Most of the time, drains get blocked up when someone has poured grease down the sink or flushed something down the loo that they shouldn’t have. Sometimes though, things end up being flushed down the drain that you wouldn’t expect. These usually end up in the sewers, leading to some strange but interesting stories. Here are some of the strange things that people have reported finding in sewers across the world.
Goldfish
You might not think that it would be unusual to find goldfish in drains and sewers across the world. Flushing your dearly departed pet goldfish, although not kind to your drains, is an oddly common way of saying goodbye to your fish. Sadly, it also unfortunately common for unwanted goldfish to end up being flushed down the drain.
Many of these fish actually manage to survive, making their way through sewers and out into the wild. Authorities in Canada and America and elsewhere across the world have reported finding goldfish in sewers and local ponds, lakes and rivers. While this might be good news for the goldfish, it is not necessarily good news for local wildlife, as the sudden introduction of thriving goldfish can disrupt the local ecosystem and cause other problems to the environment, as well as potentially blocking up your drains.
Farm Animals
Finding a goldfish in a sewer might not be too unexpected, but you probably wouldn’t expect to find farm animals wandering around down there! A cow was once reported missing in the Fujian province in China. Nobody seems to know how the cow ended up in the sewer, but it took four days before the cow was found poking its head through an open manhole.
Back in the UK during a routine sewer check, the team found a sheep wandering the sewers of Surrey. The sheep was found alive and unhurt and was soon returned to the surface with the rest of his herd. Luckily, none of the others followed the sewer dwelling sheep down into the drains.
Alligators
Alligators are a common sight in Florida, often found in the many bodies of water across the state, including marshes, lakes, rivers, canals and wandering to and from ponds in golf courses. This often leads to a news stories about alligator incidents, including one from the Fort Myers neighbourhood of Florida. Residents reported a terrible smell in the area, and it was soon discovered that a huge, 11-foot long alligator had got stuck and was decaying in a nearby storm drain. It was quickly removed by local authorities.
Florida is not the only state to report finding an alligator in its drains. One was reported wandering the sewers of New York in 1932, with rumours of more being found in the area since the original report. Another alligator was also once found crawling through a 3 foot wide drain in Texas.
Hand grenades
London was a prime target for the Nazis in WW2, with constant air raids against the city throughout the war. As a result, unexploded bombs are still being unearthed in the city to this day. You might be used to news reports about unexploded bombs, but you might still not expect to find a hand grenade down the drain! This report from the BBC discussed some of the unusual things found by Thames Water in the sewers of London, including a hand grenade found by one of the workers. Luckily, the grenade was handled by the police who disposed of it properly.
Please flush responsibly!
You’re probably never going to flush an alligator down your toilet, let alone a bunch of farm animals or a hand grenade, but you should always be careful about what you flush down the toilet or try to rinse down the sink. Avoid pouring grease and fat down your sink and don’t flush baby wipes and similar products down the toilet. If your drain does get blocked up, stay calm! Call a professional company such as the Drain Guys to help unblock your drain quickly and efficiently.
