Nearly 50 koi fish were reported stolen from the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose this week, officials said.
Park rangers reported the fish stolen Tuesday, the San Jose Police Department told SFGATE.
Rangers believe two burglaries happened over the weekend. Early Saturday, park maintenance staff found some fish out of the tank and noticed a pump was missing, Daniel Lazo, a spokesperson for the San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, told SFGATE. The following day, park staff noticed more missing fish, Lazo said.
Lazo said the parks department estimates around a $4,000 loss, as each fish is worth at least $75 — possibly more depending on its size.
The koi fish, housed in the Japanese Friendship Garden within Kelley Park, were gifted to the city by its “sister city” of Okayama, Japan, in the 1960s, Lazo said. The city originally had about 300 fish; however, some have since died due to natural causes, Lazo said. After the burglary, about 220 fish remain.
Lazo said the garden was built as a symbol of “everlasting friendship” between San Jose and Okayama. He explained that the word “koi” sounds like a Japanese word that means affection and love.
“The City is heartbroken at the disappearance of these beautiful creatures,” the parks department wrote in a tweet. Lazo said the department plans on adding more security to the Friendship Garden.
SJPD said no arrests have been made and the incident is still an active investigation.
Anyone with information about the missing fish is encouraged to call SJPD’s nonemergency line at 408-277-8900.
