Inp.polri.go.id - Cianjur.  Authorities in Cianjur, West Java, have recaptured three crocodiles, measuring between 3 and 5 meters, that escaped from a conservation facility after a wall collapsed during the heavy rain and strong winds.

So far, only three crocodiles have been recaptured, but the total number that escaped remains unclear, according to antaranews.com.

Wiji Eko, the Head of Sayang Subdistrict, explained on Saturday (5/10/2024) that the wall failure occurred on Wednesday night in the facility, owned by a local businessman, that has housed around 80 crocodiles on behalf of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) since 2016.

The crocodiles are believed to have fled toward nearby rivers and rice fields near residential areas.

A joint team, including local residents and staff from the facility, has been searching the riverbanks and agricultural land. Residents have been encouraged to report any sightings of the escaped crocodiles.

Local resident Didin (43) expressed concern about the size of the reptiles, saying, "We don’t know how many have escaped; we’ve only caught three so far, but there could be larger ones out there."

(mg/inp/pr/nm)