow too big for their tanks.