Rosie the shark - Abondoned In Afterlife

If you've ever wandered through the strange parts of the internet, you've likely encountered the eerie image of Rosie the Shark trapped in an abandoned wildlife park, frightening anyone brave enough to venture inside.

Rosie the shark

Rosie’s Life and Death

In 1997, Rosie, a large female great white shark, became entangled in a fishing net off the coast of South Australia. Unfortunately, there was no safe way to release her, so she was humanely euthanised to prevent further suffering.

Rosie's body was preserved and transported to a wildlife park in Victoria known as Wildlife Wonderland.

The preservation process was costly. She was taxidermied and placed in a custom-built tank filled with formaldehyde, which amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For many years, park visitors could gaze directly at a creature that most of us would only dream of encountering in the wild.

Abandoned and Forgotten

When Wildlife Wonderland closed in 2012 due to animal welfare concerns, Rosie was left behind. For years, she remained in a dark shed inside her tank, with no one caring for her. The situation worsened in 2018 when an urban explorer filmed her and uploaded the footage online. The video went viral, drawing curious visitors eager to see the "abandoned shark."

Unfortunately, not all visitors had good intentions. The tank was vandalised, trash was thrown inside, and parts of it were even stolen. Additionally, the formaldehyde preserving her body was leaking, making the surrounding air toxic. Police eventually had to warn people to stay away.

A Second Chance

Just when it seemed Rosie might be dismantled for safety reasons, Tom Kapitany, the proprietor of the Crystal World Exhibition Centre, intervened. In 2019, he saved Rosie and relocated her to his museum in Devon Meadows, Victoria. The task was challenging—transporting a multi-ton shark in a large tank of chemicals is no simple undertaking.

Once she was secure, her restoration commenced. Her tank is gradually being filled with glycerin, a safer preservative, instead of formaldehyde. This is a substantial, ongoing project that will require tens of thousands of litres and considerable patience.

Rosie Today

Today, Rosie resides permanently at Crystal World, where she is exhibited at no cost, attracting thousands of visitors annually eager to see her firsthand. To many, she represents more than just a preserved shark—she is a symbol. Her narrative encompasses topics ranging from the ethics of animal displays to how the internet can transform forgotten artifacts into viral phenomena.

Why Rosie’s Story Sticks With Us

Rosie's journey—from apex predator to preserved exhibit, to vandalized relic, to restored attraction—reveals much about human nature. It demonstrates how quickly we can overlook something once it's no longer visible, yet also how dedication and effort can revive it from near oblivion.

In an unusual way, Rosie serves as a reminder of both our intrigue with nature and our duty to honor it. If you find yourself near Melbourne, you can visit her—silently floating in her tank, a spectral reminder of the ocean's most renowned predator.