WATCH: Crocs rescued after theft attempt goes awry
The reptiles were found on a macadamia nut farm.
Farm workers got the fright of their lives when they came across a crocodile in among the macadamia nut trees on a farm in Izotsha on May 28.
Unbeknown to them, not one but two large crocodiles had escaped from the nearby reptile park the night before.
The two five year-old reptiles, about 1.6m in length, had gone out through an open gate following what appears to have been a botched or abandoned break-in at the park.
The next morning, a frantic search ensued.
An initial sighting was reported some 150m from the park on the macadamia farm.
Tractor driver Ntsindiso Ndayi was doing his rounds and spotted a large object on the farm road.
The alarmed driver hastily contacted his manager Ryan Bahlmann, who went to see what it was.
“When I got to the crocodile, I immediately called Terrance Whittle from Pure Venom Reptile Park and asked if he was missing a crocodile. His response was yes. The staff came and safely captured the croc,” explained Bahlmann.
Later the same day, the second croc was found in the same vicinity and was also safely recaptured.
According to Whittle, two separate break-in attempts occurred on the property recently.
“Criminals gained entry on May 27 by breaking off the gate and entering the crocodiles’ enclosed area. The thieves probably got disturbed and left the gate wide open, and two of my crocodiles escaped,”
Whittle explained that the next morning staff noticed that the gate had been broken and that two crocodiles were missing.
“While we were searching, I received a call about one of the crocs (from Ryan) which was safely brought back to the park. Later the same day, the second croc was found and safely returned to its enclosed environment.”
He added that the crocs were not harmed and are doing well in the enclosed area.
“While South Africa has a problem with poaching, crocodiles are not normally targeted because of how big and dangerous they are. The motive can only be that they wanted to sell the body parts for traditional medicine purposes, but then realised that we have big boys on the farm,” added Whittle.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
