A Florida boat captain, 26-year-old Zane Garrett, has been accused of animal cruelty after allegedly stabbing a shark’s head multiple times. Allegedly, Garrett admitted to the crime by saying he had stabbed the shark after it stole his fish.
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According to Local 10, authorities were made aware of Garrett’s alleged animal cruelty after a Snapchat video titled “Bud broke my rod” was shared online. In the video, dated May 22, uploaded by a third party, Garret is allegedly shown stabbing a bull shark multiple times in the head. He allegedly used a filet knife to carry out the act.
An arrest warrant issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), then alleges that, after the violent stabbing, Garrett let the shark swim away, although bleeding.
The FWC would then interview the man who recorded and posted the video. Allegedly, the man explained that Garret claimed that stabbing sharks was “the preferred method to deter” them. This prevented the animals from “stealing their catch.”
“The intention of stabbing the shark was to ‘scare’ other sharks away from the area,” the warrant added.
Garrett Allegedly Admits To Stabbing
On Wednesday, June 4, FWC investigators interviewed Zane Garrett at the Historic Charter Boat Row in Key West. The Second Nature Charter’s website describes Garrett as a captain. However, as reported by Local 10, he lacks a license and is currently being investigated for “false representation.”
When asked about the deter method Garrett had allegedly used, he agreed that the practice was “common.” While at first he denied stabbing any sharks, Garrett was shown video footage of him allegedly committing the act.
“I showed Mr. Garrett the original Snapchat video titled ‘Bud broke my rod’ and asked if that was him in the video stabbing the shark,” the warrant stated. “Mr. Garrett said, ‘yah, that’s me.'”
It was then that Zane Garrett allegedly admitted to stabbing the shark as “revenge” for the animal stealing his fish. When asked if he believed that the stabbing had killed the bull shark, Garrett allegedly answered, “No. It takes a lot more to kill a shark than stabbing it in the head.”
The FWC warrant added that Garrett also allegedly admitted to killing other sharks with guns.
On Thursday, June 5, Zane Garrett was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty. He is being held at Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Key West jail facility on a $10,000 bond. He will be arraigned on June 26.