Baby crocodile found in Chalong mine
A baby crocodile was discovered at an old mine in Chalong on Thursday by local fishermen. Specialists say the reptile appears to be about one year old.
The two men who found the crocodile, Suchatee Anoma and Pansak Chantawang, said they were catching fish at the old mine site in Soi Nakok when they spotted a baby crocodile on an island in the mine. They used a fishing rod to capture the crocodile from where they stood and succeeded after 30 minutes of trying.
The brought the young crocodile to their house, found a bucket big enough and contacted Fisheries and Wildlife department officials. The baby is about 50 centimetres long and is healthy.
“I have been fishing at this mine for seven years and I’ve never seen any crocodiles before,” said Suchatee. “However, my friend says he spotted a crocodile at an old mine before, but I’m not sure if it’s the same one.”
Suchatee said that he had already contacted the Fisheries Office to come and check the mine to see if there were more crocodiles as the local people in the area are very scared. The mine is a popular fishing location and used as a swimming hole by children, who also walk around the mine grounds.
A crocodile specialist told the Phuket Gazette that the crocodile looks about one year old and may have been illegally released into the mine by someone who had raised it. The specialist said that a baby crocodile in nature wouldn’t survive without its parents and the locals might have seen the mother or father in previous sightings.
Source: https://www.phuketgazette.net/news/baby-crocodile-found-chalong