The case came to light on Wednesday afternoon when a 66-year-old man reported seeing a reptile on the balcony of a residential flat. Authorities responded to the alert and discovered the crocodile, prompting immediate action.
According to local reports, police officers and staff from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) returned to the apartment shortly after midnight on Thursday to conduct a more detailed inspection. During the search, officials found more than 100 additional reptiles inside the flat. Investigators also identified several species classified as controlled or endangered, raising concerns about possible violations of wildlife protection regulations.
The incident has drawn attention to a separate wildlife-related case in mainland China, where a man living alone in eastern China was sentenced to prison for keeping more than 300 pythons at his residence. The startling case was revealed by state broadcaster CCTV toward the end of June.
Under Chinese law, pythons are classified as Grade Two protected animals. The purchase, sale, breeding, possession, and transportation of the species without official authorization are prohibited.
The investigation began in March 2024 after an elderly resident in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, spotted a large snake near the base of a local mountain and alerted authorities. Police sought assistance from a professional snake breeder, who provided a crucial lead. The expert explained that pythons require consistently warm and humid conditions to survive, meaning a person keeping a large number of the reptiles would likely consume significant amounts of electricity to maintain temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Using electricity consumption records as a key investigative tool, police examined nearby residents and eventually identified a man surnamed Guo as the primary suspect. Guo lived alone, was unmarried, and unemployed. Authorities later uncovered more than 300 pythons linked to the case, leading to his conviction.
The Hong Kong crocodile discovery and the massive python breeding case in China have highlighted growing concerns among authorities over the illegal possession and breeding of protected wildlife. Both incidents underscore the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in detecting and preventing unlawful wildlife trafficking and the keeping of endangered species in residential properties.
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