That's just wrong

From National Geographic: Smallest Whale Shark Discovered -- On a Leash:

Early on March 7 a project leader from the international conservation organization WWF and others in the town of Donsol heard that a live whale shark was being offered for sale at a nearby beach. Expecting a stranded giant, the rescuers found instead a 15-inch (38-centimeter) shark leashed to a stake in the mud like a neglected puppy.

By the end of the day, after photos and measurements had been taken, the young whale shark was free again, released into deeper waters.

That's so wrong, keeping a whale shark on a string.