Hong Kong steps up hunt for elusive crocodile
( 2003-11-04 16:22) (Agencies)
Armed with bait, cages and tranquilliser guns, Hong Kong conservation workers
are hunting a 1.5-metre- (5-ft-) long crocodile, the first ever sighted in the
city.
Residents in a rural area of the New Territories alerted police after they
spotted the reptile on the weekend, but it has evaded several attempts to trap
it, using dead chickens as bait.
"We're still hunting for it," a government spokeswoman said. "We will
continue to lay cage baits."
She declined to speculate where the beast came from, though experts say it
may have escaped from one of the many crocodile farms in southern China, where
people are fond of eating wild animals.
The crocodile is fast becoming a media star in a city better known for its
skyscrapers and financial activity than wildlife.
Residents who usually see reptile skin only on designer bags and boots woke
on Tuesday to find themselves face to face with a huge picture of the crocodile,
jaws agape, on a newspaper front page. One television station broadcast hunt
reports live.
Lugging cameras and powerful lenses, wildlife enthusiasts have flooded the
area over the last few days, hoping for glimpses of the reptile. It delighted
its fans when it basked briefly in the sun on Monday.
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