A whale shark was brought into harbor in Karachi, Pakistan on Tuesday, Feb. 7. after reportedly being found unconscious in the Arabian Sea about 10 days ago, the Express Tribune reports.

Photo/NeilsPhotography from I am traveling around asia at the moment, China via wikicommons

Fishermen used several cranes to lift the whale sharkto dry land, where a crowd of onlookers gathered to see the massive creature.

The whale shark carcass was later sold for 1.7 million rupees (nearly $19,000), ABC News reports.

For many years, whale sharks have been highly sought after by harpoon fisheries in Southeast Asia, where people primarily used the fish for meat and oil. However, it is now illegal to hunt whale sharks in several countries, including India and the Philippines.

Habitat damage has proven to be another threat to the whale shark population, according to the Whale Shark Project, a conservation awareness group. Pollution and overfishing near reefs often leads to a reduced available food supply for the creatures.

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