Thirteen baby crocodiles rescued in Ladysmith
Residents were not aware that the popular fishing spot where the crocs were found could potentially be home to many more crocodiles.
The 13 baby crocs. Image: Ladysmith Gazette
Thirteen baby crocodiles were rescued from the clutches of six men on Monday afternoon on the banks of the Klip River in Ladysmith, reports Ladysmith Gazette.
Local snake expert Fanie Cilliers received an anonymous call from a person who spotted a group of men on the banks of the Klip River near Smartiesville who had a bucket with them. Inside the bucket it looked like they had juvenile African Rock Pythons.
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Fanie immediately responded to the scene, and when the group of men saw his car approaching, they left the bucket and ran away.
Fanie went down to the riverbank, which is a well-known fishing spot for many people in Ladysmith, and looked into the bucket.
To his shock and disbelief, he found 13 baby crocodiles.
Fanie took the bucket and crocodiles home with him. He cleaned them up and kept them in his bathtub, with rocks and a red UV light to provide some heat for them.
He then contacted Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, who came on Tuesday morning and collected the crocodiles. They will be taking the little reptiles to St Lucia on Wednesday morning.
The crocodiles will be released at the sanctuary.
This is a shocking find in the Klip River, and could mean there are many more crocodiles in the river.
Fishermen and residents need to be wary when they are near the water’s edge and keep a close eye out for any larger crocs that might be close by.
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