50 cm Crocodile Found in Yeoju Identified as an Internationally Endangered Siamese Crocodile

[Financial News]  The crocodile captured by firefighters in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, on the 18th has been confirmed as a Siamese crocodile, a species classified as internationally endangered.
According to Yeoju City on the 21st, the city sent video and photos of the crocodile to the National Institute of Biological Resources and requested a species analysis. The result identified it as a Siamese crocodile. The Siamese crocodile is listed as a Class I internationally endangered species under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The Siamese crocodile is known to live in Thailand, but it is said to be on the brink of extinction in the wild. Fully grown adults can reach 3 to 4 meters in length. It is considered relatively docile and is not known for frequent attacks on humans.
Earlier, at around 11:27 a.m. on the 18th, firefighters responded to a report from a passerby saying there was "something like a pet crocodile" and captured a crocodile measuring about 50 cm in length in about 30 minutes.
Yeoju City received the crocodile from the fire authorities and has placed it under temporary care at a private animal shelter. At first, the city believed the crocodile had been kept as a pet and planned to post a notice for abandoned animals and look for its owner for 10 days.
However, now that the crocodile has been confirmed as an endangered species, officials are reportedly reviewing several options for its management if no owner comes forward.
The Siamese crocodile was also reportedly traded as a pet on the internet in the early 2000s. Under current law, anyone who trades in or possesses an internationally endangered species can be punished. Class I internationally endangered species cannot be privately kept and may only be housed at institutions such as zoos.
In 2016, a man identified as A was sentenced to four months in prison for violating the Wildlife Protection and Management Act after keeping a Siamese crocodile at home for eight years and feeding it rabbits and other animals.
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