Crocodiles on the loose and turtles rocking up air miles

More than thirty crocodiles were on the loose in Si Sa Ket on Sunday after the farm they live in at Prang Ku district flooded allowing them to escape.

The crocodiles swam out of the Ban Sanai farm late in the morning, before the Provincial authorities sprang into action to set up a unit to catch them before they became a danger to the public. By late Sunday afternoon six of the crocodiles had been captured and it is hoped the others will also be captured in a timely fashion.

Prang Ku is one of eight districts that has been hit by flooding caused by continuous rain and run off from the Phanom Dong Rak mountain.

In the meantime over two hundred turtles were being seized at Suvarnabhumi airport, a haul worth approximately one million baht on the black market.

According to Paisal Chuenchit, director of the Customs Departments investigation and suppression office, customs officials found three suitcases near gate number  six of the international arrival lounge at around 7-45am. The suitcases had no tags on them and nobody claimed them.

In total two hundred and twenty Hamilton turtles, also known as spotted or black turtles, were found in the suitcase wrapped with brown adhesive tape.

The turtles which originated in Bangladesh are classified as endangered animals by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fanua and Flora.

Stay updated with Samui Times by following us on Facebook.