70 crocs on the loose: How flooding in Chinese city led to the reptiles wreaking havoc

Fear grips a town in southern China. Firstly, it is facing floods caused by Typhoon Haikui, causing inundation in Hong Kong and other locations. Secondly, the floods forced a pool at a commercial crocodile farm in Maoming, Guangdong province, to overflow, allowing over 70 crocodiles to flee. Following the sighting of crocodiles in the area, locals near the lake were advised to remain indoors and a search operation is on. Crocodile chaos in China The operation to find a large number of crocodiles that escaped when floods hit the region in recent days has begun, authorities said Tuesday. Around 69 adult crocodiles and six juveniles have escaped. Some have been captured, but the operation is difficult because of the depth of the lake they are in, an emergency official was quoted as saying in an AP report. There have been no recorded casualties, but officials concede that some of the reptiles are still in deep water. Sonar equipment has been used by emergency services to locate them, while some of the crocodiles were shot or electrocuted for safety reasons.

A person who answered the phone at the local emergency management office told AFP on Tuesday that officials were “working to deal with” the reptilian runaways. The person did not say how many animals were still on the loose or whether any had so far been recovered. ‘Still in the water’ A video published by the state-backed Beijing News showed responders in red uniforms searching flooded fields in rescue boats. Further images showed several two-metre-long scaly beasts lying on the road, their fearsome jaws bound tight with red tape. “Crocodiles are still in the water, and several government departments are working to catch them,” the state-affiliated China National Radio (CNR) reported, citing the local agriculture bureau. “The specific situation is still under investigation… (including) the specific number of crocodiles,” CNR said. Further west, seven people died and three are missing after multiple landslides in the city of Yulin in the Guangxi region, the official Xinhua News Agency reported late Monday. Heavy rain on Sunday and Monday triggered the landslides, reports AP. [caption id=“attachment_13119842” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A few people have been killed and thousands forced to evacuate by floods brought by tropical storm Haikui in China’s southeastern coastal Fujian province. AP[/caption] The rain caused flash floods in Hong Kong last week, killing two people. Parts of the city were flooded again following a heavy downpour Monday. Puddles of water and debris could still be seen. Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, announced that the government would establish an emergency relief fund to assist those affected by the flooding. ‘Crocs are bloodthirsty animals’ The reptiles are thought to be Siamese crocodiles, which can grow to reach three metres (almost 10 feet) long. Maoming has several crocodile farms where the animals are raised for their skin and meat, which is sometimes used in traditional medicine. According to a local firefighter, the average weight of the seized adult crocodiles is around 75kg, reports BBC. The stricken area is also home to a “crocodile theme park” and “the country’s largest crocodile breeding base”, according to CNR. “Crocs are bloodthirsty animals — they’d definitely bite people,” wrote one concerned user on the Weibo social media platform. “Don’t worry, they’ll leave you alone once they’ve eaten you,” another joked. With inputs from agencies