(19
June) A man in Phuket province brought home from his nighttime fishing trip what he thought was a
water lizard, only to realize that it was in fact a young crocodile.
Mr. Chari Padtangtanang,
31, who lives in Soi Uthai or Sri Sunthorn district, told our correspondent that around 20.00 on the
night before he went out fishing at a former open mine, now flooded, near The Valley gated
community.
While he was fishing, he said, a creature was swimming nearby. In the darkness,
he thought it was a water lizard so he reached out and try to catch it. The creature then snapped
his jaws at him, but missed its target, and tried to swim away. Mr. Chari said he chased it and,
having beaten it with his wooden stick, managed to carry it home.
When Mr. Chari got
home, he was horrified to know that it was a crocodile he was carrying, and quickly chained it in
his house yard.
News about his catch spreads quickly, bringing the usual crowds of lotto
number hunters who gather around and pray to the crocodile, believing that it might bring them good
luck. Some villagers feed the crocodile with fresh fish. The creature appeared to be in exhausted
condition, our correspondent added.
The type of the 1.2 meter long crocodile is not
immediately clear. Mr. Worrawuth Songyot, mayor of Sri Sunthorn district, expressed him belief that
the crocodile probably used to be someone′s pet and was later abandoned in the
pond.
