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© Noah Schultz-ByardThe original blurry image of the shark.
Everybody is talking about the rumours of a four metre shark that has been seen in the Little Topar Swamp between Broken Hill and Wilcannia.

Terrorising locals and striking fear into the hearts of passersby on the Barrier Highway, the shark has reportedly been spotted by many people.

No one has seen it moving yet, but there is a theory which claims that the little known 'Far West Desert Shark' (Deserto-fictumo-piscenious) is actually unable to move, due to being made entirely of tin.

Regardless of what it is made from, or whether it is an actual shark, grave fears are held for what might happen if the shark ever gets a taste for human flesh.

Distressed locals say that they are now unable to enjoy the swamp as they normally would.

"I usually like to go for a wade every morning, up to my ankles in the deepest part of the swamp, but ever since this shark showed up I'm not going near it." one local said.

"I don't want to sound hysterical,' they added 'but I'm pretty sure the shark knows where I live, so I've had all the locks changed on my doors and I don't let my kids out after dark anymore."

The first confirmed sighting of the shark was made by an Asset Inspector for the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority.

His grainy photo of what appears to be the dorsal fin and tail of the shark sent the local media into a frenzy, with claims of a Loch Ness Monster style creature lurking in the swamp.

Those fears were disregarded as ridiculous, and the much more reasonable shark theory was offered to explain the photo.

The intrigue this story has created is hoped to give local tourism operators a boost.

People are expected to flock to the far west of NSW to catch a glimpse of the now infamous shark.

Conservationists say the shark would just want to be left alone, and that it is probably more afraid of us than we are of it.

Peter, the chef from the Little Topar Roadhouse, says the shark appeared around a month ago.

"We reckon it's come from one of the tanks up on Scope's Range here.

"They had a pet bull shark in an aquarium and they let it out and put it in one of their tanks and it grew and come out with the floods."

Peter's brother Geoff was the first person to actually see the shark, and he says it was a pretty harrowing experience.

"Well, I was out there swimming and just seen a bit of a fin and I had to have another look to make sure and, yeah sure enough, there was a shark."

Geoff says that after they got to know the shark though, he wasn't nearly as menacing as he fist looked.

"He's not too bad - if you feed him up pretty well he's alright."

No one knows where the shark came from, or how long he is going to call the Little Topar Swamp home.

One thing is for certain though - you won't catch me in the water any time soon!