Crocodile spotted in Hong Kong village reignites discussions about exotic pet trade.

A two-metre crocodile, captured by Hong Kong conservation officers at a village in the New Territories about four hours after it was first spotted on Sunday in the yard of a house, has been sent to Ocean Park.

Two reptile experts said they believed the female crocodile had been smuggled into the city as a pet, and urged the government to ramp up regulations on the trade in exotic animals.

The crocodile was spotted in a village in the New Territories. Photo: Handout

The unusual discovery was made on Sunday by a resident of Lin Fa Tei, a village in Pat Heung in the northwestern part of the city, who saw it near a neighbour’s house and reported it to police at 12.53pm.

Officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department were called to the scene to inspect and capture the crocodile, measuring two metres (six feet) in length and weighing 35kg (77lbs). Police officers first sealed off the area. The reptile, a Siamese crocodile, was caught and taken away in a cage at around 5.30pm. Its snout was taped shut and its legs were bound.

An Ocean Park spokesman on Sunday evening said the crocodile had been placed under the care of its quarantine facility and was being examined by vets.

A domestic helper named Maryann, 50, said she was startled when she saw the crocodile in between the fence of her employer and neighbour’s houses in the village.

Lee Chi-ming, 58, who operates a domestic helper agency nearby, said he heard that there was an animal hospice facility in the area six years ago that handled all kinds of creatures including pythons, owls and tortoises.

He said he was concerned that villagers could have been bitten if the crocodile moved elsewhere. “Even if it just moved to the pavement, it could startle drivers as it’s a busy road here,” he added.

Victor Wong Long-yin, a member of the Hong Kong Society of Herpetology Foundation’s animal adoption committee, said he believed the newly captured reptile could be a young crocodile which was brought into the city illicitly. He commented: -

“Hong Kong has no native crocodiles, no matter what species or size. I believe that it was smuggled into Hong Kong mainly as a pet, or even for consumption or to be made into leather.”

The crocodile was removed from the scene in a cage. Photo: May Tse

Crocodiles are included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Wong said under Hong Kong law, the import, export, re-export or possession of animals under CITES required a licence issued by the department, but he had never heard of any members of the public being given approval to keep a crocodile.If anyone encountered a crocodile, he added, they should remain calm, keep their distance, and seek help from authorities once they were in a safe position.

Lingnan University Science Unit assistant professor Sung Yik-hei, who has carried out research on reptiles and amphibians, said he believed the crocodile could have been illegally imported. He said: -

“Siamese crocodiles are among the species that we have seen being sold online in recent years … They are usually babies when sold,”

Sung said it showed that the government’s regulation of the exotic pet trade was insufficient, adding these animals could threaten the safety of nearby residents if they escaped.

Another crocodile, around 1.2 metres long and weighing about 5kg, was found abandoned in Tai Po Village in 2012, while a young 33cm crocodile was caught in Bride’s Pool in Tai Po in 2019.

In November 2003, a 1.5-metre and 14kg female saltwater crocodile, aged about four, was sighted by a villager along a creek off the Shan Pui River.It evaded crocodile hunters, including Australian John Lever and mainland Chinese experts, for seven months before being captured by the department in June 2004.

It was later named Pui Pui after a contest and sent to Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. It was then moved to the Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai in August 2006.Pui Pui’s origins remain unknown but it was suspected to be an illegal pet that escaped or was abandoned by its owner because of its size.

Main Source: SCMP

The croc was on the loose for hours before it was caught. Photo: Handout