Runaway crocodile spreads terror

Ras Al Khaimah: A 1m long runaway baby crocodile created panic among residents of Al Rams area. The owner said it escaped from its pool in to the sea but was later caught and returned.

He said his small pet appears big in the pictures and that may have added to the fear in the people. Such exotic pets can be bought in shops, he claimed adding that a number of residents keep crocodiles, some of them five-meter-long, in their farms. Dr Saif Al Qais, a marine biology professor at the UAE University, said the crocodile is a protected species under the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

He said the UAE is member of CITES and crocodiles sold in the country are the smuggled ones. He said investigations and information gathered showed that many pet shops are selling CITES listed animals and their products. (Gulf News)