Fleeing crocodiles cause panic in Guangzhou

Photo: Xinhua

The escape of a batch of crocodiles, yet to be numbered, from a farm in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in mid-June is still causing panic among residences.

Around four of the escaped crocodiles, weighing between 8.5 and 15 kilograms, have already been captured in the Feima River, which is close to the large local crocodile farm in Fenjie town, Guangzhou, by local government employers and professionals from the farm, according to the Guangzhou Daily on June 22.

Another two captured crocodiles, both weighed around 15 kilograms, are said to have been eaten after being caught alive by local residents, the farm's boss surnamed Mo was quoted as saying.

The local authorities denied a previous rumor saying that more than 100 large crocodiles fled from the farm, but both Mo and the government were unclear about the exact number of the fled.

Students and residents in the town have been warned of taking precautions against the man-eaters. No attacking reports from the crocodiles have been reported.

The town's Party secretary, surnamed Liang, explained that the rain pouring into the town in previous days might have made a breach to enclosures of the 1,000 mu (66.67 hectares) farm, where there are more than 100,000 crocodiles.

"The broken fences of the farm have been restored and strengthened to stop similar incidents from happening again," the farm's boss said.

The crocodile searchers are still looking for the rest of the escaped crocodiles in nearby villages and alongside the rivers, but no more have been found, said Mo.

The escaped crocodiles were first found by a local student in a swamp on the way to school, said the report.