In a dark, dilapidated building in Bangkok’s concrete jungle there’s a secret wildlife haven not many people know about. Though the place has been abandoned by people, it’s now embraced by nature in the most spectacular way, with hundreds of fish swimming peacefully around pylons and under escalators in what was once a bustling, four storey shopping mall.
These are the fish of the New World shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. Abandoned in 1999 after a fire, speculated to be caused by a neighbouring competitor, the bottom floor of the building remains full of water due to the open roof.
The fish began appearing about ten or so years ago, and according to locals they were deliberately introduced as a counter measure to the hundreds of mosquitoes that used to breed in the stagnant water. Now the fish are thriving in the unusual habitat.
Intrepid traveller Jesse Rockwell documented the spectacular scene with these photos in his travel blog, A Taste of the Road. According to Jesse, the locals aren’t particularly fond of people visiting the place, given it exists behind a gate marked “strictly no entrance”. But it’s this sense of forbidden beauty that makes the place even more special.
Nature can certainly be a beautiful beast. And when it reveals its power and shows up in schools of fish that threaten to take over our buildings, the results are simply awesome.
Source: The Verge
Photos: Taste of the Road
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