A team of crocodile hunters in Phuket has finally snagged a saltwater croc after 5 days trying to find and capture the reptile. Gee, that dragged on.
The search began after security personnel at the Mission Hills Golf Course in Pa Klok, north Phuket, reported seeing the croc in a nearby lagoon on Wednesday, July 31. It was subsequently identified as a saltwater crocodile, estimated to be about 1.5 – 1.7 metres in length.
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The search for the croc then stretched into days, with water in some parts of the lagoon up to 10 metres deep. Searchers say they were also hampered by visitors arriving at the location to see if they could spot the reptile, possibly scaring it off.
The search was led by Nikhom Suksawat from the Panya Farm Crocodile Capture Training and Academic Centre, in the central province of Nakhon Pathom (presumably paid by the hour). The crocodile was finally captured yesterday morning, August 5, and will be relocated to the Phang Nga Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Centre.
Various officials were present at the time of the croc’s capture, including the chief of the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office, Prayut Rattanawan, and the mayor of Pa Klok, Panya Sampaorat.
Prior to its relocation, it’s understood the reptile is being temporarily housed at the Phuket Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Centre in Pa Khlok.
Nikhom says it is first being isolated in a cement pond, where it will undergo a health check and breed identification, before being moved to a larger cement pond.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
