A nurse shark in an aquarium in Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, receives underwater surgery for a prolapsed rectum after it "defecated hard." Photo: Screenshot of a video posted by Sohu Video

A nurse shark in an aquarium in Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, received underwater surgery for a prolapsed rectum after it "defecated hard," reported Toutiao News on Monday. 

A staff member at the aquarium said the 2.6 meter-long shark had eaten too many fish in the tank and suffered obstructed bowel movement. 

The staff member said the shark's life would have been in danger if its rectum had not been put back. 

The medical team later set up an operating table in a separate pool for the shark, anesthetized it and stitched the rectum.

The operation went well and the shark has already regained consciousness and was placed under further observation.

The shark's experience received thousands of comments from curious netizens on social media. "Isn't it ironic that the shark being operated on is called a Nurse Shark?" joked one Weibo user.