Hong Kong's elusive urban crocodile reappears -- but escapes again

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2004

HONG KONG, (AFP) — A runaway crocodile that has eluded capture in suburban Hong Kong for five months was spotted "sunbathing" on traps laid out for it before being scared off by a boatload of photographers.

The elusive crocodile was seen crawling around a riverbank in Yuen Long, near the Chinese border, and lying on top of several traps for at least two hours, the Apple Daily said.

Government animal catchers thought it was finally going to slip into one of the traps until a boatload of press photographers hoping for pictures of its capture showed up and scared it away, the South China Morning Post said.

The crocodile was first sighted in a putrid neighbourhood stream five months ago. Famed Australian hunter John Lever tried to cage the then 1.5-metre...