Tunisia zoo to close after crocodile stoned to death

TUNISIA -- A zoo in the Tunisian capital where visitors stoned a crocodile to death is to close temporarily, the local affairs and environment ministry said Friday.

It will close its gates from Monday for "emergency cleaning and maintenance works and to set up measures to manage visitors entering and exiting", the ministry said.

The public was up in arms this week after the municipality posted gory pictures of the reptile, which it said died of an internal hemorrhage after being stoned by visitors.

The images on Facebook showed the dead animal's head next to what appeared to be a bloodied paving slab and another large rock.

Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher has decided to "increase the number of guards and deploy three environmental police agents" at the zoo, the ministry said.

Tunisia aims to introduce the environmental police nationwide from April.

“It’s terrible, you cannot imagine what animals endure from some visitors,” zoo veterinarian Amor Ennaifer told Agence France-Presse.

Ennaifer said people often hurl rocks into the animals’ enclosures, frequently targeting lions and hippos. He said problems increase during school holidays.

“There are more than 150 species in the zoo. We can’t put a guard in front of each cage,” he said. “People need to be aware of the need to respect animals.”

The capital's Belvedere Zoo has been in need of maintenance for years, and social media users have called on authorities to save its scrawny lions from cramped living conditions and stone-throwing visitors.

Pictures of the zoo filled with litter last year caused an outcry on social media.

(Yahoo - March 3, 2017)

Woman calls in police over 'crocodile' in garden - only to be told it was an inflatable toy

UNITED KINGDOM -- A mother called in animal experts fearing an escaped crocodile was on the loose in her garden - before being told it was in fact an inflatable toy.

The woman, Plymouth, asked neighbours for assistance but called police after they agreed it was too dangerous to approach the creature without protection.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police attended and called a team of wildlife experts from Dartmoor Zoo, who set off with snare poles, nets and riot shields.

The officers threw water over the crocodile from a safe distance and gingerly approached when it did not move. It was then that they realised it was an inflatable toy.

It was removed from the garden and placed in police custody, while the Dartmoor Zoo team were stood down.

"I was making my lunch in the kitchen and looked out into the back garden," the home owner, who did not wish to be named, said.

"It was pouring with rain and I saw what I thought was a crocodile in the garden. I went to my neighbour's house to ask if they would come and have a look at it.

"They did think it was a baby crocodile and suggested calling the RSPCA or the police but we decided to call the police as I have a three-year-old and was worried.

"A policeman and a policewoman arrived and at that point we were all a bit suspicious because it hadn't moved. One of the police officers bravely went out to have a look. They threw water on it and it didn't move. I'm absolutely mortified."

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that officers attended the incident following the woman's call at 12.20pm.

"We received a call from a concerned member of the public reporting that an escaped crocodile was in their garden, approximately 3ft in length," the force spokesman said.

"The caller was concerned for her child and the RSPCA and Dartmoor Zoo were informed and on their way to the zoo. Police officers attended and bravely investigated. The beast turned out to be an inflatable toy crocodile. Police have apprehended the crocodile."

A spokesman for Dartmoor Zoo said experts were regularly called out to deal with escaped pets including lizards and snakes.

He said the zoo received a call from police at around 12.30pm and assembled a team to attend the garden within 15 minutes.

"The team were on the road with all the equipment needed," the zoo spokesman said. "They were halfway there when we received a call from the police to say it was a toy.

"Our team have a variety of equipment to deal with such situations, including snare poles, nets on poles and riot shields.

"We also have dart guns but did not bring them on this occasion."

(Standard UK - Oct 15, 2014)

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