Siamese crocodile captured in Beijing river
By Quan Zhanfu | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2023-10-22 19:47
A Siamese crocodile was spotted and captured in a river in Wangjing subdistrict, Beijing, on Oct 11, according to a report by Beijing Evening News on Thursday.
Residents of Shuangqiu Road community in Wangjing found the crocodile in the Wangjing River and reported it to the community office. With the help of the local river management office and police station, officials swiftly arrived at the scene and successfully captured the crocodile.
The presence of a crocodile in an urban river raised questions about how it ended up there. After conducting investigations, officials determined that the crocodile was deliberately released into the river.
The crocodile is believed to be a Siamese crocodile, with a length of about 30 centimeters. It has been safely transferred to a forestry rescue center under the supervision of the police.
Professor Wu Xiaobing from Anhui Normal University explained that Siamese crocodiles are a medium-sized freshwater crocodile native to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia. They are not naturally found in the wild in China and are not listed as protected or endangered species in China's official animal protection list. However, Siamese crocodiles are categorized as critically endangered species under the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty.
Li Li, the director of the Black Leopard Wildlife Conservation Station, said that Siamese crocodiles are commonly known as Thai crocodiles and can grow up to over three meters in length when reaching adulthood. The temperature and humidity in Beijing pose challenges to the survival of the species, especially during winter. However, if the crocodile manages to adapt to the environment here in Beijing and survived, it poses a threat to citizens and local animals.
In recent years, there have been cases of residents in Beijing releasing various creatures into urban rivers and water bodies.
An official with the Beijing Water Authority said to the reporter with The Beijing News that some individuals released fish, turtles, and snails into urban rivers and lakes as a way to seek blessings. However, this behavior can cause significant damage to the aquatic ecosystem.
