Gaza Crocodile Finally Captured After Nearly Two Years


A crocodile that has been on the loose in Gaza for almost two years has finally been captured by local authorities, according to The Huffington Post.

The six foot reptile escaped from a local zoo over two years ago. Workers in the Gaza Strip recently stumbled across the crocodile lurking inside sewage pools in the northern part of the region.

Since police weren’t trained to capture large reptiles with very sharp teeth, authorities requested the help of area fishermen to net the beast. After consulting the internet for tips and tricks, several men set out to on a quest for the escaped crocodile.

Many residents were understandably terrified of the creature. Since the crocodile had a penchant for snacking on ducks and goats, people feared that the beast would attempt to eat them if given the opportunity. As a result, most folks stayed inside once the sun had set.

“We were afraid he would eat us,” one farmer explained.

In order to catch the animal, six fishermen and policemen sat in a boat for eight hours a day for a total of two weeks. After having little luck with the nets, the men decided to brain the pool. Once the pit was dry, the crocodile didn’t have a way to escape.

“He had a lot of spirit in him. He wanted to be free,” Lieutenant Colonel Samih al-Sultan explained. “We hope he lives a good life here with his wives.”

For his desire to remain free, al-Sultan decided to name the crocodile “sakher,” or “rock.”

Zoo officials explained that the reptile was smuggled into Gaza over four years ago. No one is quite sure how the crocodile managed to escape the zoo in the first place.

Now that the crocodile has been removed from the Gaza Strip, residents can now go about their daily business without fear of being eaten alive.

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