Phuket – Officials have finally caught a crocodile that was first spotted in the open sea in Phuket over a week ago.
After 12 days of searching, a special operation in Phuket, which comprised members of the Department of Fisheries, the Royal Thai Navy and local agencies found the crocodile in hiding on Layan beach in the early hours of Sunday.
The team then spent an hour catching the reptile before handing it over to the Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center for an inspection.
An initial test confirmed the 2.5-meter-long crocodile is female but more needs to be done to ascertain the breed.
Officials said the search operation took many days due to high waves and strong winds in the area.
The Phuket Fisheries Department revealed that, as there is no microchip in the croc’s body, it can be confirmed that the crocodile does not belong to any farm.
