Inside abandoned wildlife park where eerie 'ghost shark' left to rot

The great white shark is an impressive apex predator which helps maintain the health of our oceans' ecosystems. Though they’ve been painted as a “villain” in countless Hollywood films, they contribute greatly to the balance and biodiversity of the sea.

The huge fish instils terror in many of us and though they are a ferocious and powerful hunter, their domain is the ocean and if humans enter their territory, coming across a is just one of many risks they may encounter. A wildlife park, though, is one place where you probably wouldn't expect to come face-to-face with a great white.

Many aquariums and sea-inspired theme parks capture and raise marine animals for public interaction and . Some ethical aquariums do exist, where the focus is on conservation, research and rehabilitation.

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As the great white is an open-ocean predator that needs to move constantly to breathe, however, they aren't typically found in captivity. However, there are always exceptions to the rule.

“Haunting attraction” Rosie, often dubbed the “ghost shark,” was one great white who delighted visitors at Wildlife Wonderland, a sanctuary park in . Of course, she was already dead when she got there.

Rosie was caught in nets, leading to her tragic demise. Her body was then preserved in a glass tank of formaldehyde and she was put on display at the park in Bass, Victoria.

When reports emerged in 2012 that the park was operating without the necessary licences and concerns for animal welfare escalated, Wildlife Wonderland was closed and Rosie was left behind to rot.

creator Luke McPherson released a video on the popular platform in late 2018, which showed him stumbling across Rosie, looking hauntingly still in her decaying tank.

This prompted many people to trespass into the abandoned park to see Rosie for themselves, leading to damage to the tank and surrounding areas, as well as health and safety concerns over the chemicals used to preserve Rosie beginning to leak.

Rosie was eventually recovered and transferred to the Crystal World Exhibition Centre, where she is undergoing restoration.

Recently, her story was shared on by content creator Em of the public page Emzotic, alongside a string of images showcasing the large fish in full.

Em penned: “People were horrified and captivated. Videos of her decaying tank circulated like urban legends. And just when it seemed like she’d be lost to time… Rosie was rescued.

“In 2019, she was transferred to a museum where she’s now being cared for and respectfully restored and displayed. Her story is a strange blend of tragedy, fascination, and the powerful way animals continue to capture our hearts, even after death.”

In the comments section, people shared their thoughts. One person said: “I always felt so bad for poor Rosie. And people breaking in and destroying her tank always hurt to hear about. I'm glad she's been moved and is now being taken care of”.

Another quipped: “The level of NOPE if I was in an abandoned park and found a mummy shark absolutely NOT we are LEAVING”.