Police in South Africa said Monday three men had been arrested for stealing a $1,300 eight-foot Nile crocodile from a farm in the North West Territory.
The men, aged between 20 and 35, are said to have transported the animal in a van from a crocodile farm in the Hartbeesfontein area, about 200 kilometers west of Johannesburg.
The crocodile was found tied up with rope and wire on an abandoned farm. Police said the men covered them with branches to hide them. The police also found the truck. The men were arrested last week and are due to appear in court on Monday.
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Police spokeswoman Colonel Adele Myburgh said police are investigating how they managed to remove the large crocodile from the farm, which was protected by a fence.
Mayburg said the crocodile was severely dehydrated when it was found by a team of law enforcement and conservation officials.
Police said the crocodile was “returned to its rightful owner”. They posted a picture of him swimming in the farm’s pool.
Although South Africa faces the problem of poaching, crocodiles are generally not targeted because they can be so dangerous.
The reason for the theft is still under investigation, Mayburg said, but parts of the crocodile’s body, such as the skin, nails and teeth, are valuable and the men may have planned to kill the animal and sell its parts.
