Dozens of crocodiles in China are at large due to flooding caused by Typhoon Haikui. The apex predators escaped from a breeding farm in the southern part of the country.
Crocodiles Escape From Breeding Farm
When a lake overflowed in Maoming, Guangdong province, some 75 crocodiles fled. Local authorities shot or electrocuted others "for safety reasons" while some were recaptured.
According to Chinese official media, eight reptiles have reportedly been captured thus far, leaving dozens more at large. Nearby villagers have been advised to remain at home.
For over a week, Typhoon Haikui has been wreaking havoc in South Asia, devastating China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan.
The typhoon that has since been downgraded to a tropical storm in southern China caused landslides and flooding. It has killed seven people and left three more missing.
Maoming's Emergency Management Bureau said 69 adult and six baby crocodiles escaped after the floods. Officials acknowledged that some of the reptiles are still in deep water, but there have been no confirmed casualties. Sonar technology has been used by emergency services to locate them.
Although it is currently under control, a district emergency bureau staff member informed the state-run Dazhong Daily that the number of crocodiles that fled is somewhat significant.
One firefighter reportedly told Chinese media that most of the recaptured crocodiles had been shot to death.
The reptiles are reportedly Siamese crocodiles. The freshwater beasts can reach lengths of about 3 meters or about 10 feet.
According to the firefighter, the adult crocodiles seized have an average weight of 75 kilograms and are over 2 meters long.
Many crocodile farms may be found in Maoming, a city in the province of Guangdong. The crocs have been raised for both their meat and skin.
What Are Siamese Crocodiles?
The Siamese crocodile is a medium-sized freshwater species that may be identified by its broad, smooth snout and a pronounced bony crest on the back of its skull. They range in hue from dark to olive green and blend in well with the water and vegetation of the jungle where they thrive.
Although little is known about their habits, Siamese crocodiles are reported to eat small animals and amphibians in addition to fish and snakes. Crocodiles are believed to manage the population in their habitat through this diet.
They originally lived in various wetland settings, including slow-moving rivers, lakes, marshes, and swamps, spanning much of mainland Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, the species has already vanished from 99% of its former range, and up until its rediscovery during FFI-led surveys in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, it was widely believed to be extinct in the wild.
It is still one of the most endangered reptile species in the world today, only remaining in small, dispersed populations in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Early in the 1990s, it was thought that Siamese crocodiles were either completely extinct in the wild or very near extinction due to habitat deterioration and fragmentation. A collaboration between experts from FFI and the Government of Cambodia's Forestry Administration more than a decade later verified the existence of Siamese crocodiles in the Cardamom Mountains.
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