Frantic hunt launched after mass crocodile escape in South Africa

Cape Town - The reptiles escaped from a breeding farm.

By Web Report

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Published: Fri 5 Mar 2021, 11:30 AM

Last updated: Fri 5 Mar 2021, 11:36 AM

South African police are attempting to find an unknown number of young crocodiles after they escaped from a breeding farm on Wednesday.

According to the BBC, officials in the West Cape province say that they have caught 27 of the escaped reptiles, but do not know how many more they need to find.


The crocodiles are thought to have made their way to the Breede River after they clambered through a broken fence in their breeding farm outside Bonnievale.

Local residents have been instructed to stay clear of the river, and not to approach the animals if they spot them.


"Obviously, they are very dangerous. These are wild animals even though they've been in captivity," said Petro van Rhyn, a spokeswoman for the region's environmental service, CapeNature.

The crocodiles are believed to be up to 1.5 metres in length, and a special unit from the police have set bait-loaded cages to retrieve them.

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