Crocodile three metres long caught in Samut Prakan
Muang Samut Prakan Police Station on Monday was alerted to crocodiles on the loose in urban areas of Soi Nokkaew 12 in Samut Prakan’s Thaiban subdistrict. They rushed to investigate the scene along with officials from Samut Prakan Fishery Department and Ruam Kusol Rescue Foundation.
Witnesses reportedly told officials that they saw two different crocodiles in the areas. The first one, about two metres long, was seen in a swamp near the entrance of Soi Nokkaew 12, while the second one was seen in a canal connecting to the swamp but about 100 metres from where the first crocodile was sighted. The second crocodile had been described as much bigger than the first one.
Police contacted experts from Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm, who later got on a boat to scour the canal and swamp for the crocodiles. They spent around two hours searching the areas and finally caught a crocodile using electrofishing.
“We used 220 volts of electricity to temporarily knock the crocodile out in the water,” said Somphob Ratdee, an expert from Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm. “After being knocked out, the animal could regain consciousness in about 5-10 minutes, so we needed to bring it on land and restrain its jaw before it woke up.”
The captured crocodile was three metres long. It is identified as a freshwater crocodile, aged around 10 years. It was later brought to Samut Prakan Fishery Department and kept in a holding tank while officials waited for the owner to come and pick it up.
Officials said they found no signs of any other crocodile, but urged villagers to keep an eye and contact them immediately if the animal resurfaces.
