Critically endangered Siamese crocodile found in Yeoju stream

A juvenile crocodile found in a stream in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province has been identified as a Siamese crocodile, a species listed under the highest tier of international endangered-species protections. Authorities are investigating how the animal came to be there, including whether someone legally imported it and then abandoned it or whether it was smuggled into the country.

Firefighters responded Saturday morning after a citizen reported seeing what appeared to be a pet crocodile near the stream. They captured the roughly 50-centimeter-long reptile within about 30 minutes of arriving on the scene, according to Yonhap.

Yeoju city took custody of the animal Monday and placed it in a privately contracted animal protection center for temporary care, then asked the National Institute of Biological Resources to identify the species.

The institute compared photographs and video footage against wildlife reference guides and determined the animal was a Siamese crocodile, notifying Yeoju city of its findings Tuesday.

"After comparing the teeth, eye wrinkles and scales on the back of the neck against wildlife guides, we concluded that the crocodile found in Yeoju is a Siamese crocodile," an institute official said.

The official added that while a precise age would require detailed bone analysis, the animal appeared to be relatively young based on its body length alone.

Siamese crocodiles typically grow to between 3 and 4 meters in adulthood and were once widespread across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia. Poaching for their hides, habitat destruction and climate change have caused wild populations to collapse, and the species is now believed to have almost no viable breeding individuals remaining in the wild.

As a result, the Siamese crocodile is listed as a Class I critically endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES. The capture, trade and possession of the species are prohibited in principle, except for limited purposes such as academic research.

However, individuals bred at facilities registered with the CITES Secretariat may be commercially traded with the appropriate permits.

"There is a possibility that someone legally purchased one of these captive-bred individuals from a domestic or foreign research institution and kept it as a pet before abandoning it," a Ministry of Environment official said. "We cannot entirely rule out the possibility of smuggling either."

Police have also launched an investigation to identify the animal's previous owner.

The Yeoju Police Station learned of the case through media reports and has been reviewing nearby CCTV footage while canvassing residents near where the crocodile was found. Officers are also checking whether any local residents have previously registered a crocodilian as a wild animal.

If an owner is identified, police plan to examine whether abandonment charges under the Animal Protection Act apply, and will also investigate whether the animal was legally imported or smuggled.

Meanwhile, the Yeoju Animal Protection Center, which is temporarily housing the crocodile, posted a notice Monday on the national animal protection information system seeking the owner. The listing initially identified the species as a spectacled caiman but was later updated after the National Institute of Biological Resources confirmed it was a Siamese crocodile.

"We didn't know much about crocodiles, so we listed it as a spectacled caiman for the time being, but the Siamese crocodile identification from the National Institute of Biological Resources is likely correct," a center official said. "If no owner comes forward by the notice deadline of July 30, the animal will be transferred to a relevant institution such as the National Institute of Ecology for protection, given that it is a critically endangered species."

Experts warn that when internationally protected species are abandoned by private owners, the consequences can extend beyond ecological disruption to fuel illegal trade and smuggling. Calls are growing for tighter oversight across the entire chain of importing, keeping and distributing rare wild animals.

rainbow@heraldcorp.com