Although it is a juvenile, it is about a meter long and could endanger, for example, dog walkers and their pets while walking.
“Ostrava police officers received a notification today about a crocodile escaping from a breeder’s garden in Závodní Street. It is a cub about a meter long, which could be dangerous,” police said on Twitter on Monday.
“As the animal has been without food for two days, it may be dangerous to the public. According to a consultation with an expert, it could start searching for watercourses or take shelter in leafy terrain where there is shade,” police spokeswoman Eva Michalíková said, adding that the animal is agile and is capable of catching smaller dogs or cats.
Several dozen police officers and constables are involved in the operation. They are searching the area while warning residents who live nearby. The area is a mixed development of single-family and rental homes.
The disappearance of the animal was reported by the keeper, who said the crocodile had escaped on Saturday afternoon. It is possible, therefore, that it may have moved quite a distance from the place of escape since then. The warning is therefore valid for the whole of Ostrava and its surroundings.
The police do not yet know why the breeder reported the escape after two days and whether he searched for the crocodile on his own during the weekend. “We will definitely look into it, it will be the subject of an investigation,” the spokeswoman said.