Eel effects: fears after release of exotic species into New York lake

The man who freed two bags of eels at a Brooklyn park probably meant well but the effects on the ecosystem are unpredictable

New York state and city wildlife officials say it is too soon to know what effect a dump of exotic eels into a lake in a park in Brooklyn last month will have on local species - but it could become a major problem.

People like animals and they sometimes think they're doing a good thing by letting them go," said Jason Munshi-South, an urban ecologist at Fordham University. Most will die. Some will become a problem, and then there's no going back."