Home / Environment / Eccentric Collector Preserves Massive Apex Predator in Backyard
Eccentric Collector Preserves Massive Apex Predator in Backyard
16 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Geologist Tom Kapitany saved 16ft great white shark "Rosie" from destruction
- Rosie was left to rot in a glass tank until Tom rescued her 6 years ago
- Tom has spent thousands to display Rosie in his car park in Australia
In 2025, Tom Kapitany, a geologist, botanist, and entrepreneur, is proudly displaying a 16ft great white shark he saved from destruction 6 years ago. The shark, lovingly nicknamed "Rosie", was left to rot in a glass tank until Tom stepped in to preserve her.
Rosie's story is a remarkable one. Feared to have eaten a missing woman, the shark was forgotten and abandoned in a crumbling building. However, Tom, an eccentric natural history lover, saw value in Rosie and spent thousands to display her in a tank of glycerine at the car park of his crystal and rock trade business in Devon Meadows, Australia.
Despite some raised eyebrows, Tom is determined to share Rosie's story. He believes it is his duty to ensure the apex predator is not buried in a landfill, but rather celebrated and studied. Rosie's journey has been a long and tumultuous one, but thanks to Tom's dedication, she now has a permanent home where visitors from around the world can come to appreciate her.
