Thailand hunts escaped crocodiles

Villagers say they are fearful of going near to rivers and canals

A hunt is under way in central Thailand for up to a dozen crocodiles believed to have escaped from a breeding farm.

Inspectors are searching the waterways of Lop Buri province in a hunt that began on Saturday after one of the reptiles bit a fisherman's finger.

The teams are racing against time to find the crocodiles before the rains come and water levels start rising.

Local villagers have called for tougher restrictions on crocodile farms, some of which they say operate illegally.

They say they dare not go near the rivers and canals to wash or swim while the reptiles remain on the loose.

News of the crocodiles' escape emerged on Saturday after a 24-year-old fisherman was bitten as he waded through water near the farm where the crocodiles are believed to have escaped.

'Inspections needed'

A special task force from the fisheries department was reported to have joined local staff and volunteers to help in the search.

By Wednesday, around a dozen crocodiles, most about 1m (3ft) long and weighing up to 10kg (20lb), had been caught, fisheries officials said.

But another dozen are unaccounted for.

"We have to catch all of them while the water is low," Sompoj Jongchatklang of the local fisheries office said.

"Otherwise, these crocodiles will get into the dams and rivers and pose a greater danger."

There are three registered crocodile farms - which breed the reptiles for export - in the area, but local people believe more farms operate illegally.

"Agencies need to inspect these farms to ensure the owners can stop their crocodiles getting loose," said Nopadon Srisuk, a chief in the province's Pattana Nikom district.