Dozens of Farm Crocodiles Freed by Typhoon Haikui Caught in China - Photos
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When Typhoon Haikui slammed southeastern China with the strength of a Category 3 hurricane, it brought all types of chaos, including catastrophic rains that triggered widespread flooding in Taiwan and on the mainland.
On Taiwan, which took the brunt of Haikui's fury, 125-mile-per-hour winds tore apart outdoor structures and injured dozens, but no deaths have been reported so far. However, the Hong Kong and Macau special Administrative Regions and Guangdong and Fujian provinces were next to be hit, coming just days after another storm, Typhoon Saola, swept through the area.
While Saola's impact was not dramatic, Haikui brought the worst rain Hong Kong had seen in 140 years to already-rain-soaked land, turning roads into rivers and paralyzing transportation across the Pearl River Delta region. At least four people have died in Hong Kong as a result of the storm.
The rains brought chaos across the region, including to Maoming, a city in southwestern Guangdong, where flooding allowed more than 70 crocodiles to escape from a farm: 69 adults and six juvenile crocs, all weighing at least 240 pounds each.
Authorities have scrambled to recapture the deadly predators, using sonar equipment and tips from locals, who have been warned to stay inside due to the danger.
Photos shared by Chinese media showed several of the carnivorous reptiles hog-tied by local militiamen.
🚨Alert! Over 70 crocodiles🐊on the loose! Due to the impact of #TyphoonHaikui, more than 70 crocodiles escaped from a farm in a village in Maoming City, #Guangdong Province. Authorities are actively capturing them, and local militias have stated that for safety reasons, these… pic.twitter.com/Cx0htFb9k0
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) September 12, 2023
While these crocs were apprehended alive, the militia are reportedly prepared to use their rifles to stop the rest of them. According to media reports, the animals will have to be culled for safety reasons.
The farmer from whose farms the crocs escaped told local media they had escaped from a breeding area typically surrounded by a 10-foot-high wall and wire mesh. He speculated the flooding had caused a breach in the enclosure wall and that the wire mesh failed.
