{"id":9809,"date":"2021-12-02T15:07:22","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T07:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=9809"},"modified":"2021-12-02T15:07:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T07:07:22","slug":"crocodile-chases-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/crocodile-chases-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardener Mistakes 40KG Crocodile For A Toy, Gets Chased By It & Chases It Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Man chased by a 40KG crocodile in his garden<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Because of our strict pet laws, it’s unlikely that you\u2019ll chance upon an endangered animal outside a zoo or a registered farm in Vietnam.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Decree 06 dated 22nd January 2019 by the Vietnamese government, those who keep wild animals such as cobras or crocodiles must register with Vietnam’s <\/span>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)<\/b> and report them to the Forest Protection Department. Crocs in public are thus not a common sight.<\/span><\/p>\n

So it\u2019s understandable why <\/span>Mr Hi\u1ec7u<\/b>, a 43-year-old gardener in B\u00e0 R\u1ecba – V\u0169ng T\u00e0u, <\/span>mistook a real 40KG crocodile for a plush toy <\/b>when he spotted it in his garden.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the story unfolded.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The man thought the crocodile was a toy until he got chased by it<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: <\/span>VnExpress<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On 25th November, Hi\u1ec7u was clipping grass in a garden near his home when he spotted a crocodile lying still on a grass lawn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thinking that it was a toy that someone had tossed into the garden, H approached the animal and held its tail up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost instantly, the gator turned around and started chasing him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still shaking now as I remember that moment,\u201d Hi\u1ec7u told <\/span>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/span><\/a><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he was running for his life, he stumbled upon two neighbors and told them about the crocodile. Three of them came back to the scene with a big rope, hoping to catch the predator.<\/span><\/p>\n

After one hour struggling with the 2M-long, 40KG crocodile, they captured it with a rope and brought it home.<\/span><\/p>\n

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They made a meal out of the crocodile<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"\"Image credit: <\/span><\/em>Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/span><\/em>
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Hi\u1ec7u admitted that he had no idea where the crocodile came from. Aware that a swine farm owner in his area kept a crocodile, he decided to call this person to ask if the captured animal was his.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In response, the swine farm owner said that he hadn\u2019t visited his farm for a while so he didn\u2019t know whether the wild animal he\u2019d been keeping had escaped.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven until today, I haven\u2019t received any confirmation from that swine farm owner,\u201d Hi\u1ec7u said.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Since nobody had come to pick up the gator, Hi\u1ec7u made a meal out of it and called everyone in his village over for a feast.<\/span><\/p>\n

In response to the incident, an authority overseeing the area revealed that no household had been licensed to keep a crocodile. Plus, no resident had reported the capture of the wild animal to local authorities, <\/span>VnExpress<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/a>reported<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Report to local authorities when you keep or spot wild animals<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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This story has raised concerns about animal ownership in Vietnam as well as what we should do when encountering a wild animal. Keeping a dangerous reptile such as a crocodile is a challenging task that requires a lot of attention, skills, and above all, recognition and supervision from a competent authority. Otherwise, the animal may escape and in this case put residents\u2019 lives at risk.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, do make a point of reporting to local authorities when spotting an endangered animal. Harassing, capturing, or trading wild animals without permits or adequate understanding can threaten your safety and carry legal consequences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also check out:<\/span><\/p>\n