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Source: BBC
Two New Zealand goldfish are attracting worldwide attention after they survived four and a half months unattended following the February earthquake in Christchurch.
The fish - named Shaggy and Daphne after characters from the cartoon Scooby Doo - were in a 100-litre tank in the reception area of Quantum Chartered Accountants.
The office has been in the cordoned-off area of the CBD and without electricity.
Staff member Vicky Thornley said yesterday she was at work on the day and had to leave the building suddenly after the quake. Staff weren't allowed back until July 6 - 134 days after the 6.4 quake that killed 181 people on February 22.
When they finally re-entered the building, someone noticed movement in the tank, although she herself hadn't wanted to look in its direction.
She told the BBC: "One of the safety personnel with us said 'Hey the fish are alive, they're swimming around'."
"There was one floating fish, and the others were gone. So we assumed that they were eaten by the two remaining fish," Thornley said.
Thornley now has the fish in a tank in her lounge - fitting for the woman who had tried to save the tank on the day before giving up in the quake chaos.
She has been fielding many calls from international media wanting to know about the fish.
Goldfish expert Bob Ward told the BBC that the goldfishes' survival was possible because fish can cope with a lack of food depending on the temperature of the water they are in.
It's likely the hardy pair survived by eating weed and algae, although the small question of what really happened to the other four other tankmates is still unanswered for certain.
When questioned about the whereabouts of their former swimming buddies Daphne and Shaggy just gulped and responded with blank stares.
