On January 29, at the Mekong River Underwater World in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, a mermaid performer was unexpectedly bitten on the head by a large sturgeon during an underwater show. The performer quickly broke free and escaped, with the shocking scene captured by several tourists.

On January 30, staff from the attraction confirmed that it was a sturgeon that bit the performer. Since sturgeons have no teeth, the performer did not suffer any actual injury. However, her goggles were pulled off, and she was visibly shaken. The scenic area has since provided psychological counseling for her.

The staff also stated that mermaid performances were temporarily suspended after the incident but have since resumed normal operations.